Summer time is related to Pitta Dosha. Pitta Dosha is a combination of fire and water. Fire in the environment is increased during summer time. When we bring balance to this fire element within ourselves and in our environment, then our summer is smoother and much more enjoyable. Here are some important tips to balance pitta.
Tip #1: Avoid Fiery Foods
To balance Pitta do not aggravate the fire element with your food choices. Three tastes aggravate, Pitta Dosha: pungent, sour and salt. Pungent taste is hot and spicy. Eating foods with a lot of garlic, onions, chilies or mustard will increase the fire within you.
Excessively salty foods such as chips and popcorn will increase Pitta Dosha.
Sour taste such as vinegar, kombucha, and tomatoes sneakily aggravate the fire element.
Tip #2: Balance pitta with the Navel Chakra
Did you know that not only Pungent, Sour, and Salty Tastes aggravate Pitta but alcohol also greatly increases the fire element within us? We can actually burn alcohol, and that can give you an idea of how much fire is inherent with an alcohol.
There are plenty of delightful drinks to have during the summer that do not include alcohol. The fire within alcohol adversely affects the liver. Your liver is governed by the Navel Chakra which is related to the Fire element. You may find doing the Navel chakra pose on the Awaken Within Yoga DVD very balancing to your Fire element. The mantra for the Navel chakra is Ram – pronounced like RUM.
Alcohol in yogic / ayurvedic terms, is very rajasic which will burn our sweet essence or Ojas.
Tip #3 to balance pitta: Keep a regular routine
Throughout the entire year, are Ayurveda recommends that lunch should be the main meal of the day because the sun is at its highest, and we have the greatest of digestive fire. During the summertime, this is greatly increased. be sure to eat a healthy balanced lunch with all six tastes. You want to have your main protein source, your main fat source, and your main amount of calories during lunchtime. Of course, you do not want to over eat at lunchtime, because that will increase Kapha Dosha, and you could feel a little tired afterwards. You should take 5 to 10 minutes after you’re done eating before you get up and that will help your whole digestive process.
Another way to keep a great routine during summer is to go to bed by 10 PM. Pitta time of night begins at 10 PM. In order to bring balance to the fire within you it is important that you are asleep by 10 or perhaps 10:30 during the summertime. This allows your entire metabolism to work on healing your liver, your digestive system, and very importantly, theaspect of your brain that deals with emotions.
Tip #4: Decreasing Fire with Food
Increasing sweet, bitter and astringent tastes in your diet is very balancing to the fire element and to balane pitta. Sweet taste is grains and oil and not just carbohydrates. Be sure to choose whole grains, which are needed for vitamins and minerals along with the energy they can provide. Bitter taste are green vegetables. Make sure to have a healthy amount of green vegetables each day.
Overdoing it on salads may increase the air within you, so if that happens, put greater attention on cooked vegetables. Did you know that cruciferous vegetables need to be cooked in order to be better digested, and they also contain a substance that interferes with your absorption of iodine for your thyroid if they are eaten raw.
Tip#5: Soothing Emotions
Watch your emotions during the summer time. We tend to be more active during the summer. We spend more time out in the sun and being more social. If you find yourself getting a little irritable or impatient with anyone, be sure to take a few moments to sit quiet to bring yourself back into balance.
Have you ever noticed that you might become more emotional when you are hungry? If you are too hungry, this will increase the fire within you. This can make you more prone to having fiery emotions.
Our delicious formula Soothing Pitta Magic is truly magical to bring balance to Pitta Dosha on all levels.