5 Tips for Balancing Sluggish Digestion (Kapha)

For much of the country, spring tends to be a cool, damp time of year. The winter frost starts to melt, and along with it, the accumulation of the moist and heavy qualities in our bodies. This is why we often tend to experience moist coughs and congestion in the spring. It is also known as the kapha time of year, a time when our digestion tends to feel a little bit more sluggish, requiring us to balance the diet with the lighter, drier foods of the season, such as sprouts, beans, and greens.

How do you know if you have sluggish digestion?

Kapha-type digestion is generally characterized by low metabolism, and a feeling of heaviness or sleepiness after eating meals. You may feel bloated or overly full, sometimes to the point of nausea. You may have one large, slowly passing bowel movement each day. Sometimes, a white coating may show up on your tongue.

If you have a kapha imbalance or have tendencies towards sluggish digestion, it is especially important to take the necessary steps to balance that sluggishness. As we move towards warmer spring and summer weather, we no longer need to hold onto as much of that protective weight that got us through the cold winter.

The following 5 tips are excellent steps to take for balancing kapha-type digestion:

1. Get Moving First Thing in the Morning

To get past the stagnation of kapha, it is important to get the body moving early in the morning. Kapha-types do best when waking an hour before sunrise to do their self-care practices, then moving on to some vigorous exercise to wake up the body and get those juices flowing. Going for a jog is great, or perhaps 10 minutes of jump rope. A yoga flow with plenty of vinyasas can also be good for kapha.