Practices to Welcome Pitta Season
With summer just around the corner, we must make sure we're keeping our cool. The season's heat is enjoyable when we are healthy and balanced, but this season comes the potential of accumulating excess Pitta.
If we have a Pitta constitution or aren't living a lifestyle that honors the change of seasons, we risk Pitta imbalances, leading to a less pleasurable summer experience. Through the wisdom of Ayurveda, we have the power to keep our minds and bodies balanced all year long. Follow this guide to welcome Pitta season and stay balanced all summer long.
Pitta Qualities
Pitta is governed by the elements of fire and water and is responsible for the body's metabolism and digestion, playing a vital role in maintaining body heat and temperature. The Doshas have different Gunas or qualities unique to each of them. Pitta's Gunas are hot, sharp, light, pungent, liquid, and mobile. Doshas become imbalanced by changing seasons and engaging in activities, lifestyle choices, and eating foods that have the same qualities. We must understand the signs of imbalanced Pitta to adjust our lifestyle choices to create more harmony and balance in the body.
Signs of Imbalanced Pitta
Imbalanced Pitta results from too much heat in the body, which can accumulate much easier in the summer season. Some Pitta imbalance symptoms can include acid reflux, red skin or rosacea, loose stools, painful menstrual cramps, inflammation, excessive anger or irritation, and burning eyes. These symptoms can make it challenging to enjoy the sunshine, but fortunately, you can find relief easily and naturally with the proper knowledge and lifestyle changes.
How to Balance Pitta
In Ayurveda, we balance Doshas by implementing more of the opposite qualities of that Dosha in your daily choices. This can include movement, lifestyle, food, herbs, and spices. Cool, heavy, slow, dry, grounding, stabilizing, and dense qualities can help balance excess Pitta and leave you calm and relaxed.
1. Lifestyle
Those with a Pitta constitution tend to prefer high-intensity and fast-paced workouts. To balance Pitta, prioritize slow, cooling, and mindful exercises. Slow yoga, pilates, and long walks are great for balancing excess Pitta.
Another great way to balance Pitta is to create space in your schedule. Try taking on less and leaving more time to rest and relax. Downtime can feel difficult to a Pitta dominant personality, but it is imperative to keep your mind and body healthy and balanced. Meditation and cooling pranayamas like Sheetali and Nadi Shodhana are great ways to calm excess Pitta.
Our Indigo Ayurvedic Mat and Meditation Pillow are the perfect props to help you keep your cool this summer. The color blue helps pacify aggravated Pitta, and these props will serve as a comfortable way for you to unwind and find your breath when the heat is running high. Add our Indigo and Lapis Mala in the mix for a meditative tool to calm your mind, body, and spirit.
2. Food
The food we eat has different qualities that affect our bodies in different ways, and during the summer, we must focus on eating food that is cooling and drying to balance the hot and light qualities of Pitta. Some Pitta balancing foods include; cilantro, mint, cucumber, coconut, watermelon, celery, and kale. Some foods to avoid include; strawberries, mango, lemons, peppers, onion, and garlic.
3. Herbs
If shifting your lifestyle and the food you eat isn't quite doing the trick, herbs are an excellent way to restore balance in the body and soothe excess Pitta. Some herbs to incorporate into your rotation include Brahmi, Amalaki, coriander, and fennel. These herbs can be consumed in tea or taken as a daily supplement to keep Pitta balanced.
With Ayurvedic wisdom, we can honor how the changing of seasons affects our bodies and learn to detect imbalances when they start. With this information, you can get out there and enjoy the summer heat while keeping your mind and body healthy and balanced.
