Stay Cool this Summer with Āyurveda

For those of us with more fire in your constitution, (pitta dosha) and those in perimenopause, the shift into summer heat can be challenging causing symptoms like,

1. hot flashes or heavy periods

2. acidity, nausea or "sour" stomach

3. loose stools or diarrhea

4. skin rashes

5. irritability

6. headaches
   

If you have a predominance of pitta in your constitution, you've probably experienced some of these symptoms in yourself or others, especially when temperatures rise.

Aging well is so much about adaptability. Supporting our body in adapting naturally is the name of the game in Āyurveda. Through diet, lifestyle and herbal allis, we can give our body the support it needs to stay balanced. Here are some simple ways you can stay cool and in balance this summer~

1. Cool from the inside out:

   1. Eat lighter, easier to digest, seasonal foods as digestive strength tends to wane in the heat.

   2. Stay hydrated with herbalized waters. Try cucumber slices, water melon, mint or coriander seeds in your water bottle (choose one). All of these will help keep you cool (lemon is heating--lime a little less so). You can boil 1 tsp. of coriander seeds into your water, and let it cool first, or just add 1/2 tsp of powder to your quart water bottle.

   3. Stay juicy with seasonal fresh fruit as a morning meal. Berries and plums are especially good. Add a little avocado for more grounding goodness. (remember to eat fruit as a separate meal, like 30 - 60 minutes before a bigger meal, or 3+ hours after a meal as a snack if you're hungry. Fruit digests quickly, but will ferment

   4. Add cooling foods like cucumber, cilantro, blueberries, cherries, bitter greens coconut water, hibiscus or mint tea to your meals.

   5. Avoid or minimize spicy, salty, fermented and fried foods, alcohol and caffeine as well as ice cold food like ice water, which will weaken your digestion. If you like ice cream. Have it mid day rather than at the end of a big meal.

      
      

2. Cool your skin.

   1. Rub a little organic coconut oil into your skin.

   2. Spritz your skin with rosewater--especially nice around your head and face.

   3. Choose shade or stay indoors during the mid-day sun (10 am – 2 pm). 
      

3. Enjoy gentle exercise in the cooler part of the day: morning or after supper.

   1. Incorporate a few prone backbends, followed by seated forward bends and twists, to relieve excess heat from the body and support your digestive fire, which is weaker this time of year.

   2. Walk in the forest.
      

4. Cool your mind

   1. Practice Non-doing Meditation: Take a seat or lie down and simply observe without doing for a few minutes.

   2. Practice cooling pranayama: Try 5 rounds of shitali breathing: breath in through puckered lips, and retain while focusing on cooling your brain or another part of your body that feels over heated; exhale through your nostrils. Repeat 5 times anytime you feel hot or edgy.
      

5. Cool your eyes

   1. Rinse your eyes with cool water when you awaken, or use an eye cup and rinse with rose water.

   2. close your eyes and draw your eyeballs back in your head. When you open your eyes, allow a wide glance, rather than a tight focus.
      

6. Cool your subtle body

   1. Wear cool colors like blues, greens and white, and natural fibers like cotton, wool and silk

   2. Sit or walk in the moonlight

   3. Make moonlight tea (put herbal teabags into a quart of water, and keep out, covered in the moon light to enhance the cooling qualities.
      

Want a personalized plan designed just for you? Sign up for an Āyurvedic assessment. This 2 appointment session allows us to dig deep into your health history, present imbalances and life stage. Together we will create a personalized diet and lifestyle plan to help you resolve imbalances and improve your health and push back or prevent disease going forward.

Wishing you joy this summer!

xo,

Shannon

#Ayurveda #summertimebalance #digestion #pitta