In light of the Summer Solstice, this Sunday the 20th of June (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), Ayurvedic Practitioner Sunita Passi shares her Ayurveda Tips For Summer.
The Six Seasons of Ayurveda
The year is divided up in different ways across the world. In Europe, we know four seasons, while India follows a six-season model. According to Ayurveda, each season has its own characteristics and that impacts our bodies differently.
◊ Vasant – Spring
◊ Grishma – Summer
◊ Varsha – Monsoon
◊ Sharad – Autumn
◊ Hemant – Pre winter
◊ Shishir – Winterf
Ayurveda tips for grishma ritu (summer season)
Vasant Ritu will be followed in mid-May by Grishma Ritu. That’s when summer is at its height – and heat. Having two more seasons offers opportunities to work with doshas in line with changing temperatures, and summer itself is attuned to Pitta.
Foods to eat in Pitta Season
Light foods and lots of liquids are recommended for eating and drinking. And with more available in the way of salad vegetables and fruit, there are plenty of choices. If you’re into dairy, then yoghurt and cottage cheese are good too, great with sweet and savoury tastes alike.
As for drinks, this is absolutely the time of the year to get out long glasses and enjoy herbal teas. I’m keen on both mint and ginger, equally good for benefits that linger across the day: make up a pot to enjoy over the course of a morning. And at day’s end, as part of your pre-bed wind down, enjoy Tri-Dosha’s pitta calming face cream to ready for sleep.
Wellness activities in Pitta Season
One aspect of that is finding ways to maintain your cool…which can apply to temper as well as heat. Exercising early without pushing yourself all the way to 10 is a useful tip. Keep some energy in reserve, basically, to get through longer hotter days happily. Your solar plexus retains heat (solar is the giveaway there!), so yoga poses that strengthen and stretch your abdomen are recommended. Use our soothing pitta body oil to get ready for that flexing.
It is worth noting, all constitutions are strongly influenced by time. Vata-caused problems, for example, always worsen during Autumn and early winter in old age. Also, they can feel aggravated after digestion and during the late afternoon. Pitta dominates during digestion and at midday, and really increases during summer and middle age, we are now moving into what we could call a Pitta season!
And then there is nurturing Kapha, dominating after eating and before digestion begins. Also at daybreak and nightfall, during later winter and early spring, we are just coming out of this season. We also see Kapha present in childhood and youth.
Maintaining balance with your personal dosha and the season
A Vata person will naturally find it more difficult to maintain balance when Vata predominates in a season since the environment itself will reinforce Vata’s strength.
Pitta people similarly tend to find Pitta increasing within them dramatically during Pitta-predominant periods, even Kapha people may find Kapha seasons hard to negotiate. Autumn is often the worst season for Vata because the weather is more changeable then, and because wind storms like hurricanes and tornados are prevalent.
Adapting your routine will really help you get into the flow of balancing your doshas. As we are in Kapha season:
- Stay warm
- Eat light meals consisting of grounding, easy-to-digest foods
- Add zest to your diet with spices such as cinnamon
- Minimise dairy and sugar
- Start your morning with a natural stimulant such as ginger tea
- Get plenty of regular exercises
If you’re interested in learning more about Ayurveda, Sunita offers an online eight-week introductory course for those who wish to grow their familiarity with Ayurveda combines philosophy with basic tools and techniques for self-care, covering everything from herbal remedies to yoga breathing techniques and a 20 minute guided meditation with each session. Introducing Ayurveda | Tri-Dosha
Whether you are looking to bring some new practical tools into your life, or to learn more about herbal medicine for natural health and well-being, this course covers everything you need to know. Feel free to book individual sessions to suit your needs and time. Individual classes cost just £15 and with code AYURVEDA2021 you will receive a 50% discount.
