It’s hot. Like, really hot. The humidity around here is probably 200%, the bugs are buzzing from flower to flower, and I can’t spend enough time next to a body of water. It can only mean one thing: IT’S PITTA SEASON!
What is Pitta Season, you may ask?
Pitta is the dosha that rules summer and is comprised of fire and water. This dosha has oily, hot, light, and liquid characteristics. Knowing and understanding the doshas and, as well as how they affect the seasons, helps us bring our bodies into balance as the world turns. We are a part of our environment, so finding our balance during each season is paramount to living a thriving life.
Pitta season can manifest issues in our bodies like skin irritation, indigestion, or agitation. Here are a few tips to follow to survive and enjoy this Pitta season.
Foods For Pitta Season
Do you ever find yourself craving certain kinds of foods during the hot summer months? I know I do. Many people find themselves craving lighter, smaller meals during summer, and for a good reason. Summer and Pitta season brings plenty of heat; our bodies crave something to cool our digestive fires. The easier to digest our meals are, the less heat they create in our bellies.
Summer is the time for fresh fruits, sweet dairy products, and cool salads. Drink plenty of water and consider adding a cooling flavor like peppermint, rose, or eucalyptus. Avoid ice water, though, as it can cool your digestive fires too much and might cause upset.
Routines For Pitta Season
Following the seasons brings us into balance with the Divine, and our lifestyle choices are no exception. Summer is light, bright, and heat. When we work with and adjust to the season, we are more at peace and happier overall.
To be most productive during the Pitta season, get in the habit of rising early, so you can get the majority of your tasks done before the intense heat of the day. Dress in cool colors like white, purple, green, grey, and blue. Favor light, breathable natural fabrics like cotton and linen.
Longer solar days of summer mean our bodies often seek rest during the hottest part of the day. If your schedule allows, use these hot afternoons to rest and reset. Lying on your right side will enable you to stimulate the lunar pathway through the left nostril, which can have a cooling effect. Make time for self-massages, especially with coconut or sunflower oil.
Exercise For Pitta Season
We’ve all felt the pull to look a certain way during the summer “swimsuit” season. There’s nothing wrong with a healthy dose of exercise at any time of the year, but it’s essential to conduct our activities during appropriate times and intensities during summer. We shouldn’t exercise during the middle of the day when the temperatures are highest, and we shouldn’t push our bodies too hard. Early morning is a great time for summer exercise. End your workout by placing a drop of peppermint oil on your third eye, throat, and navel to help cool down. Also cosider more cooling forms of exercise like swimming, walking or Yin Yoga.
Cool Yoga Poses
Summer is fiery, but our yoga practice doesn’t have to be. The best yoga for summer is gentle, calm, and fluid. Focus on poses that massage and strengthen the abdominal region, which naturally holds a lot of heat.
Child’s Pose
This pose stretches the lower back and stimulates the abdominal organs. To settle gently into Child’s Pose, start on all fours. Set your knees slightly apart, with your big toes touching behind you. Exhale slowly as you reach your hips towards your ankles. Place your arms next to your body, with your palms facing up. Make sure you breathe slowly and deeply throughout the pose. With each exhale, soften your chest and try to lower your hips more.
Bound Angle
The bound angle pose opens your chest and hips, stimulating the heat in your abdomen to move throughout the body. Start in a seated position and bring the bottoms of your feet together, your knees bent out to the side. If you find this move uncomfortable, modify it by pacing blocks or blankets under your knees. Bend at the waist and place your hands on your feet. With each exhale, reach your chest more towards your ankles and relax your shoulders.
Supine Twist
This pose stretches your spine, back, and core. It stimulates your abdominal organs, releases stress, and calms you. Lie flat on the floor in a cool spot. Bend one knee up and place your opposite hand on top of it. Gently pull your knee across your body to the opposite side, across your other leg and hip. Keep your shoulders squared and flat on the mat, resisting the urge to pop up. Extend your arm in the opposite direction of your bent leg and focus your gaze that way as well. Take deep breaths into your belly, imagining your fire dissipating into the air above you.
For more, check out yoga poses to stay cool or Yoga Poses for Pitta Dosha.
Stay Cool
No matter how you tackle Pitta season, make sure to stay cool, so you don’t lose your cool. Pitta season can be a fantastic time of adventure and new experiences, and so long as we temper the fires of Pitta with our lifestyle, diet, and activity choices, this summer can be one for the books.
