The blistering heat and humidity that summer brings, wipes off your natural glow and invites many problems like skin eruptions, dehydration in the body, etc. Everyone experiences the heat in a different way and you actually start using a lot of strategies to keep cool during the summer months. When it comes to staying cool, ayurvedic remedies can help beat the heat.
Ayurveda, an age-old science of life and longevity, works by balancing the body, mind, and spirit. According to ayurveda, an individual is born with 5 elements of nature which are Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Space.
Vata (energy of movement, composed of space and air), Pitta (digestion and metabolism composed of fire and water), and Kapha (structure and lubrication, composed of water and earth). The balance of these elements is known as Dosha, or the mind-body principles. Every aspect of nature is a combination of these three agents including the seasons.
According to ayurveda, summer is the season of pitta, thus, it’s important for you to keep your pitta dosha cool in order to not aggravate the symptoms.
There are simple things you can do to pacify pitta that will help you enjoy summer more and ensure that the excess heat does not create an imbalance in your mind and body.
8 Ayurveda Tips to Keep Cool This Summer
1. Cooling Beverages
Do not reach for that chilled bottled juice or a carbonated beverage to cool down in summer. It will not only impair your digestion but will also harm your immune system.
Fresh fruit juices and nectars, blended and stored at room temperature, are recommended. Grape juice, bel (wood apple) fruit juice, watermelon shakes, buttermilk, and aam panna (a drink that is made with raw mangoes) are refreshing and healthy choices in summer.
You should also drink a lot of cool pure water to replenish the body moisture that you lose during summers. Keeping your body hydrated is vital during this season.
2. Cooling Foods
In order to find balance during the hot summer (pitta) days, counteract the warm weather by including more “cooling” foods in your diet, while limiting or avoiding “heating” foods.
Cooling foods are those that help to regulate your body's core temperature when the environmental temperature is high. Also, they help clear the toxins and in turn provide a soothing effect on your body. Whereas, heating foods will increase the amount of heat the body produces; thereby, increasing the pitta dosha. Hence try to eat more cooling foods to stay cool.
Examples of cooling foods to favor in your summer diet include:
Vegetables: Cucumber, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and all leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale or leaf cabbage, chard, etc.)
Grains: Rice (white), quinoa, and oats
Herbs: Coriander, mint, and dill (savaa in hindi)
Fruits: Melons, grapes, berries, peaches, and pears
Examples of heating foods that you should eat less of or avoid during summer include:
Alcohol
Hot spices or excessive use of spices
Fried foods
Vinegar
3. Surround Yourself With Beauty
Sight and vision are ruled by pitta, and pitta is pacified by lovely, exquisite things. When you’re feeling extra fiery, fill your home or office with some of your favorite flowers or visit an art gallery, botanical garden, or park.
Seek out any setting that is beautiful and soak it in. Take time to dress, adorn, and treat yourself like a goddess or god, and tap into the healing power of beauty.
4. Use Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer. Rubbing it on your body before taking a bath has a calming, cooling, and soothing effect on the skin. It also has anti inflammatory properties, which means coconut oil is rich in certain substances that block the processes or chemicals that lead to inflammation (redness, warmth, swelling, and pain around tissues that occurs as your body’s response to injury/illness). Hence it is beneficial for irritated skin as well.
5. Avoid Strenuous Exercises
When you perform strenuous activities (running, jogging, cycling, aerobics) in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its strongest, it is going to aggravate your vata and pitta.
It is recommended that you work out at a time when nature is most cool. Early morning is the best. The second best is during early evenings.
6. Protect Yourself From The Sun
According to ayurvedic principles, the sun is the strongest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m and this is when the pitta dosha is the most active. Avoid sun exposure during this time as much as possible.
Stay in the shade or indoors and when you go out, wear sunglasses and use sunscreens.
7. Pranayama (breathing exercises) and Yoga
Breathing exercises (pranayama) and yoga help to cool and calm the body. It is said that when you breathe in and breathe out during such exercises, heat from the body is removed. This exercise works especially to cool your body from within.
It not only keeps the body physically cool and balanced during hot weather but it also cools and calms the mind. Learn the proper method of practice from a certified yoga instructor before practicing by yourself.
8. Read a Book
Fall asleep reading a great book instead of watching television this season. Reading is a wonderful way to calm a mind still fired up after a long day.
Engulf your senses, spark your creativity, and get lost in a story before you slip into slumber, inviting a deeper kind of rest for your entire being.
Disclaimer: This article is written by the Practitioner for informational and educational purposes only. The content presented on this page should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. Please "DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE" and seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Practo will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.