Summer Tips

How you feel about summer can tell you a lot about the state of your Doshas in Ayurvedic medicine, also known as the "science of life". For example, if you have more of the Vata Dosha (air and ether elements), this may be your favorite season. You may feel that you can finally bring your body out of hiding and allow your muscles to relax. You will bask in the sun and try to store as much of the heat as possible! For those of you with Kapha Dosha, the lightness of the season may inspire you to make some changes, to let go of the usual patterns and expand your horizons, although you do tend to sweat a bit more at this time of year. For those of you who have more Pitta, summer heat is a challenge, and you may identify with the first description above, struggling to stay cool, stay dry, and stay in the shade as much as possible.

Summer time is the time of Surya (the sun), and is known as the season of Pitta. During these months, all of the qualities of this Dosha will be increased. Pitta Dosha is ruled by the fire element, it is hot, light, sharp and intense. Its purpose in our body is to help us digest food, metabolize nutrients, and give warmth and invigoration. In our minds this Dosha gives clarity of perception and the ability to discriminate and make intelligent, informed decisions. When this Dosha rises, either through internal factors or from our external environment, we may see signs of increased or unbalanced fire; our digestive system may be too efficient as we burn through our food and have an excessive appetite, or maybe our elimination turns to diarrhea, or we experience heart burn or acidity. Our internal thermometer may rise uncomfortably, and we overheat and feel continuously thirsty or our skin breaks out with acne and 'heat' rashes. In our minds we may notice our clear perception turning into harsh judgment, or maybe we react to the world with more anger and irritation and can't seem to control it.

Ah, but lets invite that to be a thing of the past. Lets relax and turn summertime into just another turn of the wheel that reminds us to pay attention, to stay present, and to make necessary adjustments to stay on course with ourselves, our health, our balance and our enjoyment and play of life. Lets take a deep belly breath with a long exhale and put ourselves into a receptive state to hear and begin to assimilate what our ancient friends have to share with us.

You already know that increased Pitta Dosha can cause problems with loose stools, burning digestion, eye sensitivity, and skin eruptions. That is because the heat has an affinity for these tissues, and likes to collect there. Ayurveda works with the idea that 'like increases like' and 'opposites balance', so all protocols at this time involve ways to cool the internal system. (For truly personalized recommendations I would suggest coming in to have a full consultation that will give you individual guidance and support as you move through seasonal changes).

First, use this season to lighten the diet and incorporate more sweet, bitter and astringent foods. This recommendation comes from nature herself, and she provides us with an abundance of sweet juicy fruits, lovely lettuces and summer greens. Our digestive system desires a lighter diet at this time because much of the internal heat moves out to the more superficial layers of the body, so we can lovingly part (for now!) with our heavy sauces and cheeses and dense meats.

Begin to mix in more of the cooling spices, like fennel and licorice, and keep some fresh cilantro in your refrigerator to use as a healthy and cooling garnish on your meals. Working with these tools will keep your digestion in balance, you liver nice and cool and in turn nurture the eyes and support the skin. And just as it is important to increase these tastes we need to decrease the pungent spice, salty and sour items in our diets because those tastes will have the opposite affect on the body (they add more heat). Enjoy the abundant coconuts in the market, or even pre-packed coconut juice that is filled with electrolytes to keep you hydrated and energized and increase your intake of fresh, clean water. Experiment with adding a little rose water to your glass, and feel the coolness come upon you!

You can also support your digestion and internal organs through a modified summer yoga practice. Include more cooling poses like forward bends or gentle backbends like bhujangasana or setu bandasansa to relieve tension in the abdomen and the digestive organs. Include lots of gentle twists to squeeze the liver and eliminate heat and toxins. This is also a good time to do less heat-building vinyasa practices and take more time to rest in meditation between poses.

Ayurveda has many therapies for taking care of the eyes. You can visit us at Safronya to receive a Netra Basti and we will create a pool around the eyes and then bathe them in organic ghee (clarified butter). This will nourish your dry, burnt eyes, pull out the heat and relaxes the intensity behind them. You can also make an appointment to see a practitioner and get more specific information to do eyewashes at home using things like rosewater, turmeric, and coriander. In the meantime, wear your sunglasses and when feeling overexerted put a cool cloth over your closed eyes and rest. At work you can also rub your palms together quickly, then apply the gentle pressure of your palms over your closed eyelids while taking a few deep breaths.
Working with all of these internal factors will give you a great start to beautiful summer time skin, but Ayurveda also has many rituals and techniques for working externally. Coconut is the favorite oil for this time of year. Do a daily full body massage (abhyanga) with organic coconut oil and notice the natural conditioning and cooling power of this amazing fruit.

At Safronya, we have gifted our clients with a new Organic Saffron and Coconut Facial to keep everyone feeling soft and beautiful during these summer months. Make an appointment to experience benefits of our hand-made exfoliating paste; we have mixed raw shredded coconut with Saffron, which is a very spiritual blood cleansing and rejuvenating herb, with honey for tonification and antibacterial purposes, and Lime essential oil, designed to nourish, tighten, heal and beautify. We have infused our favorite Ayurvedic skin care herbs (Manjistha, Rose, Fennel, Licorice) into a yogurt mask that will nourish the skin and will follow with a wonderfully hydrating coconut cream mask to fully juice up your summer time skin. And we just couldn’t resist adding some rose powder and rose oil to the mix, which has long been responsible for keeping inflammations at bay while balancing emotions and strengthening our liver. We made sure to create a treatment that is antibacterial for those with problem skin and rejuvenating and calming for those keeping up healthy skin. Combine this treatment with our Yogurt Coconut Cream Body Pack that finishes with a Saffron infused coconut oil and aloe blend, and you will love Pitta season no matter what your Doshas say!

Most important, no matter what time of the year, examine your life and see where you can slow down and be more present. We live in a very fast-paced-goal-oriented society and this causes us undue stress, strain, worry and ill health. Let every turn of the seasons be a gently reminder to tune in and reevaluate your priorities, assessing where you spend your time and if it is serving you and your higher purpose on this planet. Enjoy the long days, find good sangha (company), and breathe deep. Enjoy the lightness and sweetness of summer, thank you Surya!