Ayurvedic Summer Tips
/In Ayurveda, there are three doshas. Dosha means “fault” or “defect” and can be interpreted as “that which causes problems”. The doshas are three types of energy related to the five elements. The doshas are:
vata (air & space)
pitta (fire & water)
kapha (earth & water)
The doshas are composed of the 5 elements: earth, air, fire, water, ether
You might be familiar with the concept of doshas as a mind-and-body type for individuals. Each individual has a different ratio of these doshas. The balance or ratio of these energies determines our personal constitution and affects our physical health, mental state, personality, and more. Doshas are also associated with seasons, time of day, time of life, and more.
By understanding the doshas, we can use them to help guide us towards balance. Seasonal Ayurvedic practices focus on balancing by pacifying the dominant dosha and encouraging the others. The summer season is associated with pitta dosha. Pitta dosha, containing elements of fire and water, is known as the transformation dosha. When in balance, its energies present as organized, focused, and strong leadership qualities. When out of balance, one might be impatient, quick to judge, and have a tendency towards being a perfectionist.
The activity of pitta dosha rises as the heat of summer rises. The summer months are a time when we may be trying to cram as many activities as possible into one season, especially in Minnesota. We may be enjoying more of our activities in the outdoors in the heat and humidity. All of this heat (fire), humidity (water), and activity may aggravate pitta dosha and bring it out of balance. Ayurveda suggests ways that we may balance this heat, both internally and externally. Below are a few daily routines, a recipe, and an ideal morning ritual to help pacify pitta dosha to help you feel more balanced this summer.
Abhyanga (Coconut Oil Massage)
Abhyanga is the Ayurvedic practice of self-massage and is a wonderful to incorporate into your daily routines. Use coconut oil for the cooling properties we need to balance pitta dosha in the summertime.
Be Mindful of Coffee and Alcohol
In Ayurveda it is generally recommended to consumer one cup (or less) of coffee per day. Coffee tends to be very acidic to the body, increases the internal heat, and may increase anxiety. If you like to drink coffee, there are ways to make coffee more suitable for the body:
Try adding a bit of cardamom or ghee to your coffee;
Never drink coffee on an empty stomach. Coffee on an empty stomach can cause heartburn, acid reflux, and digestive issues for some people;
Pay attention to how it makes you feel.
Try adding a bit of cardamom or ghee to your coffee
Or try an alternative beverage that is more balancing to the energies of summertime. Peppermint tea is wonderfully cooling. An herbal infusion of oat straw and raspberry leaf is a wonderful cooling alternative. You can find some great adaptogen herbal-coffee alternatives online and at natural-food markets. The brand Rasa is one that I like.
Alcohol, in general, is not recommended at all in the summer, according to Ayurveda because it can be quite heating. Dr. Vasant Lad, founder of the Ayurvedic Institute once based in Taos and now in Santa Fe, has this to say, “If you do want an alcoholic beverage every once in a while, in the summer heat, alcohol should be consumed mindfully, and maybe on hot days a lighter beer can be cooling to the body. Avoid whisky, brandy, rum, and red wine which are more heating to the body”.
The key takeaway for both substances is to notice how it makes you feel.
Shitali Pranayama
Shitali pranayama is a cooling breath which is perfect for the summer months. This pranayama can be practiced anytime in your day.
Benefits of Shitali
Lowers oral temperature
Makes the saliva cool
Quenches thirst
Improves digestion, absorption, and assimilation
Helps to lower high-blood pressure
Cooling to entire body
How to Perform
Curl your tongue into a tube. If you can’t curl your tongue, close your teeth together and press your tongue to the back of your teeth.
Inhale slowly through curled tongue, swallow, then exhale normally through the nose, keeping the mouth closed.
Perform for one minute or ten breaths.
Moon Light
The moon is the opposite and balancing energy to the sun. Making time to get outside under the moonlight not only helps to balance pitta dosha; it helps to balance vata dosha, too.
In the summertime, with the longer days, bedtimes might be a bit later, as late as 10 - 11 p.m. It’s the perfect season to receive the balancing moonlight rays. Going for a nighttime walk or sitting at a campfire and seeing the moonlight reflecting from above helps cool the mind and the body. Not a night owl? Try doing a few moon salutations to pacify the pitta energy.
Looking to Treat Yourself? Try This Ginger Basil Limeade
Balancing to all three doshas, this is a great drink to have on a warm, mid-summer day to truly hydrate the body and lessen brain fog. To find balance we want to cool the body in the summer, so lime is recommended versus. lemon in the summer months. Limes are cooling to the body while lemons are more heating.
Benefits
Ginger increases circulation
Lime stimulates the entire body
Lime is cooling
Lime, salt, and sugar replenish electrolytes
Fresh basil clarifies your thoughts
Strengthens your agni (digestive fires)
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 inches of fresh ginger (peeled)
1 whole lime
2 tsp sugar
4 cups water
Directions
Use a fine grater to make 1 tsp of lime zest and juice. Chop ginger into smaller pieces.
Add 1 cup water to a blender with ginger, lime juice and lime zest, sugar and fresh basil.
Combine ginger-lime juice with 3 cups of water. Optional: Garnish with fresh basil.
Chill & serve.
Cooling Summertime Morning Ritual
Arise with the sun around 5-6 a.m.
Use your tongue scraper and brush your teeth
Move through a mild yoga practice which could include: Moon Salutations, fish, camel, boat, cobra, cow, and tree pose
Pranayama: Cooling breath such as Shitali
Meditation: May be performed twice per day during summer for balance.
Journal
Arise with the sun
If you are wondering where to start, I suggest that you pick just one or two of the tips above such as starting your day at 6 a.m. and practicing your Shitali pranayama. Choose those practices you naturally feel drawn towards. Soon you will begin to feel the balancing nature of the practices pacifying pitta dosha and cooling the summer heat.
