In Ayurveda, Summer is Pitta season, bringing us more fire and heat which elevate those qualities within us. Pitta, in balance, functions in all of us to keep our metabolic processes in check, our body temperature balanced and our minds sharp and clear.
If you have more pitta in your nature, you’re probably:
sensitive to light
fair-skinned with a medium build
bright blue or hazel eyed with an intense gaze and a tendency towards short or farsightedness.
with good muscle development
experiencing early graying or a receding hairline
intelligent and a good leader
competitive, critical and driven by nature
Additionally, you probably have
a strong appetite and don’t like to miss meals
a tendency towards loose stools
a tendency towards rashes and inflammation
For those of us with more pitta in our constitution, the shift into summer can cause an increase in pitta's sharp, hot and spreading nature, leading to imbalances like:
impatience and criticism
irritation and anger
heartburn and gerd
loose stools
rashes and other skin outbreaks
nausea
headaches.
When pitta is in excess in a person, they might drag their bodies around with the strength of their mind until they literally collapse. Sound familiar? If you have a predominance of pitta in your constitution, you probably recognize these signs of imbalance, especially when temperatures rise. Or maybe you know someone like this.
Here are some tips to stay cool and keep pitta in balance this season~
Rinse your eyes with pure cool water first thing in the morning and at night.
Do cooling pranayama (breathe in through your puckered lips, and exhale through your nostrils for 3 – 10 rounds, anytime).
Avoid the mid-day sun (10 am – 2 pm).
Incorporate more forward bends, twists and prone backbends into your asana practice.
Practice Non-doing Meditation—just like it sounds. Take a seat or lie down and simply observe without doing…holding a broad focus. Do this for 5 - 25 minutes.
Alternate periods of focused activity with breaks. Set a timer – when the timer goes off, get up and stretch, go outside for 5 minutes.
Walk in Nature
Avoid hot/spicy foods
Eat more cooling foods like cucumber, coconut water, cilantro, blueberries and cherries. Favor sweet, astringent and bitter foods. A bowl of fresh fruit could be a great light breakfast before an earlier, bigger lunch.
Stay hydrated but avoid ice water, which will interfere with digestion. Note, its good to wait an hour after a big meal before drinking much so as not to dilute your digestive juices.
Rub your skin with a little organic coconut oil before or after you shower. Rub coconut oil into the soles of your feet before bed. Put an old hand towel on your night stand, and an old pair of socks to cover your feet to protect your bedding.
Minimize or avoid heating foods and too much pungent, sour or salty tastes like chilies, hot sauce, alcohol and caffeine. avoid food that is too pungent, sour or salty or fried(onions, garlic, nightshades, fermented foods, alcohol, chips, excess salt).
Gaze at the moon. Bathe in moonlight.
By incorporating just a few tips of the above practices, even a fiery pitta type can stay cool and balanced during this summer season.
Want to learn more about your unique constitution? Join my 5 week course, Your Elemental Nature. Reach out to me at Shannon@livingintobalance.com and I'll send you all the information.
In cool and calm,
Shannon
#Ayurveda #summertimebalance #digestion #pitta