Beat the heat: tips to stay cool and move

How do you feel about summer? Do you relish the heat of this season or does it sometimes become too much?

Summer is a vibrant and energetic season that offers many opportunities to stay active and incorporate movement into your daily routine. However, the discomfort can be real for some when the heat is high.

Keeping reading to learn

• why you may feel irritable, even if you love summer

• why what you put into your body matters

• tips to keep cool during the hot summer

Balancing Pitta

Ayurveda is a system of holistic healing. It tells us that we are born with a mixture of 3 doshas, or energies in nature – vata, kapha, and pitta. Most people have a primary dosha. (Read more about Ayurveda and doshas here).

Each season is associated with an element and dosha. It’s probably no surprise that the hot summer is associated with the element of fire. The dosha associated with summer is Pitta.

What does this mean?

According to Ayurveda, balance depends on a simple but profound principle: like increases like and opposites decrease each other. The hot summer can increase the heat within us. When it’s hot and humid outside some people feel hot and humid inside. This can increase Pitta so that it causes an imbalance.

You may have excess Pitta if you’re

• feeling irritable, frustrated, or angry

• sweating excessively

• feeling impatient or critical

• skin breaks out easily

• experiencing digestive discomforts

This can happen to anyone, but those whose primary dosha is Pitta are more susceptible. For example, I’ve noticed that when my daughter has a Pitta imbalance she gets frustrated more easily and complains of being too hot a lot. Her skin also reacts more to bug bites, and she reaches for cool drinks more often.

When I have a Pitta imbalance, I find that I get irritated more easily and annoyed with hot and humid weather. How silly is that!? I also feel more impatient and I just feel…..warm.

The good news is that there are ways to cool down and keep movement in your life, even during the hottest days of summer!

Watch what you put in your body

If you’re experiencing symptoms of excess Pitta then be conscious of what you’re eating and drinking. Remember that like increases like.

Skip the spice. Spicy foods increase heat in the body. This can be wonderful in winter but less so in the summer. This also includes warming spices, such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and black pepper. Use them sparingly.

Watch the alcohol. Alcohol is heating to the body. Limit those cocktails if you’re really feeling the heat.

Swap out that lemon for lime. I love adding lemon to my water, but it can be heating to the body for some. I mix it up by using lime on really hot days.

Enjoy fresh fruit. Ice cream is a part of summer, but doesn’t promote cooling, according to Ayurveda. The cold quality of it requires the body the heat up. Reach for fresh fruit, ideally at room temperature.

Cooling aromatherapy

Sweet and relaxing aromas can help you stay cool and centered this summer. Choose hydrosols to spritz on your face, neck, and chest to cool you down.

Good choices include

• Lavender

• Rose

• Chamomile

• Geranium

Simply spray on your face (close your eyes!). You can purchase hydrosols here.

Cool down your practice

Sweating is beneficial. But if it’s hot outside, and you’re already feeling the heat, then a sweaty and intense practice may increase those qualities. Instead, it may be best to cool down your practice. You can always get back to that sweaty practice another day.

Move during the cooler times of the day. Move your body early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler.

Hike in nature. Take advantage of scenic trails and parks to engage in nature walks or hikes, providing movement and a refreshing escape from the heat.

Practice Sitali pranayama. Sitali is a breathing practice that cools the body. It’s a great one to do anytime you need to cool down. You simply make a “straw” by curling the sides of your tongue and breathing in through your mouth. Click here for a short video on practicing sitali.

If you can’t curl your tongue (it’s genetic), then just make an “o” shape with your mouth like you’re sipping through a straw.

The key to finding balance during the hot summer months is to

1. start paying attention to when signs of “excess heat” show up

2. make small adjustments to include some cooling tips

Want to read more? Check out this article on Lessons from Mother Nature!