The Kapha Woman
The Loyal, Grounded, Faithful One. She’ll guard your secrets.
Kapha dosha is composed of the elements Water & Earth and, as such, many of the characteristics are related to coldness & heaviness.
Characteristics of The Kapha Woman
She has a Well developed body with thick, broad shoulders and long limbs
She has a tendency towards carrying excess weight
She has soft, oily, pale, cool skin
Her hair is generally lustrous, thick, wavy or curly and often dark with very little greying
Her face is rounded and large with a large, round nose
Her eyes are large & loving
Her mouth, lips and teeth are usually large. Her teeth are pearly white and her lips are pale pink
Her appetite is regular but her digestion is slow
She prefers spicy, bitter and astringent foods when in balance but may crave sweet when out of balance. She prefers warm drinks to cold
She perspires moderately with, cold, moist skin
She cannot tolerate cold & damp weather
She sleeps deeply & mostly uninterrupted for long periods
She is caring, centred, faithful, patient, loyal, loving & supportive
She is slow to memorise but won’t forget!
She may be wealthy and earn well
Her typical health problems include dull headaches, sinusitis, tonsillitis, respiratory infections, congestion, bronchitis, obesity, diabetes.
Physical Features of The Kapha Woman
Women with a dominant Kapha constitution have well developed bodies with thick, broad shoulders and long limbs. They have larger, heavy bodies, bones and muscles. They may also tend towards obesity.
Their skin is usually soft, oily and lustrous with a fair and light complexion. Their hair is generally plentiful, thick, curly and dark with hardly any greying. Their face is rounded and large with a large round nose. We say they having 'loving' eyes - large, attractive, generally dark coloured with clear, white sclera. Their mouths are also usually large with full rounded lips and a good set of white, well-place teeth.
They have a regular appetite with a relatively slow digestion. When in balance, they like spicy, astringent and bitter foods and prefer warm drinks. When out of balance they will crave sweet foods and often succumb to these cravings by curling up on the sofa with something sweet and comforting.
They perspire moderately, with a cold and moist skin. They cannot tolerate cold and damp weather, preferring warm and dry climates. They do love water sports though and are often keen swimmers and surfers.
As they have quite oily constitutions they generally have well lubricated joints, making them mobile. This moistness often results in excess mucus which can attack the respiratory channels and even give them thick, oily stools!
They sleep for long hours and their sleep is usually uninterrupted and deep and often a bit too prolonged. They will definitely choose gentle or no exercise over competitive sports!
They are generally caring, centred, faithful, patient, stable and supportive people who are very loving and loyal to their friends.
Their comprehensions are slow but they have a good long term memory. They are usually wealthy people and can earn money but may have a tendency to hoard it!
They generally suffer from dull headaches, sinusitis, tonsillitis, respiratory infectionsm, congestion, bronchitis, obesity and diabetes.
To pacify Kapha, especially during Winter and early Spring, which is Kapha season, read my blog on Ayurveda for Winter :
My 3 Top Tips to Pacify Kapha
1) Increase foods with the tastes Spicy, Bitter & Astringent The taste of Spicy is Rajasic-Tamasic in nature. It is a combination of Air & Fire and is perfect for lightening, drying and stimulating lethargic Kapha Dosha. Think light, not overly-sweet fruits, bitter green veggies, light grains like couscous and millet, soya milk and very warming spices like chill and mustard seeds. Bitter is a combination of Space & Air and is wonderful at firming the skin and flesh and helping dry out the body and it's secretions. Astringent is a combination of Air & Earth, it is heavy, cold and dry in its qualities. It stimulates activity, increases digestion and helps with assimilation of fats and oils.
2) Avoid cold, damp, heavy foods or drinks and only eat when hungry! As Kapha dosha is formed of the elements Water & Earth which are cold, heavy, damp and moist we need to use foods with opposing qualities to pacify it. Think heating herbs and spices, dryer foods and only small amounts of oils. A vegan diet is ideal of kapha types and they can defintely enjoy their monring cup o Joe!
3) Begin a practice of dry body brushing NOW! Introduce a daily, body-brushing session before your morning shower. Add to your brush essential oils which are uplifiting, stimulationg and warming - Eucalyptus, cinnamon, ginger and peppermint.