June: TEJAS Tamer
As we move from cool & rainy days of spring (Kapha season) into long & hot days of summer (Pitta season), our bodies are also undergoing a transition. This exchange from one season into the next is known as, ritusandhi; our physical and mental bodies are particularly vulnerable during seasonal transitions, and require some nurture & love.
Pitta Dosha has a strong presence throughout summer and into autumn. Associated with the fire (tejas) and water (aap) elements—it represents the energy of transformation, conversion and digestion. Pitta is connected to intelligence, understanding, and the ability to digest thoughts, emotions, experiences, and food.
When Pitta is balanced in the mind-body system, you’ll be goal-seeking, precise, an excellent leader, and have strong digestion. However, experiencing an imbalanced Pitta will often unveil criticism, jealousy, irritability, and anger. Imbalances will cause heat to rise in the body and mind—you may experience heartburn, inflammatory conditions, hypertension, and loose stool.
If these early symptoms of a Pitta imbalance present themselves, it’s important to “cool” down. Choose a nature walk or swimming over competitive activities. If possible, avoid exercise between 10am-2pm, when Pitta is at it’s peak heat & easily aggravated. Begin favoring moon bathing over sunbathing. That’s right! Moon bathing. You won’t get that killer tan, but it will help restore & regenerate the body from excess heat. Take time for quiet meditation, cooling breathing exercises (sheetali pranayama), and relaxation. If you don’t have a hammock, now’s the time! Begin noticing if you’re engaging in more conflict or arguments. If so, this is a sure sign of excess Pitta. Step away from the debate! Spritz some rosewater on your face, and cool those jets! And take time for carefree, unrestrained fun—grab your favorite gals & reconnect to your inner child. She’s in there, I promise!
This is the season to eat more sweet, bitter, and astringent foods. Incorporating fresh green vegetables, basmati rice, sweet apples & berries, watermelon, cucumbers, cilantro, and coconut will help keep Pitta nice and cool. It’s best to avoid too much spicy & salty food, garlic, onion, fried & processed food, caffeine, and alcohol. These are all foods that will increase heat in the body system and create imbalances. And when Pitta gets imbalanced, watch out! Using cooling herbs (cumin, coriander, cardamom, fennel) will help soothe the digestive tract, while also offering flavor & a lovely aroma. And don’t forget coconut! All things coconut.
And for my favorite Pitta balancing advice from Dr. Vasant Lad: “ Working in a hot kitchen provokes Pitta. If someone cooks three days in a row, on the fourth day you should treat that person to dinner in a restaurant. This will avoid conflicts in the relationship.” A very wise man.
Eye Wash Video
PITTA Skincare
As the external summer heat intensifies, so does our body’s internal heat. For those who are always cold, this will likely be welcomed with open arms. However, those who embody a Pitta constitution (prakruti), will find the ‘dog days of summer’ to be a challenge in remaining cool & calm. Comprised of fire (tejas) and water (aap) elements, those with Pitta skin type are prone to inflammation, excess sebum, rosacea, eczema, rashes & acne; these are all signs of imbalance. Cooling nourishment that soothes & hydrates will help maintain Pitta skin’s natural, rosy glow. Every season is about finding the balance of opposites, and Ayurveda offers beautiful insight into maintaining happy, healthy skin throughout summer.
This Ayurvedic skin cleanser recipe will gently cool & calm the skin, reduce redness & UV damage, control excess sebum, stimulate collagen, improve elasticity, treat hyperpigmentation & scarring, gently exfoliate, purify, and rejuvenate the skin. Cool, calm, and radiant.
What You Need:
4 parts Chickpea flour
2 parts Rhoussoul Clay
1 part each:
Corriander Powder
Neem Powder
Amalaki Powder
Manjistha Powder
Bhringraj Powder
Shatavari Powder
Fennel Powder
Turmeric Powder, just a pinch!
What To Do:
Daily Cleanser: Mix (about) 1.5 tsp of cleanser with (about) 1.5 tsp of water. Apply to face, neck and décolletage. Gently exfoliate in a circular, upward motion. Rinse with warm water, and pat to dry. Don’t forget your face oil!
Mask: Use as a mask 1-3 times per week for added benefit. Apply to skin, and allow to dry for about 10 minutes. Rinse off.
After cleansing, gently massage oil onto the skin for a boost of nourishment & circulation. Coconut oil and sunflower oil are especially beneficial during the heat of summer. You can also add sandalwood, rose, vetiver, lavender, geranium or jasmine essential oils to soothe & nourish the mind, body…and skin. You’ll look and smell beautiful! And just keep spritzing that rosewater. All. Summer. Long.
ROSE Coconut Smoothie
Eating foods that have a cooling effect will help keep Pitta balanced through the excess heat of summer. This Rose Coconut Smoothie is packed with healing wisdom for the summer season….and it’s delicious. Win, win! Try favoring room temperature coconut water, as cold or frozen beverages dampen the digestive fire (agni)—when agni is dampened, nutrients aren’t properly digested and assimilated. And you want allll of these nutrients! Coconut and rose are both naturally cooling, and they’ll work their magic without being served cold. This makes a great morning or evening treat! Yogis choice.
What You Need:
20 Almonds, soaked & peeled
1 c. Coconut Water
2 Medjool Dates (pitted)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp. Rose Powder
1 tsp. Shatavari Powder (optional)
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
1/4 tsp. Ginger Powder
1/4 tsp. Cardamom Powder
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
What To Do:
•Soak the almonds in water. If you plan to drink the smoothie in the morning, soak the almonds overnight -or- If you plan to drink the smoothie in the evening, soak the almonds during the day. After they’ve been soaked, peel off the skins & discard.
•Combine all ingredients together in a blender & blend until smooth.
•Soak, blend, sip. Enjoy the flavor, texture, aroma & Pitta balancing love!
Organic rose powder can be found at these women-owned, small businesses who focus on sustainable & beautifully crafted herb blends:
ANIMA MUNDI APOTHECARY: animamundiherbals.com
Wild Bloom Botanicals: wildbloombotanicals.com
SURYA Arghyam Ritual
In the Vedic spiritual tradition, the sun is highly revered for it’s expansiveness & life-giving abilities. Ayurveda teaches that the human body is a microcosm & extension of the Universe; nature is mirrored and reflected within us. Just like the sun, we are a source of light, love & soul power. We often seek external recognition and approval from those in our community. However, the sun teaches us that we are our own source of light, creativity, courage & abundance. The Surya Arghyam Ritual is a beautiful daily practice of pouring water as an offering to the sun.
What To Do:
Traditionally, a copper vessel (kalash) is used, but any vessel for containing water is appropriate. Fill the vessel with water, go outside & pour the water around you in a clockwise direction. Look up at the sun, place your hand on your heart, and make an offering of recognition that you ARE the sun. It may sound something like this, “I am evoking that the light of the sun is within me.” In doing so, you are affirming the freedom, abundance & soul power that exists within you.
This is also a lovely ritual for honoring the five elements (panchamahabhutas), the sum of all nature. How the elements are symbolized in the Surya Arghyam Ritual:
The water (aap) element is inside the vessel
The water is being offered to the earth (prithvi) element
The fire (tejas) element is present in the sun
The air (vayu) element surrounds us
Everything is held in the container of space (akash)
*If you’re indoors and unable to pour onto the earth, you can pour the water into a house plant. It is the intention present that brings meaning to the ritual.
Take a moment to feel the sun within you, to recognize your own expansiveness, and to embrace your light that radiates.
