Kapha – the Interpersonal Dosha

Your Material Self …
… and Your Emotional Self  — serene, compassionate, dependable, loving

Dosha is a philosophical idea invented by the adepts of ancient India. The idea of “dosha” is similar to the idea of “humor”, known in the West from Hippocrates, a Greek physician in the 400s – 300s, BC.

The ancient adepts sought to explain the mysteries of the human body and mind in terms of nature or the environment and its forces. In fact, they made an assumption that all things in the universe originated from the five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.  This assumption formed the Ayurvedic view of the human body.

In the science of Ayurveda, the five elements describe the three body types: Vata (Air & Ether), Pitta (Fire and Water) and Kapha (Water and Earth).

The three body types are known as doshas.

Dosha stands for the three kinds of energy in human beings – the Vata, Pitta and Kapha aspects – that each contribute to a person’s body type (or constitution) and psyche. The three doshas are not an isolated idea, but belong under the umbrella of the Sanskrit term, ‘Prakriti’, which means “constitution”.  Any living thing has Prakriti, the original material or nature of a being.

Kapha, defined

When you look at Kapha qualities do you see your physical and emotional self?

Kapha is often cited as a Winter season dosha. And that’s only because of Winter’s cooler temperatures and Kapha’s signature elements of Earth and Water.

I find it fascinating that human body types are modelled from the energies of the universe, Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Thinking about these broad concepts helps me understand the body or constitutional types.

This essay is about the subtleties of the Kapha body constitution and Kapha emotional type. Kapha is sometimes very strong in one person, while in another person, a combination of body types, such as Kapha-Pitta, or Vata-Kapha might be seen.  By the way, each dosha type can be singular, or paired with another dosha.

Image: Love of Winter by George Wesley Bellows from Unsplash, see Notes, below.

Earth, A Natural Element

Kapha, or earth, stands for the physical self and the moisture needed by the body for its functions. Each dosha being made of two elements, the Kapha dosha shares the quality of water with Pitta, and represents the heaviness – or weight — and wet quality of earth or substance.

As a body type, a Kapha designation implies largeness or substance, oiliness or well-lubricated joints, large eyes and smooth skin. Qualities of physical and functional Kapha are stability, heaviness, materiality, dampness, and nurturing.

Kapha emotions are sweetness, calm, steadiness, composure, forbearance, compassion, dependability, and love.

In comparison, the other two doshas are less about physical characteristics than Kapha.  They symbolize initiative and drive, emphasizing the personal aspirations and desires of an individual over the interpersonal nature of Kapha.

The Tri-Doshic Body

Each dosha carries out certain functions in the physical body, but needs to be regulated by the other two doshas.  Kapha (Earth) doesn’t exist alone in our natural bodies, but is a counterpart to Vata (Wind) and Pitta (Fire) doshas.

Many people are tri-doshic, they have attributes of each dosha distributed over their physical body, their internal body, and their emotions.  However, it’s not uncommon to find that attributes of two doshas are prominent in a person, physically and emotionally, with only a tiny bit of a third dosha present.  See NOTES at bottom and how to request a Dosha Questionnaire for your own use.

Image of painting by Yanagawa Shigenobu I, Japanese, from Unsplash, see Notes, below.

Kapha Dosha & Winter

We can understand the idea of Kapha in any season, yet it’s easier now, while the characteristics of Kapha dosha seem to match those of Winter.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter stretches from late December through late March when Spring arrives!  Currents of energy that we experience in Winter season are the exact opposite of Summer’s.  The energy now is slow, deliberate and nourishing, cold and wet.  This is Kapha, or Earth, time.

For more on Kapha and the seasons, see Aroma-Memo in Winter, 2024, here.

the Physical Body Type in Ancient Texts

Recently, published papers provide concepts that might be useful in modern medicine. They reference ancient texts that describe Kapha dosha as the physical substance of mucus or lubrication for our joints, the linings of our stomach, lungs and heart, the cerebrospinal fluid, the moisture in our lungs, the lymph. Kapha dosha supports our capacity to taste food, to appreciate smells and aromas. And Kapha is said to reside mostly in the upper body, from the stomach to the brain.

the Dosha fault

By definition, a dosha is seen as a fault when it’s excessive or is an un-balanced condition.  A Kapha body type is frequently described as tall, broad-shouldered, with thick hair, large eyes, and oily  and smooth skin. Observed in context of the other two doshas, Vata and Pitta, thick hair and oily skin is vastly different from thin hair, and dry, or sensitive or congested skin. However, conditions where Kapha is faulted or is excessive include too much mucus — as in a cold or flu; too much dampness — as skin rashes appear; too much substance — as extra weight, lethargy, and other clinical conditions of excess. In other words, Kaphas’ positive attributes turn out to be good qualities that promote healthy, rather than depleted, states.  (See Vata and Pitta posts, coming soon.)  In addition, Kapha can over-influence the body and mind, causing an unhealthy condition.

Image of Woman Sewing by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, from Unsplash, see Notes, below.

Interpersonal Dosha

You might think of Kapha as earth, or the material aspect of existence. Or you might think of the constancy of nurture and love.  Both the physical and soulful aspects are characteristic of Kapha, the interpersonal dosha.

I think that the term “interpersonal” points to the social character of this dosha, which is affirming and supportive, that perceives and values others.  Kapha types care about people in a noticeable way — they pay attention to them.  As author Sara Kucera says, Kapha dosha personality is known for their comforting attitude, a quality which they often neglect for themselves.

A Kapha type or someone who is Kapha-dominant could have the emotional qualities of thoughtfulness, patience, kindness, forgiving, yet not quick to change, with steadiness of purpose.

What does Dosha mean for aromatherapy?

In aromatherapy, a blend of aromas is often custom made, according to the tendencies of the recipient’s body and mind.  If these tendencies are regarded as the energy of the universe residing inside of us, then we can be more calm, with more control over our situations and conditions.

Skin Health for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

Vata: symbolic of air, can have dry skin which requires moisture, and soothing and calming oils for erratic aggravation
Pitta: symbolic of fire, may have sensitive skin which is prone to aggravation, over-heating and inflammation; requires calming and soothing oils
Kapha: symbolic of earth, may suffer from sluggishness; often requires stimulating and warming oils to balance oiliness and stagnation

Conclusions

When a person thinks of themselves as primarily a Kapha type, what does that mean?  That they are Winter snow-birds or skiers, or that they seek less chaotic situations and don’t prefer the usual commotion of life?  It might reveal those characteristics.  However, it’s evident that Kapha, the substance or material nature of human bodies, is the great provider. Without Kapha’s properties, the movement of Vata or digestion of Pitta would be impossible.

However the above Kapha attributes might be difficult to recognize in oneself.  In fact, I used to believe that I was a Vata-Pitta type, but am now re-viewing that in light of Kapha attributes.  I think that a Dosha Questionnaire can help with investigating our personal selves.  To get your Dosha Questionnaire, see below.

The idea of specifying a person’s dosha or constitutional type may be helpful in medicine.  Recent interest in explaining the doshas has led to scholarly discussions about the value of this ancient science and specifying herbs and medications for that individual.  At the same time, knowledge of an individual’s constitution or dosha provides additional basis in aromatherapy, to help select the right essential oils for that person’s healthful use.

Send me questions or comments on the Contact Me page, here.

Request a Dosha Questionnaire

Looking at your your constitution’s type (also called your dosha) can be helpful on many levels. What constitution type does is match your strengths and qualities to one of three elements, the metaphors for your individual type. These are air, fire and earth. To find out more, take a personal survey to discover whether you relate to the world from an air, fire, or earthy point of view. To request My Dosha Survey, write to me or use the contact page on lotusladyaromatica.com . It’s painless and may spark curiosity and a bit of fun.