Shifting in the Summer with Ayurveda
photo by Kaizen Nguyễn
Ayurveda puts particular importance on the transitions between the different seasons. These transitions bring change, parinama, and change brings unrest; we are leaving the familiarity of one environment and need to figure out where we are heading. Our bodies leave the familiarity of one season with its qualities and foods to shift into another one with different requirements, such as changing jobs or departments within the same company. All is same same but different.
We now come from the Kapha dominant spring to move into the Pitta dominant summer.
Let's explore how to shift our routines, diets, and practices to align with the changing seasons, ensuring we stay healthy and vibrant throughout the summer months.
Recapping the Spring: Where We Come From
But first, let's remember where we come from. Spring and Kapha. Kapha is the quality of growth, heaviness, and slowness. We were asked to speed up, eat spicy and bitter food, exercise vigorously, and eat light during the spring. It is the time to lose weight, let go of patterns that don't serve us any longer, tidy up the house and the cupboards, and let go of possessions, clothes, furniture, and anything we don't use but still hold on to.
But now we need to change into something different altogether.
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Kapha to Pitta: Understanding the Transition
Each dosha has one quality that is common to the other. Both Kapha and Pitta, for example, share the quality of oiliness. It is through the oily quality that we imbalance from spring into summer. How, you wonder? Well, if you think about food, prepare the vegetables by steaming rather than sauteing or shallow frying.
That keeps both the incoming Pitta and the outgoing Kapha happy.
The spring-to-summer transition is not necessarily a time for a big fast or cleanse. But, all seasonal transitions benefit from a few days of staying light and eating easily digestible food. A kitchadi weekend is a great way to support the body with shifting gear.
According to the Ashtanga Hrdayam, 3, 58-59 1/2:
The seven days at the end and commencement of the rtus (seasons) is known as Rtusandhi (inter-seasonal period). During that period, the regimen of the preceding season should be discontinued gradually, and that of the succeeding season should be adopted gradually; sudden discontinuance or sudden adoption gives rise to diseases.
Adjusting Your Daily Rituals
Diet Changes
During Kapha, we focused on bitter, spicy, and astringent tastes.
Pitta stays balanced with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes. Reduce eating spicy foods, such as chilly, black pepper, salty and sour foods and re-introducing the sweet taste which gets satisfied with all the sweet and juicy soft fruits, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, melons, bananas, peaches. Grains like rice, sweet potatoes, summer squashes, and spices like coriander, fennel, cumin, and fresh ginger are good to eat.
Yoga Practice
Our Yoga practice needs adapting as well. The vigorous and fast-paced practice of the spring will exhaust the easily overheating Pitta. A slower and gentler Yoga practice, interwoven with deep stretches, opening back bends, and gentle twists creates a sense of space and helps to release the stored heat.
Incorporating cooling breathing techniques such as Shitali, Nadi Shodhana, and Moon Breathing keeps the fiery mind.
What to Watch Out For
Digestive Health
With its intense digestive fire (Agni), the summer and Pitta season seems ideal for our digestion, right? So, it seems. However, the hot summer months require our bodies to siphon energy away from the digestive system for cooling. Therefore, we should focus on cooling food to help the body save energy.
The fennel and coriander will do a good job cooling and supporting Agni; find more cooling spices in the summer food plan.
Skin Care in Summer
The skin and the eyes are Pitta organs and need special attention during this time of the year. How can we prevent skin problems in the summer?
Heat Rashes
As the skin is associated with Pitta dosha, the natural excess of Pitta in the atmosphere combined with Pitta tendencies in one's constitution can lead to heat rashes and skin redness.
Staying cool and avoiding direct and prolonged sun exposure is essential to protect the skin, so is wearing cooling cotton or linen clothes.
Skin rashes can be soothed by applying aloe vera.
Aloe vera is one of the best herbs for the summer and a must-have in every house. A little piece of aloe leaf can be cut and opened to access the gel, which you can apply directly onto the skin. It cools and soothes immediately. Suppose Pitta (or Kapha) is high in your body. In that case, you can also eat the aloe vera gel (only from the fresh plant, not the shop-bought one, as it contains preservatives, which aren't great for the body). You can drink aloe vera juice instead; the proper juice is best, as aloe vera drinks are too diluted.
Use aloe vera to soothe and heal irritated skin after sun exposure.
Rosewater spritz is another excellent way to soothe irritated skin.
Try this easy rose face pack:
½ cup crushed rose petals (fresh or dried – ¼ cup is sufficient)
1 tsp whole milk
½ tsp coconut oil (if it's solid, warm it up a little)
Mix everything in a little bowl, apply to your face, lie down and leave it for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with cool milk or water.
Eye Care
The brightness of the summer sun can aggravate Pitta, leading to irritability. Protect your eyes with sunglasses when you go out.
Use rosewater pads to cool the eyes in the evening when you go to bed.
Consider ayurvedic kajal or ayurvedic eye drops to maintain eye health.
To refresh your eyes in the morning when you get up, take a sip of cold water, keep it in your mouth, and then splash cold water into your open eyes. Blink a few times and spit the water out.
Hydration is Key
Aloe Vera Juice helps cool and hydrate the body.
Coconut water is an excellent natural electrolyte, combined with its cooling properties, making it a must-have summer drink.
Buttermilk is a traditional Ayurvedic drink that cools the body and aids digestion. To be taken after lunch. Buttermilk is easily prepared by mixing 1 part mild yoghurt, homemade is best, with 2 parts warm water. Digestive spices such as crushed coriander, dry roasted cumin and coriander powder, or ghee tempered with cumin, coriander and curry leaves, and chopped fresh coriander leaves can also be added.
Eating regularly fresh, sweet and juicy summer berries and watermelon is a great way to stay hydrated. The structured water of the fruits is easily absorbed by the cells and hydrates them.
Regularly sipping warm water throughout the day guarantees all-year-round hydration.
Mind Matters: Emotional Balance
Summer's intensity can affect our mental state. Pitta's mental imbalance shows in irritability, anger, a sense of being fed up, and a short fuse.
To counteract these effects, make sure that you:
Have early Nights: Prioritise sleep to prevent Pitta from increasing and maintaining emotional balance.
Be Mindful: Practice gratitude for what you already have and learn to leave things undone. Embrace a mindset of contentment and patience.
You can embrace the summer season with balance and harmony by making these mindful shifts in your lifestyle, diet, and daily practices. Ayurveda offers the road map to adapt and thrive, ensuring your well-being throughout the changing seasons.
Final Thoughts
When transitioning into the summer, we must adapt our lifestyle on several levels. Here are some tips:
Adapting your yoga practice to incorporate slower movements, deep stretches, and cooling breathing techniques like Shitali and Nadi Shodhana can prevent overheating and promote a calm mind.
Paying special attention to digestive health, avoiding heavy foods, and instead opting for cooling spices and foods can help maintain energy levels.
Skincare is crucial, with remedies like aloe vera and rosewater providing relief from sun exposure and heat rashes.
Hydration is key, with natural drinks like coconut water, buttermilk, and water-rich fruits like berries and watermelon ensuring proper hydration.
Eye care should not be overlooked; protective measures and soothing treatments should be used to maintain eye health.
Emotionally, maintaining a cool demeanour through mindful practices, sufficient rest, and a focus on gratitude can help manage the mental imbalances often exacerbated by summer's heat.
You can enjoy a balanced and healthy summer season by embracing these Ayurvedic principles.
Resources:
Here are a few recipe ideas to get you started:
Are you intrigued to try it? Which aspect are you going to integrate first? Let me know what you think. You can leave a message on Instagram, Facebook, or even an old email OR leave a comment below :)
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. Of course, establishing healthy eating habits is very important in the summer as well.