Ayurvedic Tips to Stay Cool in Summer
Summer heat, when it is to the extreme, literally makes us hate everything around us. Heat is known to make our moods grumpy and famous for impending headaches. In this summer, why don’t we take the help of Ayurveda to keep us cool?
Ayurveda can be simply called “science of life” and has the heritage of many years of helping people maintain their cool according to the pulse of each season.
Ayurveda has entailed a detailed structure of foods to eat and certain other ways to make sure that everyone is able to combat the imbalances that respective seasons throw.
Summer time in terms of Ayurveda is a season where a person can get himself to confront the imbalances of pitta. Pitta is one among the three doshas and the others being kapha and vata. Pitta imbalances are to reflect into one’s body in the form of skin inflammations, irritability, dehydration and acid ingestion.
Let us look into some of the ayurvedic tips that will help you be cool and composed during the summer of 2023.
Stay Hydrated
The first to make sure to not aggravate the pitta imbalance is to keep yourselves hydrated at all times. Dehydration is the root cause of most problems during the summer. But, hydration doesn’t mean drinking caffeinated beverages and aerated beverages, it will have negative effects on the body. Normal boiled water, Herbal teas and coconut water are the best solutions to keep your body cool and hydrated. Dryness in the body can cause further health problems in the summer.
Food
Certain food groups are best avoided in the summer, and you will be surprised to find some of them are the ones we take in higher quantities during the summer. Citrus fruits and sour based foods are to be avoided or taken in very small quantities during the summer. Garlic, chillies, and tomatoes are to be taken in moderation so as not to affect the balance of pitta in the body. During summers, the food palette should include foods that are cool in nature. Let us take a look at some of them:
If you are someone who likes meat, then make sure to limit the intake to twice a week and also make sure to avoid red meat and take chicken, turkey, shrimp, or fish.
The foods that have to be avoided during the summer are alcohol, excessive use of spices, fried foods, and vinegar.
Aromatherapy and essential oils
To bring in that balance of pitta, it is always good to take up some freshly plucked flowers from the garden, like jasmine, and arrange them on your work desk. A sniff of the flower’s scent can help you feel more at ease.
If you can’t get yourself some fresh flowers, then make use of subtly infused scented candles of lavender, jasmine, and even rose. You can choose to dab your face and neck with rose water and help yourself feel better.
Oil diffusers are also a good idea, and aromatherapy with essential oils is a good practice to take up during the summer. Making it a routine can improve your mood and help you feel rejuvenated even during the scorching heat.
Colour or Nature Therapy
Colour or nature therapy seems a little odd to most of you who are reading this. But, indeed, adding soft colours to your wardrobe, accessories, and home decor is a good idea to help soothe your nerves and mood. Heat can be overwhelming, and when there are too many bright colours around, it can push the feeling over the brink into irritability. Going on walks into nature and being around greenery can help elevate the mood and balance your pitta. Keeping a potted plant on your desk and enjoying the sight of it for a few minutes can help keep your mood at bay.
Physical exercise
Incorporating physical activity into your daily routine can help to balance pitta in the body. It is ideal to avoid too many stressful and strenuous exercises during the summer. The routine of physical exercise should be either early in the morning or late in the evening. The reason for this is that at other times the sun is at its peak temperature, and while exercising, heat is generated. When the temperature isn’t favourable, this can lead to uncomfortable situations that can cause health issues.
Meditation
Getting in a good few minutes of meditation along with some soulful music can help with balancing the pitta by refreshing the body and mind. Meditation has good benefits for the body and can help in multiple ways. You can choose to hear some chakras with mantras to help rejuvenate the body and mind. Each mantra and chakra is focused on a specific location and can help different qualities associated with physical, emotional, and psychospiritual aspects.
Pranayama
It is one of the most prominent and well-known Yoga practises. Pranayama can be described as a breathing exercise. Lunar Pranayama is the pranayama that is associated with the lunar energy pattern. It brings soothing and cooling effects to the body during the summer.
The difference between normal pranayama and lunar pranayama is that the former is alternate nostril breathing, while the latter will have inhalation only through the left nostril and exhalation through the right nostril. The pranayama should happen on an empty stomach.
Practising these tips can result in significant changes in the body during the summer heat. So, enjoy the season to its fullest and absorb all the energy it can give you, but also be mindful of your habits. Contact us for more tips
Also read: How does Ayurveda Enrich Your Daily Life?
