How To Balance Kapha Vata Dosha? 6 Factors To Consider

When Kapha and Vata Dosha undergo imbalance, the treatment, medicine and diet should have hot quality. This is because both  Kapha and Vata have cold property. The task is relatively easier when compared to other Dosha combinations. This is because most of the spices and a variety of other type of herbs have Kapha and Vata balancing properties. So, the choice of medicine is quite high. Let us explore more. 

Qualities of Vata – Kapha Dosha

Kapha has cold, oiliness, heavy, immobility, smooth, viscous, mild, clear, slimy and stability qualities.
Vata has coldness, dryness, lightness,  movement, roughness and minuteness qualities.

Common quality is – coldness.
Opposing qualities are –
Oiliness Vs dryness of Vata
Heaviness of Kapha Vs lightness
Immobility Vs movement
Smooth vs roughness

So, in general, hotness should be the common quality to balance both Kapha and Vata Doshas.

Usual diseases with Kapha and Vata involvement are respiratory disorders like asthma, cold, cough, rheumatoid arthritis and so on.

Suitable tastes to balance Doshas

Sweet, sour and salt tastes increase Kapha.
Pungent, bitter and astringent tastes increase Vata.

Pungent, Bitter and Astringent tastes decrease Kapha.
Sweet, Salt and Sour tastes decrease Vata.

So, we can see that there are no common tastes in both the two Dosha categories. The choice of tastes to treat the combination largely depends on the dominant Dosha. If Kapha dominance in the combination is more, then the herbs should have Pungent, bitter and astringent taste and vice versa.

Seasonal regimen recommendation

Kapha involved with Vata can be compared to an ice cube broken and scattering by the power of wind. There is some liquification of ice cube and there is some movement. The same phenomena can be found in spring, wherein, the accumulated Kapha of previous winter season gets liquefied by the Sun rays and there is movement of Kapha. Hence, Spring seasonal regimen is to be followed here.

Highlights of spring regimen are –
Kapha should be controlled quickly, by resorting to strong emesis therapy (Vamana Panchakarma procedure),  Nasya (nasal medication) and other therapies.
Food that are easily digestible are recommended.
Physical exercises, dry massage and mild trampling should be done.This is especially helpful in disorders having stiffness as symptom, like muscle cramps, rheumatoid arthritis etc.
Having thus mitigated the Kapha Dosha, the person should take bath, anoint the body with the paste of karpura (camphor), candana (sandalwood), aguru (Aquilaria agallocha), and kumkuma (saffron).

Have one year old barley, wheat and honey, meat of animals of desert-like land, and meat roasted in fire as food;
Horse gram  – is astringent, hot, sour and balances Vata and Kapha.
Beverages such as Asava (fermented infusion), Arista ( fermented decoction), Sidhu (fermented infusion),  Mardvika (fermented grape juice), or Sarambu (extract of trees such as asana, candana etc).
Water with honey, or water boiled with jalada (musta – Nut grass) are good to take.
Avoid foods that are hard to-digest and cold, sleeping at day time, foods which are fatty, sour and sweet. Because, all these will increase Kapha and Vata together.

Herbs and substances

Herbs and substances to balance Vata and kapha Dosha
Bael, Dill seeds, Moringa, Pomegranate, Clove, Fennel seeds, Cinnamon, Fenugreek (methi) 
Mustard, Hedge mustard, Camel milk
Bhallataka – Marking nut – Semecarpus anacardium
Palasha – Butea monosperma
Bakuchi – Psoralea corylifolia
Karanja – Pongamia pinnata
Jyotishmati – Celastrus paniculata
Madanaphala – Randia spinosa
Patha – Cyclea peltata
Bala – Country Mallow – Sida cordifolia
Karkatashrungi – Pistacia chinensis
Monk’s hood – Vatsanabha – Aconitum ferox
Avalguja (Psoralea corylifolia Linn)
Edagaja (Cassia tora)
Dronapushpi – Leucas cephalotes
Todari – Pepper grass – Lepidium iberis
Fruit of radish
Ajagandha – Gynandropsis gynandra
Himsra – Capparis sepiaria
Kareera Phala – Fruits of Capparis decidua
Kokum butter – Vrukshamla – Garcinia indica
Pishacha Karpasa – Devil’s cotton – Abroma augusta
Fruit of Dhanvana – Grewia tiliifolia
Star fruit – Karmaranga – Averrhoa carambola
Skin and pulp of ripe Citron Fruit – Beejapoora
Amlavetasa – Garcinia pedunculata
Ingudi – Balanites aegyptiaca
Gum of Shallaki – Olibanum
Sour ber fruit – Indian Jujube
Asthisamhara – Cissus quadrangularis
Ceylon oak fruit – Koshamra – Schleichera oleosa
Amchur powder – prepared by drying skinless unripe mango.
Neelini – Indigofera tinctoria
Sinshapa – Dalbergia sissoo

Ayurvedic medicines

Medicines that balance Kapha Vata Dosha –
Chyawanprash
Ashtangavaleha
Nasika Churna
Nisosiradi Taila
Katakakhadiradi Kashayam
Vyaghradi Kashayam

Foods that increase Kapha and Vata Dosha – Avoid these –
Lotus stalk

Kaphavrita Vata treatment

Treatment of Kapharvrita: Vata Occluded by Kapha:
Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 28

If the ailment is caused by the occlusion of Vayu by Kapha then the patient is given barley and meat of the animals as well as birds inhabiting arid land as food.
He is given strong fomentation, Niruha type of medicated enema and emetic as well as purgation therapies. Old ghee, sesame oil and mustard oil are useful in this condition.

8 comments on “How To Balance Kapha Vata Dosha? 6 Factors To Consider

  • purushotham shedambi

    08/08/2013 - 8:46 pm

    It is good article and gives suggestion is also good I am 93 used to have every cold Raint season suffer from Khapa and having sinus problem Snoring when I sleep both day time and night I am healthy no diabetics I have noted down the Medicines to balance Kapha vada dosha Thank you
    purushotham shedambi

    Reply to comment
    • Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)

      10/08/2013 - 10:14 am

      Respected sir, Many thanks for commenting and letting me know that it helped. If you any health issues and want my guidance, please feel free to write to me at hebbarjv@gmail.com
      I will do my best to help you 🙂

      Reply to comment
  • Guru

    09/08/2013 - 2:01 am

    Thanks for the article Dr.Hebbar.

    Related to this, do you have any suggestions for treating Vata aggravation in an individual whose body constitution is Kapha-Vata (Kapha-primary, Vata-secondary) ?

    Please advise.

    Best regards.

    Reply to comment
  • maheshvasa

    07/10/2015 - 8:42 pm

    I think iam vata kapha personality with first vata imbalance and later kapha imbalance as far as i know….. So which one to treat first? How to know which of them is predominant …

    Reply to comment
    • Dr J V Hebbar MD(Ayu)

      16/12/2015 - 8:07 pm

      If you are sure about Dosha imbalance chronology, then it is good to treat Vata Dosha first.

      Reply to comment
  • rachat

    19/02/2017 - 1:30 pm

    what fruits and foods should be eaten for thyroid and ashtama

    Reply to comment
  • Raam ch

    19/04/2022 - 10:32 am

    Many many thanks hebbar sir you are doing great job… delivering knowledge of Ayurveda to us thank you so much

    Reply to comment

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