The lazy days of summer are (almost) here. Thoughts turn to picnics and holidays and walks in the country and the beaches. Summer is the height of pitta season. With that in mind here are some lovely cooling ideas for what to drink:
SUMMER COOLERS: coconut water, cool water, aloe vera juice, lime juice in cool water with a pinch of cumin powder, cool beer (alcohol increases pitta so best to avoid spirits or tempers may fray!) watermelon juice. Iced drinks are best avoided as they reduce the already low digestive fire. Also try a spritz of rose water on your face for a cooling mist.
Agni, the digestive fire, is low in the summertime and although it can be tempting to skip a meal here or there it is important for health to eat on time to maintain balance.
Avoid eating dark meats in the summer – they are heating. Salads are plentiful and cooling and all constitutions can eat more salads and raw veg in the summer. Eat easy to digest foods like white rice and quinoa; eat less heavy foods like starches, avoid pungent and hot spices and sour fruits. Grapes are good for sweetening pitta irritability!
Wear light coloured, loose fitting clothes in cotton or silk; darker colours aggravate pitta.
THIS MONTH’S FEATURED TREATMENT: NASYA. With high pollen and pollution comes the misery of hay fever and allergies; itchy eyes, runny nose, blocked sinuses, dull headaches. Nasya treatment is the administration of oils into the nasal passages and clears excess doshas accumulated in the throat, nose and sinuses. It is part of pancharkarma but can also be done as part of the daily routine.
Astrologically: Love is in the air! This week there is a beautiful trine between Venus, Mars and Chiron all happening in the water signs of Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. Mars has turned direct and Venus rises next week; at last life is improving! With so much crisis in the world; whether relationships, finances, the refugee crisis, and the longing for independence and self-expression (this has been a challenging year so far!) it is time for cooperation, compromise and connectivity. A time for reflection and a time to surrender! Saturn moving through Sagittarius, the planet of Truth and Higher Purpose is now showing the readjustment of the masculine and feminine energies. We are entering into a time or tolerance; our futures depend on this! We all need each other, we can’t do everything alone!
Mars turned direct on 4th July; but it is a slowly, slowly cycle of progress taking until almost the end of August. Mars (masculine) has been in Scorpio (feminine) since January then retrograded in April; the softening of the masculine and hardening of the feminine for the purpose of honour and trust. A time for healing wounds (Chiron). This is still a testing time but if we come from a place of Love we will deepen our understanding.
I wish you a wonderful summer.
Namaste
By popular request!
Which body type are you? Here is a guide to help you determine your unique constitution. The chart shows some fairly typical dosha qualities. Tick the boxes then add up the scores; most of us are a combination of 2 doshas. If the scores are more or less the same that is a tridoshic constitution.
N.B. Balancing the doshas does not mean we have to have vata, pitta and kapha in equal amounts. It means we maintain the balance that we were born with!
These are guidelines only. Please consult with an Ayurvedic therapist for more advice.