Keeping Your Cool During the Dog Days of Summer
Ayurveda
teaches us that summer is the season of Pitta (the fire element). When
the weather turns warm, we feel it not only by our body temperature,
but our mood, digestion, patience-levels, attention-span and sleep.
For those of us who already tend toward a "fiery nature", summer can
create a whole slew of uncomfortable symptoms...all of which tell us
it's time to cool down! Below are a few tips for keeping your cool
this summer, which I myself use all summer long.
- Avoid spicy foods. The spicy taste exacerbates the fire element. If you get cravings for spicy in the summertime, you know your fire is burning too hot and taking you out of balance. Opt for cooling foods with the following tastes:
- sweet such as rice, milk, coconut, maple syrup, fruits and some vegetables like carrots
- bitter such as bitter melon, aloe vera, bitter greens, rhubarb, turmeric (bitter is the taste we in the U.S. use the least, so it may take some exploration to find it)
- astringent such as pomegranates, garbanzo beans, green beans, okra, alfalfa sprouts
- also limit your salt, alcohol and caffeine intake
- Don't let yourself get too hungry. We fiery folks tend to go from content and pleasant to angry-hungry very quickly. In the summer heat, appetite is sometimes suppressed. Put yourself on an eating schedule if you must, to ensure that you don't get irrational due to something as simple as hunger.
- Avoid excessive heat. Summer is not the time for saunas (steam or dry), hot tubs or cleanses. Try to be as slow and quiet as possible during the hottest part of the day. I know that my schedule is...shall we say, unconventional...but one of my most useful summer sanity tools is to turn off the phone, shut off all of the electronics (they generate a lot of heat) and settle in for a quiet repose from about 2 - 4 pm. Whatever your work environment, look for ways to slow down a bit in the afternoon. Think of it as your very own Seattle Siesta!
- Drink cool - but not iced - drinks. Choose room temperature water, which is much easier on your body and your digestion than iced beverages.
- Engage in physical activity during the cooler parts of the day. Morning and evening chores, exercise (including gardening!), and yoga practices are preferable to mid-day options.
You'll
probably notice that yoga classes at Maple Leaf Community Yoga are planned differently
during this season. As a pitta-dominant person myself, I know the
benefits of cooler asana practices and really enjoy sharing that
knowledge with my students. I hope that you feel - and enjoy - the
difference!
Yours in health,
Kelly
Much of the information above is gleaned from a wonderful book to which I often refer: The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc.
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