7 Ancient tips to keep you healthy and hydrated all summer
Summer is the time of pitta: the Ayurvedic dosha type associated with fire. With an abundance of heat, we need to incorporate coolness into our lives: from the foods we eat to the rituals we create. Here are a several ideas to keep you cool and calm all season long:
1. Drink coconut water
Aside from drinking plenty of regular water, drinking coconut water replenishes electrolytes in our bodies, keeping us hydrated. Skip the sugar-filled stuff and get pure coconut water instead.
2. Add aloe vera
We know aloe vera is great for burnt skin, and it can also have that same cooling, healing effect for our insides too. Aloe vera juice or gel, added to your water, will improve digestion, by helping flush toxins from your system.
3. Eat lighter meals
Eating heavy foods and soups in the summer will not serve you. Keep it light and fresh with smoothie bowls, salads and citrus. Incorporate cucumber, cilantro, mint and avocado into your diet for a variety of healthy foods.
4, Stand under the moon
You don’t have to be a wolf to soak in the moon’s rays. As the sun warms the body, the moon cools and soothes the body and soul. Put your bare feet on the earth and breathe in the moon energy, allowing it to nourish and cool your body.
5. Enjoy cooling breathing exercises
Cooling pranayama breathing exercises can instantly calm down the nervous system. Sitali and Siktari are two of the most effective techniques for cooling the body down.
6. Give yourself a cooling massage
Abhyanga, the popular self-massage practiced in Ayruveda, is a great way to nourish and soothe the body. Coconut oil or sunflower oil is preferred to balance out Pitta types – or the Pitta season. Instructions for this self-massage are outlined at the Chopra Center.
7. Make cooling tea
A tea mixed from cumin, coriander and fennel is great for the digestion and removes toxins and excess heat from the body. You can make it iced, too, if you can’t stand the idea of drinking warm tea in the middle of summer!
