Are you ready for summer?
I'm not referring to having some insanely unattainable summer bod. I'm talking about internal health for balance and proper digestion.
In Ayurveda, there are 3 seasons, Vata, Kapha, & Pitta. Summer is the height of Pitta season.
Pitta carries with it the qualities of heat & fire. If we do not take notice of the qualities within ourselves, our body, our mind, and our emotions, we can fall victim to a Pitta vitiation. This means that we may fall out of balance with our original constitution. When we fall out of balance for too long, is when disease sets in. It will begin in our digestion. If left alone, it will move to other parts of the body and cause more unease. We may experience the symptoms of a Pitta imbalance in a variety of ways. It may reveal itself as heart burn, indigestion, a rash on the skin, fever, or it may show up as anger, impatience, judgement, even violent behavior.
There are simple ways to alleviate Pitta. In the summer the heat can aggravate Pitta, so it is important to keep the elements within our body aligned with our natural tendencies. One of the most important ways to do this is by staying hydrated. If our agni, our digestive fire...or metabolism, gets over heated, like any fire...it will die out. We want to ensure that our agni stays evenly lit, so that it can help to keep our Pitta in check. Hydration is essential in maintaining our health for many reasons. We should be drinking half of our body weight in ounces every day.
If you find that staying hydrated isn't enough to keep your Pitta in check, it helps to add some natural flavors to it. In the picture above, I added fresh raspberries and lavender flowers to my water. I allowed it to sit long enough for the water to soak up the flavors. Raspberries are naturally sweet. Sweet flavors are helpful in counteracting an overly aggressive Pitta digestion. Lavender is known for its calming affects. Plus the flavors make for a delicious beverage.
In the second photo, I used strawberries and mint to infuse my water.
Again, the strawberries are sweet, and the mint has a naturally cooling affect.
When we become aware of our bodies and how they react to the foods and the environment around us, we are better able to live a life of balance, and ultimately health. When we begin to feel the affects of Pitta, it is best to stay away from foods that are spicy, sour, and salty, as these foods will overstimulate our Pitta, and our agni, and eventually burn it out, shutting down our metabolism. Try to consume flavors that are sweet...this does not give us the green light to load up on processed and artificial sugars. Also foods with a bitter flavor, such as dandelion greens, are helpful for pitta. Cool refreshing flavors, such as cilantro, mint, cucumber, and coconut are not only healthy, and nourishing, but they help to keep our bodies in its natural state during the heat and humidity of Pitta season.
If you have any questions about Ayurveda and the doshas, please ask. If you want to learn more, check out my Yoga Fit and Flow program. In this program you will get an overview of the essentials in Ayurveda.You will learn about all of the doshas, their corresponding elements, and how to be aware of them in your body, so that you may heal yourself. Much love friends, and namaste.
Sabrina White