keep cool with ayurveda - by Ayush Wellness Spa

Ayush Wellness Spa’s Advice for a heatwave...

According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing science, people and seasons are characterised by three traits; Pitta, Vata and Kapha. These are otherwise known as your ‘Dosha’ - character type.

The summer season is Pitta; characterised as fiery and hot. Dr Prasanna, one of the UK’s leading authorities on Ayurveda has the following advice for keeping cool this summer.

Pitta Characteristics:

Pitta - meaning ‘what cooks’ in Sanskrit
Elements - fire and water
When balanced - articulate, courageous, sharp intellect, content
When out of balance - irritable, demanding, skin problems

Keep Your Cool This Summer:

Exercise: swimming, walking and yoga are gentle non-competitive fitness regimes that are beneficial at this time of year and all year round for people who are predominantly Pitta

Nutrition: avoid hot and spicy food and limit your intake of alcohol, black tea, meat, eggs and salt. Favour sweet, bitter and astringent tastes which are cooling and refreshing. Eat regular meals and take regular breaks from work.

Drink: it is essential to keep replenishing lost fluids with water and nourishing beverages. Ayurveda recommends using lime water with a bit of salt and sugar, fresh fruit juices and squeezing date juice into water to combat heat and dehydration.

Treatments: Ayurveda advocates using certain body treatments to help the body to cope better in summer like Shirodhara (a gentle stream of cooling Ayurvedic oils on the scalp), Padabhyanga (foot and leg massage with cooling herbal oils).

Oils: burn cooling and soothing lavender, jasmine, ylang ylang in summer.