Understanding Yourself Through the Eyes of Ayurveda – A Short Take on the Principles of Kapha Dosha

[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px”][vc_column_text]

As we turn this week to look at Kapha, the third dosha, it is important to remember that we are looking at the doshas from an energetic perspective in order to get a more direct understanding of each of them.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px”][vc_column_text]

The doshas constitute the separation of the one great energy which divides itself between subtle and gross. The break up of this one great energy into different parts is there to facilitate evolution. We have sky energy and we have earth energy. Between above and below a lot of action/transformation and communication happens.

Vata is light like the air, while Pitta is the energy of clear changes — eg. when you see someone transforming from being overweight to becoming slim, this is due to the ‘changing agent’ of pitta dosha.

Kapha constitutes the energy of earth and water.

‘Ka’ means ‘water’ and ‘Pha’ is often translated as ‘to nourish’.

When you mix water and earth, the result is a mushiness or clay consistency. When you squeeze your flesh you can feel this combination quite clearly. We are not hard and solid as we often perceive, but we are a good mixture of the softer component of water substantiated by the earth.

Kapha is therefore known for its healing or even better repair capacity. It does this by bringing cohesion and fluidity to the body.

Kapha, in short is the energy of cohesion, of repair, of nourishment.

How do we experience this energy directly, ourselves?

Think about how refreshed you feel when you have slept for 8 hours or more and you wake up feeling good, full of energy and well nourished just from lying down and being in full body contact with the earth.

These days, in our modern world, many people no longer experience that nourishment. Over the past 100 years, our average number of sleep hours has dropped by two. We have more people suffering from sleeping disorderslike insomnia and interrupted using sleep aids like sleeping pills. This has had a major impact on the body’s ability to repair and heal itself. You might also have noticed that immune issues (like allergies or inflammation) or auto-immune diseases are on the rise.

Why are our immune systems falling apart?

In the eyes of Ayurveda, this is closely connected with the increasing sleep deprivation and poorer quality sleep. Kapha can no longer do its work effectively. This is partly due to the fact that the body is no longer able to stabilise its system through kapha.

Here are some suggestions for building kapha to enable deep healing from within:

* Make sure to get enough sleep between 10 pm and 7 am by clearing up your sleeping environment and using calming scents like lavender or rose in the bedroom.

* Wear a sleeping mask to block out light and avoid blue light for at least 2 hours before going to bed.

* Wind down before bedtime with soothing and relaxing activities such as gazing at beautiful art, finding inspiration from sundowns and generally, becoming more aware of the sweetness of life. Avoid watching the news in the evening or engaging with mood-disturbing things such as work emails etc.

If you would like to understand more about your dosha type or solutions to your health issues, you are more than welcome to join me for a Free Ayurvedic consultation.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]