The Kapha-Vata Prakriti Double Dosha

The Kapha-Vata Prakriti Double Dosha

We hope you have taken some time, to familiarise yourself with the concept of Prakriti & the three Doshas & understand the concept of possessing a dual Prakriti. Your profile report reveals that your inherent nature is driven by two doshas, Kapha & Vata, with the former being more prominent than the latter. These Doshas are different, so that Kapha has a slow, heavy & soft quality while Vata is considered to be fast, light and rough. Simultaneously, both these Doshas share a common property of being cold, so you may want to avoid excesses of cold weather or food to avoid imbalances. Anatomy & Physiology You have a stout frame with Kapha dominance, though you maybe tall or short, with a sizeable muscle mass. However, you are not as big as a typical Kapha-only person is because of your secondary Dosha Vata, which also makes your bones light. Kapha also provides strength to your joints, though you are vulnerable to sprains, strains and arthritis, because of Vata s lightness & agility. Your skin is smooth, soft (Kapha properties) & dry (Vata property). It does not have the oiliness or thickness of the Kapha only type, however, it is thicker than that of Vata only people, as a result of which the veins or joints are not visible through the flesh. You have a dense mass of hair because of Kapha s dominance however, it may not have shine and bounce, because of Vata s dry properties. Your Kapha dominant body is likely to be well formed & proportionate. However, few body parts may show some characteristics of disproportionate or crooked or deviated anatomy, as a result of Vata Dosha. Common deviations include an irregular teeth line or a deviated nasal septum. The temperature of your body,especially that of your hands and feet, will generally remain cold, since, both the doshas in your Prakriti have a cold property in common. This will make you uncomfortable in both, wet and cold (kapha property) as well as too dry and cold (Vata property) weather. Though,

you are likely to have a better immunity level in comparison to many around you, you may fall prey to colds and coughs, in cold weather. You may not have a strong digestive system, since the cold property of both the doshas, does not fuel the digestive fire. This property, also makes you less thirsty. Behavioural Patterns & Trends You have a complex personality with multiple traits emanating from varying aspects of your Kapha & Vata tendencies. So you may exhibit stability, lethargy & a calm demeanour in one mood or phase or be overpowered by unpredictability, speed, enthusiasm and anxiety in another. You erratic tendencies may make you laid back & carefree in one moment and prompt and enthusiastic in another. Kapha and Vata have depressive tendencies, so don t be surprised if you find yourself feeling low and lifeless, often. You will be driven to complete goals and be stable at work, based on Kapha properties, that dominate you. However, Vata s shiftiness may make it tough at times for you, as you struggle to concentrate and lose interest and focus, in momentary phases. Kapha s strength inducing energy and Vata s swiftness, make you a good candidate for performing under pressure. Of course,this goes with the peaks and valleys, of anxious and calm periods. You may experience fluctuating periods of extreme sleepiness combined with phases in which you find yourself unable to get to deep sleep. However, you need to take care to get sufficient rest because an unhealthy sleep cycle, may aggravate the Vata and cause health problems. Kapha enables you to retain new knowledge longer, though you may take time to grasp it. However, Vata gives you the tendency to forget facts, so you need to repeatedly revisit what you learn, so as to retain it in your long term memory. With this dual prakriti, you are prone to Kapha related health concerns like diabetes, water retention, obesity & diseases of the lymphatic system and Vata related ones like aches, pains and neurological disorders. However, the probability of having these, are lesser than a Vata only person, since the Kapha antagonises the Vata properties and prevents, it from reaching an unmanageable level.

Aggravating the cold condition of these Doshas in your body by consuming cold food or drinks or even, an excessive exposure to cold winds, may cause chest and sinus congestions, numbness and pain in extremities. You value relationships and may retain them for fairly long periods, exhibiting the cohesive and stable properties of Kapha. However, with Vata, as a secondary Dosha, you may also tend to change preferences quickly. Ayurvedic Remedies to counteract Imbalance in Kapha-Vata In a dual Prakriti, care needs to be taken to address both the constituent Doshas while designing your diet, lifestyle and actions in general. However, it is likely that, the primary dominant Dosha will dominate your behaviour. So the Kapha dominant in your Prakriti overpowers the Vata and they manifest as different features, with varying properties. Your diet, actions and life style can influence these properties and any one of these which increase the particular properties of either Dosha will increase the strength of the respective Dosha and can aggravate it. Conversly, a decrease in a dietary habit or action, can pacify the presence of a Dosha. Often, if certain measures are taken to control one property of a constituent Dosha then the opposing property of the second constituent Dosha increases. This needs to be managed carefully & is a challenging reality while dealing with your dual Prakriti. AVOID actions that aggravate either Dosha like : Sleeping in the day aggravates Kapha & leads to lethargy Sleeping for less than six to eight hours at night, may aggravate Vata Bathing with cold water in cool weather, can make you ill Eating cold, refrigerated food or eating too much in one go, can lead to digestive problems.

Take measures to Pacify & Harmonise The Kapha-Vata like : Lifestyle Habits If you do not get enough night sleep, Vata may get aggravated & cause headaches. You can avoid this, by taking a light afternoon nap. However, if you experience, congestion, which is a sign of Kapha aggravation, then it is better to avoid any daytime sleep. Infact, you may want to avoid sleeping more than eight hours at night. Since Kapha & Vata are cold, it is suitable to eat warm food, exercise regularly and dress appropriately to suit the weather. It may also be useful to bathe with lukewarm to hot water, based on the weather. While Kapha enables you to complete your work with its endurance & persistent properties, Vata prompts you to seek a job with a variety of interesting responsibilities and innovation, triggered by its wanderlust nature & need for speed. Your skin care routine must involve taking steam, followed by a light oil massage and a herbal scrub. You can wind up, with a warm water bath. Early to rise, is a good mantra to follow, as Vata is active at the predawn hours, and it enables elimination of wastes and opening up of respiratory channels to clear excess mucus. Activity, at this time, allows, the Kapha to remain in balance. As, the day progresses, the Kapha time takes over & so late rising, aggravates, slowness and may cause lethargy.

Exercise Routine You should follow a moderate intensity workout.this can be achieved through aerobics & exercises for stretching and toning the muslces. You may enjoy power yoga, callisthenics, weightlifting, cycling, swimming, dancing, racquet games, cricket and horse riding as well. Dietary Guidance Eat freshly cooked and warm food. Eat in small quantities, at regular intervals rather than eating big meals at one go, since this causes indigestion. You should sit in a calm place and bite slowly, taking care to chew your food properly. Doing otherwise makes you easy prey to indigestion, heaviness and gas formation. Liquids should be taken an hour prior to or an hour after meals, so as not to dilute the digestive juices. Few sips may however, be taken. Choose lightly cooked food over raw food and use spices like garlic, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek seeds (small quantities), and caraway seeds in the diet. Oil intake needs to be restricted, to a maximum of four tea spoons, per day. Dairy products need to be consumed in moderation. Using the low fat variety, which is easily digestible, ensures that the primary Dosha Kapha, is in check & Vata is balanced. Hot tastes with sour, salty and pungent flavours need to be included in a Kapha-Vata diet like yours and cold tastes with sweet, astringent and bitter properties, should be used sparingly.

Herbs for the Kapha-Vata Prakriti : Asafoetida, fenugreek, garlic, black and long pepper, cumin, guggulu, Shilajeet & Tulsi are good for you and can be used, based on the requirements. Understanding your dual nature & its multiple traits and utilising their advantages to lead a healthy, abundant & satisfying life is the secret to success & joy that Ayurveda offers. Learn about it & follow these easy principles to secure a life of bliss for yourself and your loved ones. We wish you luck in your journey into your own nature! Learn more about Ayurveda at home! Ayurveda: The Science Of Life, Ayurveda through the Day and through the Years, Digestion, Exercise and Body Work, Meditation Techniques, Breath and Energy, Ayurvedic Self-Care All of it right here!