Thrive This Summer With These Ayurvedic Tips
Stay Cool to Make the Most of Your Summer
Summer is dominated by the fire element, related to the Pitta dosha in Ayurveda. As one might expect, the body and mind have a tendency to get overheated during the summer months. This is a wonderful illustration of a key Ayurvedic principle, that “like increases like and opposites create balance.” Ayurveda provides us with simple and effective practices for keeping the fire stoked without letting it blaze out of control.
General guidelines for keeping cool & balancing Pitta this summer:
- Prioritize foods that are cool and moist to balance the sharp, hot qualities of summer.
- Eat cooling herbs & spices like fennel, mint, coriander, cilantro, turmeric, cumin, dill, parsley, chrysanthemum, peppermint, dandelion, burdock and aloe vera juice.
- Avoid heating spices like cayenne, garlic, horseradish, chilies, basil, and pepper.
- Emphasize sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.
- Limit salty, spicy and sour foods.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and refined sugar.
- Use sweet, cooling and calming essential oils like jasmine, lotus, rose and lavender.
- Spray the face with rose hydrosol.
- Massage your body with coconut oil.
- Spend time in cool peaceful environments by enjoy time in nature, taking moonlit walks or going for a swim.
Daily Routine
- Give yourself a full body massage before a cool shower. Coconut oil is best.
- Enjoy rose, sandalwood, jasmine or lavender essential oils to relax the senses.
- Wear light colored clothing, loose cotton, linen, and silk (ex. white, blue, green) so air can circulate between your clothes and your skin.
- Complete any in-doors cooking early in the morning before it gets hot.
- Eat cooling, sweet, bitter and astringent foods such as coconut, cucumber, watermelon, seasonal fresh fruit, steamed greens, multicolored salads, watercress, endives, mung beans and basmati rice. Avoid spicy and fried foods.
- Drink cumin, coriander, fennel and rose tea. Cilantro, cucumber, and mint are great additions to water for a refreshing beverage that will cool you down.
- Eat few dairy products and meats, unless you are doing an intense physical activity, as these foods can be too heavy to digest in hot weather.
- A way to stay cool and balanced this summer is to sign up for the Summer Cleanse, July 29 - August 5, and contact me for therapeutic, refreshing body and massage oils.Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts. Happy Summer!