Dealing With A Kapha Imbalance

Relight Your Fire: Dealing With A Kapha Imbalance

Emma Newlyn Talks About solving your Kapha Imbalance. Kapha is the dosha related to all things growth, juiciness, heaviness and structure. Made of the elements earth and water, the word Kapha actually translates as Ka meaning ‘water’, and Pha. – ‘to flourish’. Indeed, Kapha energy is very present in the Springtime when plants, flowers and animals are flourishing and growing, and throughout childhood (our own primary years of ‘growth’), we have more Kapha energy within us. In the body, Kapha is responsible for structure, mass and lubrication; think of the skin, bones, muscle and fat tissue, and the synovial fluid that provides protection and moisture around the joints.

Why You Should Solve your Kapha Imbalance:

We need Kapha within us to support our physical bodies, giving us a strong immune system, good fertility, longevity, and grounded-ness. In excess however, too much Kapha can make us feel over heavy, with water retention, sluggish digestion, issues with phlegm and mucus, as well as lethargy and even depression. Emotionally, Kapha types love sticking to a routine and having family and friends around them, but out of balance, this can manifest as rigidity, attachment, and a strong dislike of change. If you feel like you’ve lost your ‘mojo’ recently, this can be a sign that you’ve accumulated more Kapha energy than is healthy for your body. This could have happened due to environmental conditions, like low levels of sunlight or cold and damp weather (especially at the end of Winter and beginning of Spring), or it could be related to a diet containing too much dairy, heavy meats, cold foods and not enough warming spices. Try the following daily routine to get your body and mind fired up again:

Relight Your Fire:

• Wake up at or just before 6am, this is a much ‘lighter’ time of day, and will help you feel more energised. Definitely don’t snooze!
• Get outside as soon as you can after waking up to expose your eyes to natural sunlight and re-set your circadian rhythms.
• Practice body-tapping or heel-bouncing to get the lymphatic system moving
• Consume warm water with lemon to fire up the digestive system
• If you enjoy coffee, this is a good time to drink it, as the hot qualities of coffee can help balance the cold qualities of Kapha, especially during the Kapha-dominant morning hours of 6am-10am
• Move your body in a way you enjoy, that helps move lymph around, and gets your heart pumping. Try some sun salutations, jogging, skipping, dancing, or rebounding.
• Before taking a shower, practice dry body brushing, using a dry bristle brush to stimulate your skin, circulation and lymphatic system.

More Tips:

• When showering, try switching to cold water just for a few seconds, and then back to warm, as this can wake up the mind, and boost circulation. Ensure the majority of your shower time is warm, though! Use a simple scrub of coffee grounds to exfoliate the skin. OR, Urban Veda has a great Kapha-balancing range to use HERE.
• Whenever you consume breakfast, make it a light, warm and easily-digestible meal. This could be stewed apples, a small portion of porridge with warming spices like cinnamon and ginger, or even a warming broth or stew.
• Fill your space with light, and wear bright, stimulating colours like pink, orange or red. This can all help boost your mood and keep you focussed throughout the day!
• Try something different. If you always walk the same route, try a different path; if you always have the same lunch, make a swap today. Even something as small as changing the mug you drink your tea from can make a difference to helping you get out of a rut!
• Supplement your day with movement ‘snacks’ to keep you feeling energised and awake. A burst of star jumps, push-ups or simply playing your favourite music and dancing along can all raise the vibration of how you feel.
• Make dinner easily digestible, and try to consume it earlier in the evening. Opt for a dahl, kitchari, or soup. To help your agni (the digestive fire) stay strong, sip a post-dinner cup of ginger and cinnamon tea. If your digestion is super sluggish, you can also try taking Triphala, a well-known Ayurvedic supplement to help ‘get things moving’ the next morning.