Ah…the long, leisurely days of summer. Are you sipping lemonade by the pool? Packing for a picnic? Watching the sunset on the beach? I hope you’re having fun. But beware of summer’s side effects!
Ayurveda says that summer’s qualities are hot, sharp, and piercing. As a result, when temperatures rise, our pitta dosha, the subtle energy that regulates metabolism and can cause excessive heat, tends to flare up. Sunburn, hot flashes, exhaustion, acne, and diarrhea are all symptoms of a pitta imbalance. Inwardly, an overabundance of pitta can appear as outrage, envy, and anxiety. Sound familiar?
TRY AYURVEDIC SUNBATHING
- Take a 10- to 15-minute walk at sunrise to stimulate sadhaka pitta, an energetic principle that, in Ayurveda, is a mood lifter similar to serotonin and melatonin that encourages creativity and joy.
- The gentle rays that fall on your face and skin will stimulate this principle.
- Daylight likewise invigorates the body’s creation of vitamin D — a fat-solvent nutrient that assumes a significant part in calcium retention, which thusly prompts more grounded bones.
STAY HYDRATED
Summer’s serious intensity saps dampness from plants, the earth, and our bodies. That is the reason it’s OK to add an additional spot of salt in your food in the late spring to make up for perspiring and to forestall weakness. Additionally, drink somewhere around six 8-ounce cups of water each day.
EAT COOLING FOODS
Leafy greens, coconut, cucumber, cantaloupe, and watermelon are some of the best foods for calming the pitta. The best dairy items are yogurt, milk, and ghee (explained margarine). Alfalfa sprouts, parsley, and cool cilantro can be added to salads and other dishes. Stay away from hot drinks, spicy food, alcohol, caffeine, and chilies.
MOISTURIZE DAILY
After showering, mix one teaspoon each of organic, unrefined coconut oil and castor oil in a glass bottle with a cap. Place the bottle in hot water until the oil is lukewarm (not hot!). Apply to your whole body to keep your skin supple, soft, and cool. You can also use this treatment before you swim to protect your skin from salt water or chlorine.
TRY AROMATHERAPY
Dab one drop of sandalwood essential oil on your temples, eyebrow center, throat center (at the hollow of the throat), wrists, and belly button. According to subtle Ayurvedic principles, your whole aura will be charged with a sweet fragrance that pacifies pitta.
NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR SUMMER BUMMERS
SUNBURN
Rub preservative-free aloe gel on your skin in summers. Or juice a few ounces of fresh cilantro and drink two teaspoons three times a day. Apply the cilantro pulp to your sunburn; it’s cooling and soothing.
JET LAG
Mix together one part of cumin powder and dried mint, and one-fourth part of ginger-root powder. Fill 00-size vegetable capsules with the mixture and take one or two of them an hour before your flight.
SKEETER BITES
Apply equal parts tea tree oil and neem oil (available online) to itchy bug bites. You can also use neem oil as a natural bug repellant.