Photo by Marissa Rodriguez on Unsplash
Ayurveda is India’s ancient medicine that is designed to restore harmony between the mind, body and spirit. According to this traditional science, each individual’s body type, or dosha, reflect principles found in nature: vata (air), pitta (fire) and kapha (earth and water). It is believed that when all these principles are balanced, the body can naturally heal itself from ailments and sicknesses.
As the seasons change, the body is affected by the environmental state around it. With temperatures rising, summer months are definitely the season of pitta. Here are some practices to cool yourself down during the unrelenting heat of summer days.
Hydrate Yourself
When you’re enjoying the summer sun, it’s easy to forget to drink up. Intense heat can cause dehydration so keep in mind to always take at least 8 glasses of water a day. Add a pinch of Himalayan salt for much needed electrolytes. You can even mix things up a bit by opting for fruit smoothies, coconut water and chilled herbal teas like peppermint. Naturally, avoid hot drinks even ice cold refreshments to avoid extreme temperatures.
Eat Cooling Foods
Load up on pitta-balancing foods such as raw salads, cucumbers, watermelon, grapes and pears. Hold off from processed and greasy foods as well as spicy meals. You wouldn’t want to add heat into your body when the heat is blistering outside!
Take A Rest
Make sure to take time to relax the mind and body each day. Once you are feeling stress or overexerted, rest, take a beat, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Stay away from electronic devices to create a peaceful time for yourself.
Moisturize
Soothe your skin with coconut oil, which is very cooling and hydrating. If you had just spent a long day under the sun, you may also use aloe vera to bring back moisture to sun-parched skin. Take an aloe vera or rose water cooling mist around with you to spritz on your face anytime you need a quick refresher.
Shower In The Cold
A cold bath will do your body good this summer. Finish off by applying essential oils such as lavender or peppermint on your neck and pulse points.
