Summer! The time of the year kiwis look forward to the most. Long days, warm(ish) waters, water sports and beach trips, lots of holidays and more time for friends and family. According to Ayurveda, the qualities of summer are hot, sharp, and penetrating. That’s why our pitta dosha (the subtle energy that controls metabolism and can cause us to overheat) tends to flare up when the temperatures rise. Pitta or excessive heat-related imbalances include sunburn, hot flashes, exhaustion, acne, and diarrhoea. Emotionally, excess pitta can manifest as anger, jealousy, and impatience.
I am equal vata-pitta dosha, which means during the summer months, I definitely feel the effects of excess heat and dryness manifesting both physically as well as emotionally.
Here are 5 tips I try and incorporate during the summer months
1. Early morning exercise – Avoid the heat of the day by exercising before 10 am and after 5 pm
2. Drink plenty of water – Add a dash of lime or lemon as well as some mint leaves. These are naturally cooling herbs.
3. Oils – Massage your body with cooling oils like coconut or a pitta massage oil to calm the nervous system and cool the body.
4. Pitta pacifying foods - Cut back on spicy, sour, salty and heating foods, fried and processed food. Have light meals, cool and bland food, sweet fruits and salads; vegetables like leafy greens, cauliflower and cucumber; grains like basmati rice, oats, quinoa and barley; legumes like mung beans, black beans, garbanzo beans and split pea; water-rich and sweet fruits such as melons, grapes, berries, peaches and pears.
5. Cool the mind with meditation. Whenever I drive during hot summer days I notice how people seem more impatient, on the brink of honking and often drive faster. The Pitta season is the best time to cool the mind with some meditation 😊
Some of our summer products to balance Pitta
The key to balancing fiery Pitta is keeping everything in moderation. Keep Pitta in check with these cooling and calming protocols, and enjoy the long days of sunshine and blue skies this summer.
