Feelin’ the Heat? Cool your Jets with Ayurveda

Feelin’ the Heat? Time to cool your jets with some Ayurvedic wisdom.

Summer, pitta season is here. Most of my friends are feelin’ the heat. I tend to hang with Pitta peeps: Men and women who have a lot pitta in their prakruti. Pitta, Pitta-Kapha and Pitta-Vata are the combinations most affected by the coming of summer.

The p-guys and gals are beginning to teeter out of balance a bit in response to the heat of summer. Pitta season is pushing on their constitution heating things up. Oh my, clear the decks when pitta dosha goes rogue.

The force of Pitta comes from the elements of fire and water. In balance Pitta is a force for good. I hang with a Pitta crowd, because the energy and accomplishment level is fabulous. They hang with me, cause I balance them out. In balance Pitta’s make great business partners and mentors.

You can stand in awe of a motivated Pitta person and really model how to get organized and accomplish a ton. My favorite yoga and Ayurveda mentors have significant pitta in their constitutions. Totally love to see fast fiery folks in action.

Where do you see the force of Pitta acting in your life? Are you part of a Pitta pack?

Take a look to see how Pitta acts on you in your life. Here are the Gunas and how they connect to some of the characteristics you see in Pitta people. The elements and Gunas are a great way to help you identify pitta in action.

Pitta Characteristics And Behaviors With The Gunas
(10 pairs of opposite characteristics)

Elements of Pitta	Gunas of Pitta	Pitta in Balance	Pitta out of Balance
Fire	Hot	Intelligence (clear & sharp)	Edgy (sharp)
Water	Sharp	Passionate (hot & mobile)	Sarcastic (hot & sharp, oily)
	Light	Direct Articulate (clear,sharp & mobile)	Critical/Judgemental (hot, sharp & mobile)
	Mobile	Discerning (clear, sharp & light)	Arrogant (oily)
	Liquid	Keys into emotions (Mobile, liquid & light)	Demands the Center of Attention (Hot, Sharp, Clear & Oily)
	Clear	Vibrant voice (clear, light & mobile)
	Oily

Why does Pitta go out of balance easily in the summer?

Doshas shape our bodies, minds and spirits. Think about pitta dosha as a force. In summer the force of pitta in you and in the season pile on top of each other. They add together to exert more influence.

For example, one guy can push a wheelbarrow just fine. Two guys can apply force and generally push the wheelbarrow faster than one guy can. So the high heat and light filled days are like the second guy pushing the wheelbarrow. When the wheelbarrow goes too fast, it gets tougher to steer. It can go out of control and spill its contents. This can happen with Pitta dosha in pitta season as well. Then Pitta in you goes out of balance.

The next time you get ready to tear someone a new one or go off on an epic Facebook rant, check in with your pitta. Ask a kapha friend how you seem. Take steps to cool your jets, cool off and come back into balance.

Feelin’ the Heat? How can you cool Pitta in the heat of summer?

Here are some tactics to try. Balance the elements and the gunas to put the breaks on Pitta Gone Rogue

Start an Early Morning Meditation practice.
Don’t bake in the heat of the sun all day. Find some shade. Take breaks from direct sunlight. Stay hydrated.
Ease up on the marathon training. Go for an early morning walk in nature to beat the heat and enjoy the earth.
Add green vegetables to your diet, like zucchini and celery and asparagus.
Lay off the spicy foods, nuts, chocolate and kombucha.
Practice cooling breaths such as Shitali. Breathe the air.
Eat a more pitta pacifying diet.
Put a chill pill day in your calendar. Consciously under schedule! Once in a while benefit from some space.

Remember like increases like. Dosha adding together can lead towards imbalance. Once you are aware of the effects of the season on your constitution, it becomes much easier to make the subtle adjustments you need to fine tune your equilibrium.