Pitta, the Dosha & Season of Fire

Summer is here, it offers us the energy of Surya, the sun in Sanskrit! He brings with him long evenings, holidays, the festive side between music and fireworks. It is sometimes difficult for our bodies to endure this sun and the heat. Let’s find out how Ayurveda can help us enjoy all the benefits of summer and recharge our energy.

Especially for the predominant PItta dosha or PItta imbalances. Take the test

This hot season is felt in terms of energy. The hot body can easily suffer from dryness. This hot season prompts us to hydrate inside and out.
Anger, impatience and irritation emerge in this season, hence the importance of respecting a natural rhythm by getting up early and making time for a nap.
Freshness and water become essential to balance the Pitta mood and not make it worse in people. people whose basic constitution corresponds to Pitta.

The “fire” dosha Pitta speaks

In summer, Pitta which governs the fire element increases. The body must adapt to this heat and regulate it in order to promote the balanced state of the physiological functioning of the body. During the summer period, one can observe the enlargement of sweating, a loss of appetite and a more or less significant weight loss.

This regulation in the body is carried out by the 3 doshas:

Vata (wind) manages the functions of the nervous system and movements in the body

Pitta (fire and water) manages transformations and digestion

Kapha (water and earth) manages the cohesion and maintenance of tissues in the body

Pitta mood, bile, uniting fire, wind and water, sits in the liver, stomach, skin, eyes and heart.
Its functions are vision, digestion, heat management in the body, hunger, thirst, tissue quality, skin and intelligence. If Pitta becomes imbalanced, imbalances may appear: jaundice, itching, intense thirst, insomnia, fatigue and eye fatigue, inflammation, hyperacidity, diarrhea, rashes, heartburn, allergies, inflammation, hypertension, circulatory disorders .

People with a dominant Pitta constitution will not tolerate heat well and will be more likely to be exposed to these diseases.

In order to regulate our inner fire, we must apply the rule: “Balance the opposites”. Freshness, softness, calm become our allies for a great summer! Thanks to a balanced diet, a suitable environment and a healthy lifestyle, you will find these qualities of freshness, softness and calm and reduce excess heat to maintain an optimal balance throughout the summer.

A summer routine

In summer, a season dominated by the Pitta dosha, you have to follow a few rules to keep it in balance, Pitta being intense by nature.

Relax so as not to become aggressive and tire out as the season progresses. Summer is the perfect season to take a vacation and enjoy nature, family and friends. Focus on the activities you like, outdoor activities, picnics, walking, swimming…. In summer, we can go to bed a little later than usual and do moonlit walks .

Favor exercise in the early morning or at night when it is cooler. And take a nap during hot hours and restore energy levels, lower in summer. To reinvigorate yourself, walk at the water’s edge with your feet in the water, bathe in a cool lake, in a river, swim in the sea or take advantage of the near a waterfall to meditate are refreshing activities. If you find yourself at the sea or near a lake, do not hesitate to do nautical activities: sailing, surfing, paddleboarding because the water is soothing.

Protect the different Pitta sites whose physiology deserves special attention during this season by protecting the skin and eyes:

Dress with natural materials: cotton, silk, wear loose white clothes, with light colors: gray, blue, purple, green protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses.

Do not expose yourself to the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the rays are the most harmful. Use a certified organic sunscreen without nanoparticles.

take care your body, after a day in the sun, after a bath or a shower, it is recommended to massage your body with coconut oil. Coconut oil is very pleasant in summer, because it works on Pitta to calm it, refresh it and while softening the skin. Pure aloe vera gel is also recommended after sun exposure.

Broadcast essential oils of sandalwood, jasmine, camphor and vetiver soothing and pleasant in summer in your bedroom before bed. Rose essential oil balances Pitta and also helps relieve depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and memory loss. It also acts on the Pitta sub-dosha which governs the heart and feelings, easily out of balance in the summer when the weather becomes hot and humid.

Sweet summer food for Pitta

Boost your body in the morning, on an empty stomach, with lemon juice and lukewarm water. The most important meal is lunch. Eat light in the evening. Be calm, sit down during meals and chew your food well.

Promote organic, fresh and seasonal foods with high water content and avoid or reduce pungent, salty and acidic tastes, which you will replace with sweet, bitter and astringent. Prefer raw vegetables for lunch, because around noon that agni, the digestive fire is strongest: cucumber, sprouted seeds, and salads such as lettuce, romaine, spinach, etc. seasoned with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Prepare steamed vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green cabbage, squash and zucchini, green beans, artichoke, potato, sweet potato, sprinkle them with spices: coriander seed, fresh cilantro, cumin , turmeric, saffron, fennel, cardamom, parsley and fresh basil. Consume basmati rice (soak it for 20 minutes before rinsing it), quinoa, kamut, amaranth, couscous, mung dal, lentils and a little tofu.

Consume sweet and summery fruits, in summer the market stalls are a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Refreshing, they are full of natural sugars that the body needs. Eat them outside of the meal to avoid digestion problems: melon, watermelon, grapes, plum, apples, pears, raisins, dates, prunes, coconut, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, apricots …

Learn how to unplug while on vacation

We are too often engaged with work even during our holidays. The various electronic devices keep us alert both on the world around us, but also on our work. Learning to unplug while on leave is essential both for your well-being, but better productivity when you return. Learn to let go to let your brain rest.

A few tips

  • A month before your departure, visualize the rest and calm that awaits you when you are at your vacation spot.
  • Treat yourself to a weekly Ayurvedic massage.
  • Meditate daily.
  • Take yoga classes.

You are now ready to go!

  • On the spot in peace, turn off your phone, tablet and computer to disconnect to enjoy your vacation. Let yourself be filled with positive feelings, in order to make you feel happy and enjoy life.
  • Self-massage yourself every day.
  • Continue your daily outdoor yoga sessions to enjoy with pranayama exercises, the calming moon salutation you need to practice gently. Focus on leg stretches, gentle forward bends and seated twists. Movements should be practiced gently to soothe. Enjoy a long time of relaxation in Savasana.

Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine, allows by listening to nature and our body to go through each season serenely, while nourishing our body and our mind. Learn to live with the seasons.

Summer treatments and massages

Abhyanga massage Pitta, a warm but refreshing oil; Navratna, Sesame oil, menthol, amla, camphor, thyme and rosemary from 160.-

Shirodhara Pitta, with an individual “Oil and Phyto” preparation according to the disorders and imbalances encountered from 190.-