Navigating the Summer Season with Ayurveda
Jun 21, 2020 | Written by Leticia Padmasr
It is pitta season! It is hot. It is humid. It is feisty and its days are longer! We experience vitality and drive. We can do the most. While doing more can be great, excess doing will burn us out…literally! We will end up with burning sensations in the body, sour stomachs, and inflamed tempers. In Ayurvedic terms, we will end up with excess pitta.
According to Ayurveda summer is the pitta season of the year. It is when the qualities of this dosha - hot, light, sharp, penetrating, and oily – are predominant in the environment. Since we are part of nature these qualities will have a tendency to increase inside of us as well. An important principle of healing in Ayurveda is “like increases like and the opposite balances”. Consequently, what leaves us with pitta imbalances are habits and choices that will increase the qualities that are already being intensified in the environment. For example, going for a run in the summer when it is 100 degrees outside could leave us feeling even hotter and with a flaring temper.
The second half of that Ayurvedic principle is the solution: opposite qualities will reset our being. Pitta season then will be less likely to cause imbalances if you choose a lifestyle that is the opposite of the season’s qualities. We have a tendency to underestimate the power of the simple practices because we became so dependent on high technology, incredible discoveries, and the latest fads. All a result of disconnecting ourselves from the natural cycles. We then overlook nature’s technology that is simple, sustainable, and based on the relationship between ourselves and nature. When we apply this principle to our daily life, it is truly incredible how quickly the body and mind rebalance!
Here are some tips for us to enjoy the passion of the season without burning up!
DIET
Our digestive fire (agni) is lower in the summer, consequently, our appetite is weaker. Respecting that, eat seasonal, fresh and local vegetables and fruits. These foods have been already “cooked” by the sun and will be easier to digest. Avoid hot, spicy, and salty foods like chili peppers and chips. Red meat, fried foods, alcohol, and coffee are also too heating for the summer. Favor sweet, bitter, and astringent foods. These tastes are pitta-pacifying. Here is a list of foods to favor. Also, drink cool water and drinks. But be careful…iced drinks will only weaken your agni even more.
EXERCISE
Do not work out in the heat. Exercise in the early morning (ideal) or in the evening (before 7 PM). Water activities like swimming and water aerobics are ideal for the summer as they increase digestive strength without overheating.
SUN AND MOON EXPOSURE
Crucial to our well-being is moderate sunlight and moonlight exposure. It is best to avoid direct sun exposure from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. In case you have to be outside during this period, wear a wide summer hat and breathable clothes (like those made of cotton) in cooling colors such as white, green, and blue. In the evening, go for a light walk and allow the moon’s rays to cool you. White clothes and flowers will even facilitate the absorption of the moonlight and soothe the pitta dosha.
YOGA
Favor a more cooling hatha practice that supports relaxation and acceptance. Invite fun, creativity, and graceful movement to your practice, holding forward bend and twist asanas longer without strain or heat. Enjoy pranayama practices such as chandra bhedana, shitali, and sitakari. The meditation focus should be on letting go of control and anger. Finally, repeating mantras such as OM, SHAM, and SHRIM will lower our emotional temperature.