5 Ways to Keep Your Cool this Summer with Ayurveda & Yoga
Everyone is waiting for the summer to arrive, warm weather, sun, long evenings, al fresco dining, summer holidays and so on.
When the summer is finally here, some of us, me included, start to suffer, too hot, no appetite, headaches, nausea, fatigue, burning eyes, and skin rashes.
Summer is the time of Pitta dosha.
Pitta dosha is governed by the fire and water elements, whose qualities are hot, fluid, oily, sharp, spreading and light.
As Ayurveda follows the principles of opposites (Introduction to Ayurveda), we need to balance Pitta with the opposite qualities of cool, dense, dry, smooth, and heavy to avoid any imbalances, such as those mentioned above, through the summer and autumn.
Everyone can experience an imbalance or change in the Pitta dosha, however, if Pitta dosha is dominant in your constitution, you will need to pay extra attention.
How can we keep Pitta balanced?
Ayurveda suggests five avenues to stay balanced or to rebalance: food, herbs, therapies, Yoga & lifestyle.
Pitta balancing food
Food is the most influential. The reasons for imbalance are coming from the outside into our bodies through food, seasons, and weather, to name a few.
As we are eating very frequently, food has a fast impact on our wellbeing, for better or worse.
We like to make changes for the better. Here is where it gets easy, we only need to look at mother nature.
Did you know that nature provides us with the food that we need in each of the seasons? Isn’t that just so beautiful?
Ayurveda distinguishes six tastes, which are
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, astringent.
The individual tastes either balance or aggravate the doshas.
Pitta needs to focus on sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes to stay balanced. And these are the tastes that nature provides us with its summer harvest:
Ripe fruits provide a sweet taste and hydration, and we have plenty of those during the summer.
Leafy greens provide the bitter taste which is supporting the liver.
The astringent taste is provided by apples, cranberries, pomegranate, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and carrots.
Here are further suggestions on Pitta balancing foods:
All fruits and all vegetables, whatever you harvest, are nutritious and balancing.
Barley, millet, oats, rice, wheat, almonds, coconut, macadamias, pine nuts, pumpkin-, sunflower seeds and walnuts. (All nuts should be soaked and then eaten 3 or 3 per day is often sufficient)
If you eat meat and seafood, focus more on chicken, duck, eggs, freshwater fish, lamb, turkey, and shrimp.
Butter, fresh cheese like paneer and mozzarella, Ghee, and milk.
Maple syrup, raw sugar, carob.
Warm water, fresh fruit and veggie juices, green tea (in moderation as it has drying effects), herbal teas, coconut water, and warm buttermilk (only made from mild yoghurt).
I used to assume that our digestive fire is best in the summer due to the sun and heat outside. However, this is not the case, as the body uses tremendous energy to keep all systems cool, so our digestive abilities are weaker through the summer.
For digestive strength try CCF tea
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water with all of the seeds. Cover and bring mixture to a low boil for 10 minutes. Strain into a mug, this helps to keep the digestive fire burning.
All garden herbs, coriander (fresh and seed), cardamom, fennel, mint, saffron, fresh ginger, cumin, and liquorice.
Eating mainly these seasonal and Pitta balancing foods, is the best way to avoid accumulating heat in the body.
Pitta balancing herbs
There are times when an imbalance has gone beyond its initial stages, and one needs to add some powerful herbs into the mix.
Here are a few suggestions:
Avipattikara churna, which is a herbal mixture to be taken after lunch and dinner to stimulate digestion, is also wonderful if you have eaten too much or experiencing acidity.
Guduchi, is a bitter herb which strengthens the immune system, soothes skin irritation, and maintains gut health.
Brahmi, another bitter herb, cools the nervous system, helps to focus and to manage stress and helps with heat-related headaches.
Turmeric is powerful anti-inflammatory support.
Although these herbs can be taken safely, it is always advised to consult with an ayurvedic practitioner if they are suitable for you right now.
Soothing Therapies
We might not be able to get a soothing massage, but here is something that you can do yourself.
Massaging the feet helps to draw the heat from heat and body down to the feet and out of the body.
In the summer you can massage your feet in the evening with warm coconut oil, olive oil can be used as well. First, wash your feet then massage them with the oil, on top of the feet, toes and the foot soles, ankles, and lower legs too.
Place them for 10-15 min into a warm water bath, before drying.
This is a wonderful evening self-care routine which cools the body and importantly the mind, and nervous system too.
Yoga for the summer months
The approach with which you practice Yoga postures (asanas) throughout the year is important for their effect during the different seasons.
Heat makes us naturally tired, makes us move slower, and exhausts us faster. Our asana practice needs to reflect this in the following ways:
Practise at a slower pace, slow flows for example.
Take a few breaths in between.
Hold postures for a shorter time.
Practise early in the morning when the atmosphere is cooler.
Keep the evening for restorative- and breathing practices.
Practise cooling breathing practices such as Chandra Bhedana the moon breath, Shitali or Shikara Mudra and Bhramari, the humming breath.
Wide-legged forward bend (Upavista Konasana), legs up the wall (Viparita Karani), all twists, as they strengthen our digestive fire, are excellent to integrate into daily practice.
Daily practice of slower-paced Surya Namaskar and Chandra Namaskar, the salute to the moon.
Self-reflection helps us to gauge what is appropriate for us. When we observe the effect of what we are doing we can make informed decisions on if we need to bring change or can continue. Everyone is different and you might thrive in the summer and a strong practice is exactly what you need. Listen to yourself and act from what your body and mind tell you.
Summer lifestyle
The days are divided into the doshas as well. Pitta dosha is active from
10.00 am to 2.00 pm and
10.00 pm to 2.00 am.
This means that lunch should always be the main meal of the day, if possible, to use a stronger digestive fire to metabolise our meal.
As the Pitta time in the night can give rise to a second wind, we should ideally be in bed beforehand, so around 10.00 pm to use the Kapha time of the early evening, to ease us into sleep.
A typical day could look like this:
Getting up early, before 6 am to use the cool qualities of the Vata time.
Drink a glass of hot water, first thing in the morning after cleaning the tongue.
Walking barefoot in the grass keeps the body cool throughout the hot days.
Yoga and meditation.
A light breakfast around 8-8.30 am of light breakfast, fruits or try this refreshing and nourishing banana lime smoothie:
2 cups banana
1 cup coconut water
1/3 juice of a lime
¼ tsp cardamom
Blitz all together and enjoy.
During the day wear light and airy clothes, cotton or silk keep the body cool.
Nourishing lunches using all seasonal vegetables, steamed, yellow split mung bean kitchari, and mung dal soup with vegetables and rice are excellent for the summer.
Buttermilk after lunch is my favourite with 1/3 mild homemade yoghurt, 2/3 warm water, whisked together, a little salt, fresh coriander, and coriander-cumin powder, super yummy and cooling.
Homemade lemonade with salt, sugar and a little black pepper is also good for summer, rehydrates the system.
Super important: 10 min lie down on your left side to kick start the digestion and to give you an energy boost for the afternoon.
Early evening meal, best around 5 pm.
Journaling is a good way to process the day or 10 min of free writing to empty the mind and help to sleep better.
Rosewater eye pads are a great way to reduce heat from the head and neck area and prevent headaches, and burning eyes. Put them on your eyes when you go to bed.
Early to bed, as mentioned above, around 10 pm, apply a few drops of coconut oil on the top of your skull and on the foot soles for a restful sleep.
These are a few suggestions on how to stay cool and enjoy our favourite time of the year.
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