Flow with the Season

Welcome again to my column, as I share my thoughts with you in the middle of summer. Our last newsletter spoke about adapting to the sudden heat at the beginning of the summer, and now as we continue to enjoy the summer weather and high temperatures, we continue to treat conditions that are connected to Pita (Fire). Normally when Pita dosha dominates, the fire element is triggered, and to balance this and to calm ourselves, we have to be very cool. Hot weather and the bright sun can cause overheating so this is the time to be very careful to hydrate our bodies. In the heat we can feel angry and irritable, and arguments with other people are common. Try to take things in a very calm way, and in the same way that we would take a cool bath to cool down, we can concentrate on taking life easy for the good of our own health. At this time of year, inflammation is common, especially in the stomach and intestine. Ayurveda recommends eating very light food that doesn’t produce acidity. With the heat and burning sensations, people feel feverish and sweat profusely. We feel extra thirsty and with increased appetite, and hypoglycaemia, dizziness and diarrhoea are common. Often we have itchy, dry eyes and suffer from headaches and migraines. It is important to try and control your feelings of anger, intolerance, arrogance and obsession by being more relaxed. Pranayama breathing exercises can be a great help. Try to completely relax and take care of yourself.

This is a good time of year to spend time in nature, walking, swimming, enjoying the forests and the mountains. There is a very old Ayurvedic tradition of hugging trees. When we hug trees we let go of all of our faults and tensions that are under the mask that we usually wear, and are totally honest with ourselves, hugging our inner truth. Lie down on the ground, touching the earth. Let go of all the tension, the toxins, let go of your own ego. It is important to reconnect with Mother Earth, her frequency and vibration. In that moment you can become coherent with your heart and mind, which is very important in this moment.

When the heat is extreme, relax and listen to music. It is best not to eat or drink very cold things. In India, we drink natural temperature water with lemon and mint all during the day to help flush out toxins through the urine. Try to avoid eating food that can produce ama or toxins in the body, such as canned or frozen foods, sugar, and fast foods that are everywhere in this vacation season. Avoid excessive exercise when it is hot, and especially avoid inflammatory and stressful situations. Swim, hike in the mountains, give yourself a massage. Reduce your consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and enjoy fruit juices and seasonal vegetables.

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Hope to meet you all again on my next post. Wish health and luck to everyone.

Have a good summer!