Don´t let the heat take over

August is almost here, the last month of the summer as we say in Sweden. This summer has been really hot so far, which reminds me of the summer of 2018. Back then, the heat lasted right into autumn, which came at the beginning of October. For Sweden, it was an extraordinarily hot and also a long summer.

With that in mind I remember the repercussions among my Ayurvedic clients, late summer 2018. Never before had so many individuals come to me searching for help with imbalance in their rampant fire, what we in Ayurveda call pitta.

Imbalance arises when we have too much of any of the elements of nature, in other words more than we have in our basic constitution.

The pitta-dosha carries, inter alia, the element of fire and when we are exposed to high temperatures for a long time, there is a great risk that an imbalance will occur. Especially if we already have the dominance of this element.

In balance, pitta manifests itself as a powerful energy with great ability to act, which makes us want to do things. A person with a high pitta has often an ease of learning and understands both what is expected of them and what results are to be achieved. The individual is active and often initiates processes in both the professional life and in private life. The person is often very ambitious, loyal and can speak for oneself.

If you are a person with a big proportion of pitta in your basic constitution, or if your pitta is already out of balance, try to get in balance especially since the summer heat makes it rail.

Then what is the sign of an unbalanced pitta?

When the pitta-dosha turns into an imbalance, body temperature increases. You get a headache or migraine. The heart rate can be high and one's own needs of accomplishment accelerate. The stomach can ache, and is in need of empties several times a day. It is common with acid reflux or gastritis. Emotions such as anger, irritation, frustration or aggression easily want to arise. A pitta in imbalance tends to “run over people”, in words and deeds.

As I mentioned, an imbalance is always a surplus, in other words, more than what you have in your basic constitution. To balance this, you need to add things with opposite character or qualities. To balance pitta, give yourself coolness, calm and quiet space, rest, playfulness and well-cooked food that is eaten on time. Never exclude a meal or a proper snack. You should also drink plenty of room temperature water.

Spices with cooling qualities are an easy way to add coolness. For instance, you can use fennel seeds, anise, turmeric, cloves, coriander and raisins when you cook. Avoid pepper, cayenne, chili and fresh ginger (though dried ginger works fine as cooling spice).

Cold drinks do not give coolness! They provide cold, which creates incorrect signals to the body. Your stomach interprets it as wanting to put out the fire. The effect will thus be the opposite. Stomach fire increases, digestion becomes more powerful and therefore increases the risk of gastritis, acid reflux and abdominal pain.

During the hot days of summer, give yourself plenty of sweet juicy fruits such as melons, plums, pears, apples, mangos, figs and dates. Minimize your intake of acidic fruits, including lemon. Also avoid stimulants. Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine all increase the fire and thus the pitta-dosha.

Being indoors or in the shade during the hottest hours of the day is good. Partly to minimize the risk of increased body temperature, partly to protect the pale skin, which usually a dominant pitta has, from sunburn.

It is common for an individual with a big portion of pitta or an imbalance in this dosha to have a fully booked calendar, perhaps even overbooked. In the summer it often gets even worse. There are so many things needed to “catch up”, both privately and in your professional life. Be careful with your sleeping routine. Go to bed no later than 10 PM, otherwise you risk the fire to arise again, which makes it difficult to fall asleep and the body´s cleansing process will be impeded.

Best tips; enjoy the summer, swim and play, treat yourself with siesta and do not forget to create gaps in your calendar where you can just-be, put your toes in the sand or let the grass tickle under your feet.