Summer and Ayurveda
How to Stay Cool and Calm in Summer's Heat
Article by Jan Fiore, Ayurveda Lifestyle Counselor
Your physical constitution ("pakruti") will determine how well you handle hot weather. You've undoubtedly noticed that some people tolerate the summer season much better than others. And there are also significant differences in climate according to one's geographical location, which affect individuals in a variety of ways. A warm, muggy summer where it rains often will be tolerated differently than a summer with high temperatures and dry heat. How about you? Do you love the heat of summer or does it sending you running to the nearest air-conditioned building for relief? Do you change your exercise program with each season? Does your appetite change?
According to Ayurveda, everything in this world, including our bodies, mental and emotional states, and behavior, can be described in terms of three elemental qualities:
Vata (air/ether), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Water/Earth). We have all three as part of our being; we couldn't survive without them.
Vata holds the principle of movement, and is cold, dry, rough and light (as in "not heavy"). Pitta holds the principle of transformation and action, and is hot, sharp, liquid and bright. Kapha holds everything together and is the primarily stabilizing physical force. Its qualities are heavy, oily, damp, and smooth. (If you don't know your pakruti, Click here to download your free copy of the ebook Ayurveda Basics which includes a self-evaluation to determine your physical constitution.)
Do you recognize yourself in any of the descriptions below?
1. If you have a general tendency to feel colder than others around you, and often wear more layers of clothing, you probably enjoy the heat of summer. However, because you're also very sensitive to extremes and sudden changes, very hot, dry climates can be overwhelming for you. The heat feels good, some humidity feels good, but you are easily sunburned and a little direct sun exposure goes a long way. Even though most other times of year, cold raw food can be challenging for you to digest, in summer with the extra heat, you may tolerate these things better, although your appetite is diminished by excessive heat. You may also be prone to "a/c" headaches (originating in the upper back and neck area from drafts) if you're in a heavily air-conditioned room for too long. Your skin is probably delicate and thin, burns easily. If this sounds like you, you might be primarily Vata.
or
2. You've got good circulation with warm hands and feet. You might have a rosy, possibly even red hue to your complexion. You're an active person, enjoying athletic activity, and the longer summer days allow you to get so much more accomplished, possibly leading to overwork and burnout. Although you can tolerate temperature changes more readily than the first type, you can become irritable quite suddenly in excessively humid or hot weather. You may also notice that you're feeling more competitive than usual. As a rule, your digestion is strong regardless of the season, but you feel better in summer eating smaller, more frequent meals. Large meals may make you feel too hot. If this sounds like you, your primary constitutional type may be Pitta.
or
3. Humid, damp heat makes you feel sluggish and heavy, but you can tolerate, even enjoy, dry heat. Your skin is smooth, oily, and you have a "thick skin" in comparison to the other types, both emotionally and physically. Of the three types, you do best with prolonged outdoor activites, tolerating the increased heat, as long as you protect your skin from overexposure to the sun. As much as you might crave ice cream this season, you feel better without it. When you indulge in sweets, you gain weight easily and feel sluggish, possibly even depressed. If this sounds like you, you might be a Kapha-type person.
So what can you do to balance your dosha (physical constitution) in the heat of summer?
It's interesting to note that if our dosha is already out of balance, we may crave activities and foods which provoke it further. In a Vata type, this might manifest as taking on way too many projects and going into "chaos mode." A Vata person might also crave crisp, crunchy snacks, or chew on ice, or drink coffee (way too stimulating for Vata).
For Vata, consider dressing in layers and keeping a wrap or sweater with you to counterbalance the effects of excessive air-conditioning. Eat meals at regular times, and if you desire, you can include some raw food (such as salad), but Vata does best with warm, heavy foods that are lightly spiced. Be sure to drink sufficient water, because Vata has a tendency towards dryness. Wear a protective sunblock, and extra items such as a hat, sunglasses, an overshirt of sorts as a cover up when needed. Avoid excessive sun exposure.
For Pitta, avoid spicy, extra salty foods and engage in your highest level of physical activity in the cool of the morning rather than the peak sun hours. You may want to overload your day, but consider pacing yourself, and balance your activities so that you don't overdo or put yourself into hyperdrive mode, becoming overly aggressive, critical of yourself and others, and frustrated. The heat of summer can easily push Pitta types into these states of mind; it takes conscious awareness and planning to make sure you stay cool (in more ways than one!).
A Pitta type who's out of balance may want to sun bathe at 2 pm after running for an hour in the hot noon sun, instead of choosing to take their run in the cool hours of the morning and limiting their sun exposure.
For Kapha, summer offers the possibility of being your best self, possibly more than any other season. Again,this depends on your local climate -- Kapha in hot dry weather does very well because it counterbalances Kapha's tendency towards coolness and dampness. The days of summer are long, and Kapha's endurance serves you well. It also depends on your overall weight. If your Kapha dosha is out of balance, and you're carrying excessive weight, that may make you feel too heavy and hot to be active. If this is the case, consult with your qualified health professional to create a program that works best for you.
While always taking care to avoid too much unprotected sun exposure, indulging in physical outdoor activity will bring up your energy level and lift your mood. If you live in a humid climate, this will have a different effect on you, and could be hard to overcome. In this case, you'd want to make an extra effort to keep your food choices with qualities that pacify Kapha, such as pungent (warm, drying), bitter (reduces bodily tissues, cleansing) and astringent (maintains firmness of tissues).
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