As Mid May hails, the beginning of Greeshma Ritu and heat envelops us; our skin demands hydration, and the body needs a cooling and calming Diet and lifestyle. It is that time of the year when you need to take good care of yourself, understand the need of the season and the body and act accordingly.

Summer is the "Pitta" season because it directly relates to the heat and bright sun that dries everything out. In Ayurveda, Pitta dosha represents beauty and the fierce nature of fire. Pitta is believed to be strongly associated with fire, heat, and the body's metabolism.

According to the ancient science of Ayurveda, deposition of Vata happens, but Kapha remains relaxed during this season as it has water and earth as its dominating elements. Every individual is born with some unique constitution, with Water, Fire or Air as their dominating element.

It is time to nourish your skin and soul during this dry and fire like season. Let's read further to explore what this season holds for you and how to balance the Pitta dosha of your body.

Unhealthy Accumulation of Pitta Dosha

If Pitta dominates your body constitution, you should be extra vigilant about adopting a healthy and seasonal summer routine. Of all other types such as Vata and Kapha, you will need to be mindful of keeping your skin and body cool in Greeshma Ritu. Striking a balance between staying hydrated and enjoying your meals can get tricky during this season.

Increased heat and discomfort in the body, inflammation that leads to joint pain, heartburn, impaired digestion, unexplained anger, and irritation are signs of Pitta accumulation.

This blog unveils many ancient Ayurveda secrets to pacify your imbalanced Pitta dosha through a mindful routine, diet, and lifestyle. Following as many Pitta pacifying affirmations below as possible will make you sail through summer smoothly.

Summer Friendly Diet & Ingredients

Ayurveda says a diet taken at the right time and in an appropriate amount heals your body naturally. So, the favourable and Pitta balancing Diet is right there in your kitchen and home.

Foods which are sweet (madhura), cool (sheera), fluid (guna) and light to digest should be preferred in Greeshma Ritu. Cooling spices such as fennel, coriander, lime, cardamom, chamomile, mint, saffron, etc., will keep your body cool. Foods that would pacify your Pitta are avocados, coconut, cucumber, red lentils, leafy greens, ghee, lemon, flax seeds, buttermilk, etc.

Not to forget, consuming lots of salad will prevent you from overeating, which further means that digestion will be easy. Fruits like Bananas, Mango, Cantaloupe and Dates are considered Pitta pacifying. Foods like Corn, Rice and Wheat, Sweet Potatoes, and red lentils will keep your Pitta balanced. Trying Amalaki rather than Triphala will cool off heat in the body. Ghritkumari or Aloe Vera helps cleanse excess Pitta from the digestive tract as it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Heal With Silver – A Traditional Summer Ritual

One of the most effective traditional summer morning rituals is to drink water that has been kept overnight in a silver container. Ayurveda highly recommends this to Pitta prone people. Moon being the signifier of the water element, strengthens the immune system of Pitta and Vata dominated people and heals their digestion problems.

A strong moon indicates tremendous positivity and happiness and thus makes things favourable for you in Greeshma Ritu.

Natural Cooling Summer Drinks for Ultimate Hydration

Choosing a natural cooling drink is a thousand times better than binging on artificial cooling drinks during the summer season. Greeshma Ritu calls for traditional summer drinks such as Aam Panna, Buttermilk, Jal Jeera, Summer Moon Milk, Buransh sharbat, and Tender Coconut water, which keeps us hydrated and supports our digestive health when the digestive fire slows down.

The Vitamin C present in lemons aids with cellular hydration. Jal Jeera is a simple and naturally cooling drink that balances three tastes: sour, salty, and sweet cumin supports the digestive system, a significant factor in channelizing the weak digestive fire during the summer season.

Pause and Rejuvenate with Pitta Balancing Lifestyle

The most important thing to remember is to keep your body hydrated with plenty of naturally cooling fluids. It is not only about keeping yourself physically cool but staying emotionally and mentally calm is equally important.

Applying Chandan to your forehead, keeping your body hydrated, shading yourself, napping during the daytime and drinking plenty of water are the best ways to keep yourself cool during the summer season. It is the only season when daytime sleep is recommended. Exercising around trees in the early morning and not pushing too hard is recommended. Also, practising Sheetali Pranayama (Cooling Breath) and walking in the moonlight helps in balancing Pitta dosha in Greeshma Ritu.

Summing up

Every season teaches you to live harmoniously with the seasonal changes. In Greeshma Ritu, being mindful of your eating habits and recognizing Pitta provoking foods and lifestyle will help you stay calm. Each of us is born with a different body constitution, so the best and only way to understand your body type is to develop awareness about how you feel throughout the day in different seasons.

It is time for you to pay attention to subtle signs of Greeshma discomfort and Pitta imbalances in your body and make diet and lifestyle changes as per your body's constitution.