Kapha prakriti or dosha consists of prithvi (earth) and
jala (water).
Jala or
ap, is essential for sustenance of life.
Prithvi, or earth, is responsible for structure and bulk of the material.
Kapha is responsible for body form and structure (fluids, fats, bones and muscles). The
kapha prakriti endows the individuals with a good physic and strong perseverance but they are slow in their activities. The cold quality of
kapha results in poor appetite as their
agni or digestion is poor. In case of an imbalance (
vikruti), individuals tend to suffer from the diseases of the respiratory system especially phlegmatic disorders. The diseases normally affect the upper parts of the body i.e. chest and above. The diseases are pronounced during the early ages (childhood), which is the period of
kapha (
kapha kala). Generally people are a combination of two
doshas i.e.
dwandvaja prakriti. They possess characteristics of both
doshas involved depending on the percentage of the combination. In this case, one is a primary and the other is the secondary
dosha. Sometimes people are a combination of all the three imbalances of
doshas. But, it is extremely rare to find a balanced state of all the three
doshas. Not only the humans but also everything (animals, plants, geographical locations, times of day, seasons and activities performed etc.) in the universe is categorized according to these three
doshas. An ayurvedic practitioner formulates a diet plan and recommends herbs for a patient after taking into consideration all these aspects. That's why in ayurveda different people with the same disease sometimes receive different diet and herb plans.
