Summer is hot, bright and sharp, just like Pitta. As such, during this season we must do all we can to keep cool… One of the fundamental principles of Ayurveda is that we should aim to attain and maintain a state of health & balance by adapting our habits, routines and dietary choices to the changing seasons. Some of these adaptations come quite naturally, and you’ll feel your body automatically shift towards them anyway, whereas others can take a little extra effort to implement in our day to day lives.
Remember how Ayurveda says that like increases like and opposites balance? This is a key concept to remember, which makes it easy to quickly consider how we may react to each season. For example, someone who is thin and constantly cold, may adapt to summer heat and find a state of balance more easily than someone who is overweight and always hot in the first place - this person would be at risk of aggravation (hot person + hot weather = like increases like); but on the flip-side, they would probably fare a lot better in the winter season (hot person + cold weather = opposites balance). This is an incredibly simplified example of a much more complex theory, but it’s a good starting point to understand the big fundamentals and Ayurvedic principles. Next up...
You are your own healer.
SUMMER & PITTA
Most of us need to balance Pitta (fire) in the heat of summer, regardless of our constitution. Having said this, if you have a Pitta constitution extra care needs to be taken – so as not to fall into a state of aggravation (like increases like). Triggered Pitta can manifest itself physically and mentally through excessive thirst, weakness, sunburn, acidity, anger, impatience, irritation, to name a few. External heat can be managed with fans, air-conditioners, dips in cool water, etc. but internal heat also needs to be managed through proper diet and lifestyle. Thankfully, Ayurveda offers us a comprehensive seasonal regimen to keep us cool & collected.
During the summer, our digestive fire is naturally low in order to keep our body cooler, and it is common to notice a decrease in appetite. Have you ever noticed how in the winter you crave warmer, heavier food, and that come summer all you feel like is fresh fruits & salads? This is the body’s natural wisdom – a wisdom that we have gradually become less and less connected to, but that still persists in the rhythms of our system. Try to notice and re-connect with these subtle shifts, they are your body speaking to you.
DIET
During these warmer months therefore, we should eat in moderation, and drink plenty of liquids. We want to favour foods that are sweet, cooling, & hydrating.
LIQUIDS:
It is important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and flush toxins from the body. A note here on cold beverages – though they may feel refreshing, care should be taken to not douse the digestive fire (Agni) by drinking ice-cold liquids during or after meals. Fluids consumed during & around meal times should preferably be room-temperature.
If you get tired of drinking plain water all day long, play around with flavouring your water with coriander seeds, rose petals, cucumber, mint or lime juice. Water stored in a copper jug overnight (Tamra Jal) also has many health benefits and helps to balance the three doshas.
Consumption of coffee, tea, carbonated drinks and alcohol should all be reduced as they contribute to dehydration. Replace with water (predominantly!), fruit juices, coconut water, and even decaffeinated herbal teas such as mint, chicory, dandelion or hibiscus.
FOOD:
Summer is the season of fresh fruits & vegetables. Raw and lightly cooked food should be favoured since we are aiming for a Pitta pacifying diet (reducing fire!). We want to aim for a diet that is easily digestible.
- Fruits – watermelon, melon, oranges, limes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, figs, pomegranate, mangos, avocado & berries.
- Vegetables – asparagus, cucumber, cabbage, sweet potato, courgette, celery, broccoli, green leafy veg & white onions (sweet). Note that raw vegetables are better digested at lunch compared to dinner time.
- Grains & Legumes – Basmati rice is an excellent grain for the summer months; and soy beans, mung beans, black beans and split peas are all good choices for legumes. Favour coconut, sunflower and olive oil in your cooking.
- Dairy – whole milk, cheese, ghee and butter are good dairy choices for the summer. Ghee can be used liberally, but not to fry with, as the food will become heavy & difficult to digest. Cold milk smoothies, however, should be avoided completely as they can clog the body’s channels and douse Agni.
- Animal products – freshwater fish, shrimp and chicken or turkey are all good options if you consume meat.
Avoid greasy, oily and fried food, as well as heavily spiced, salty, sour and pungent tastes. Try not to consume leftover or re-heated food, and favour freshly cooked meals. Nuts (e.g. cashews, walnuts) should also be avoided during the height of the summer.
HERBS:
Remember to avoid too much hot & spicy food (avoid chilli and cayenne altogether).
Good Pitta-reducing herbs include: fennel, dill, cardamom, mint, coriander, basil & parsley.
EXERCISE & YOGA
Heavy physical exertion should be avoided, especially in the middle of the day when temperatures are at their peak. Favour exercise early in the morning or after sunset. Swimming is an excellent summer exercise option.
YOGA – Start your day with a slow & steady paced set of sun salutations or even moon salutations if you feel like you need an extra cooling practice. We want to avoid anything too heating or intense during the summer months so take advantage and move gently, with control, focusing on flowing, breathing, grounding and maintaining a soft gaze. We favour cultivating internal awareness over pushing ourselves to maximum capacity during these months. Given that our focus is around alleviating the solar plexus, beneficial asanas include cat/cow, cobra, boat pose, and any side openers and twists. Child’s pose and forward folds are also cooling and bring our gaze inward. Always close your physical practice with a few minutes in savasana to ground your energy. You may also want to give early morning meditation a go, perhaps even adding the Gayatri mantra (the Vedic song of sunlight) to your practice. Practicing pranayama (breathing) techniques through the left nostril will be calming and cooling, since the left side of the body is lunar.
RITUALS & SELF-CARE
Remember that Pitta in the mind manifests itself through anger, jealousy, impatience, irritability & other fiery emotions, so anything we can do to counter these feelings is beneficial to re-gaining balance.
Try to get at least 7-8 hours of night-time sleep daily and try to get to bed early, between 10-11pm.
Night-time strolls are very restorative.
Spend time re-charging in nature.
Avoid excess exposure to the sun, and if necessary, use hats, loose cotton clothes & apply plenty of good sunscreen to prevent burns (sunburns and heat stroke both increase internal body temp which aggravates Pitta).
Treat any sunburned or sun exposed areas by first cleansing them gently with rose water, then apply 1 tbsp of un-boiled whole milk with a cotton pad (let sit for 15 minutes and then wash off with cold water), and finally apply pure aloe vera gel before going to bed. This routine will help to minimise skin damage.
Make a moisturising face mask with papaya and lime (mash some papaya and add a few drops of fresh lime juice) and apply to clean skin to sit for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with alternating warm & cold water. Apply twice a week.
Practice abhyanga (ayurvedic massage) daily with coconut oil. This helps to calm the nervous system and cool the body.
Sandalwood, rose water & cucumber can be used in beauty rituals for their cooling properties.
Use soothing perfumes / scents / incenses in your surroundings (e.g. jasmine).
Listen to soothing music (e.g. flute, sitar) that you know relaxes you.
With just a little bit of effort, all of these practices not only keep us cool & healthy, but also relax us, give us pleasure and pacify Pitta - allowing us to enjoy our summer to its fullest potential! Don't feel that you need to implement everything in order to reap the benefits, but keep the main lessons in mind and find what works best for you. Finding and maintaining your optimal health should be a pleasure, not a burden.
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