5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer That You May Not Know
Summer.
The season that many people long for throughout the winter months.
But for some, the heat of summer can be excruciating.
Ayurveda offers diet and lifestyle changes to help your body adjust to any season.
5 ways to stay cool in the summer
The seasons according to Ayurveda
Summer is the pitta time of year, bringing more fire and water elements into the environment.
During the spring, pitta dosha begins to accumulate.
In summer, pitta dosha aggravates.
Then, in the fall, pitta dosha begins to pacify naturally.
It is also important to remember that vata dosha begins to accumulate during the summer.
Consider caring for both pitta and vata doshas during the summer months.
5 ways to stay cool in the summer
1. Eat cooling foods (pitta pacifying foods)
Ayurveda recommends specific foods to help cool and calm pitta dosha during the summer.
Sweet, sour and salty foods help to pacify Pitta dosha and reduce heat.
If you are feeling overheated enjoy some of the following cooling foods:
sweet fruits like sweet apples, sweet pears, watermelons, sweet grapes, melons,
green veggies including green beans, leafy greens, broccoli, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, asparagus
cooling herbal teas such as rose, lavender, hibiscus, peppermint, fennel, coriander
other cooling beverages like coconut water, cow's milk, goat's milk
use ghee or coconut oil for cooking
Avoid overly spicy, sour, and salty foods during the summer as these can increase the internal heat in the body.
Here are some foods to avoid:
coffee and black tea
chili peppers and other heating spices in excess like black pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, asafoetida (hing), ajwain
chocolate
nuts, unless they are soaked overnight
sour fruits like sour apples, sour citrus fruit, sour mango, banana
overly salty foods like snacks, chips, and processed foods, or even using excess salt in cooking
onion, garlic, tomato
To clarify, "avoid" does not suggest that you can never consume these foods, but rather consume them in smaller quantities and less often.
Save the pitta aggravating, heating foods for the late fall, winter, and early spring months.
To read more about the six tastes of Ayurveda, check out these posts:
2. Spend time in or near water
Pitta dosha is soothed by being in or near cool water.
If the body of water is in direct sun, either swim in the morning before the excess heat begins or swim after 2 pm when the sun's intensity is reduced
The moderate exercise of swimming laps is soothing for the pitta mind and body, and sometimes, just floating in the water can help settle pitta dosha and create coolness.
Dunking the head under cool water can help to soothe headaches and excess heat in the head.
Even sitting near water can help to cool you down.
Try sitting near a lake or a babbling brook out in the woods.
3. Use cooling, soothing essential oils
Some of my favorite summertime essential oils include:
rose
sandalwood
lavender
peppermint
jatamansi
Remember that most essential oils should be diluted in a carrier oil (such as coconut or sesame oil) before being applied to the skin. Essential oils are intense and can burn the skin and mucous membranes if not diluted.
This blog deals with the external use of essential oils. Please do not ingest essential oils.
Rose
Rose essential oil keeps the heart open and allows a connection to all things, with a sense of being secure and spiritually attuned. (Miller & Miller, 285).
Pure rose essential oil is expensive, but some lovely diluted rose essential oils are available. Anima Mundi sells my current favorite: Rose Otto.
I apply a drop of Rose Otto to my heart because it is nourishing and heart-opening.
When I'm suffering from the heat in the summer, I'll add a few drops of rose essential oil and 2 cups of milk to my lukewarm bath.
Rose is a natural refrigerant and cools the body down immediately.
Benefits of Rose essential oil include (Miller & Miller, 285-286):
reduces anger and frustration
improves liver function
eases menopause symptoms
reduces pitta-type inflammation
alleviates skin allergies of a pitta nature
can be used in cases of:
amenorrhea
dysmenorrhea
dizziness
mental illness
headache
depression
sore throat
aged skin
impotence
grief
nervousness
acne
Sandalwood
Sandalwood oil is cooling as it keeps you grounded and helps reduce fear (Miller & Miller, 290).
Sandalwood oil is used for spiritual practices as well.
Apply a dab of sandalwood oil to the third eye point, the point above and between the eyebrows, before meditating to aid in focus and concentration during your practice.
Benefits of sandalwood essential oil include (Miller & Miller, 290):
antibacterial
helps reprogram the brain
builds the endocrine (hormonal) system
eases venereal diseases
regulates the uterus
reduces nervousness and anxiety
eases bronchitis
diminishes palpitations
alleviates insomnia
helps with sunstroke
soothes dry skin
lessens nausea
clears acne
ameliorates depression
alleviates impotence
Lavender
Lavender essential oil is an all-around excellent essential oil because it has many medicinal uses (Miller & Miller, 263) beyond cooling.
I carry lavender oil when I travel to use it in case of burns, bug bites, skin irritations, and sunburn.
Uses for lavender essential oil include (Miller & Miller, 263-264):
anxiety and stress
depression
anger and irritability
reducing hypertension
lowering fever
burns
insect bites
wounds
eczema and other skin issues
rheumatism
nerve issues
headaches (rub on temples)
fungal infections (athlete's foot, vaginitis)
motion sickness
insomnia
mood swings
dry skin
water retention
dandruff
hair loss
flu, colds, and bronchitis
Peppermint
Peppermint is excellent for easing pitta dosha and cooling the body and mind (Miller & Miller, 282).
Uses for peppermint essential oil (Miller & Miller, 282):
headaches especially heat-related (rub on temples)
stimulant for depression or lethargy
revitalization (use this when your energy is flagging)
antiseptic
expectoration of mucus (inhalation in steam)
cools the body (mix in milk and add to bath water)
digestive upset
fever, colds, sore throat, and laryngitis
nervous agitation
dysmenorrhea
asthma
I carry peppermint oil when I travel to help clear my sinuses in polluted areas. I'll add some to a bowl of boiled water, cover my head with a towel, and inhale the steam.
Remember that peppermint oil is quite intense, avoid using it directly on the skin.
Jatamansi
Jatamansi (sometimes spelled jatamamsi) is one of my favorite essential oils. It is beneficial for reducing aggravated vata and pitta doshas in the mind.
Jatamansi (or Indian Spikenard) is an endangered plant. Look for sources that are cultivating it and harvesting it sustainably.
I apply jatamansi to the soles of my feet to help cool my mind and body.
Uses for Jatamansi essential oil (Pole, 200):
nervousness
Parkinson's disease
insomnia
cools an exhausted and hot nervous system
clears pitta
increased intellect
mental clarity
headaches
hypertension
flatulence
bloating
peristalsis
nervous skin disorders, including burning and itching sensations
brain rejuvenation
4. Avoid the hottest part of the day
From 10 am to 2 pm, pitta dosha is predominant in the external environment making this the hottest time of day.
Avoid going outside in the hot sun during this time.
Soak your feet in a tub of cool water with one of the essential oils listed above during this time of day to help get relief from the heat.
Dunk the entire body in a lake, river, ocean, or pool away from the direct sun, if possible.
Sip soothing, cooling herbal teas or coconut water between 10 am to 2 pm during the summer.
5. Utilize cooling breathing techniques
Hissing Breath: Seetkari Pranayama
Often known as the "hissing breath," this breathing technique helps to cool the body (Swatmarama, 243).
Benefits of the Hissing Breath (Swatmarama, 243-248):
cools the body
cools the tongue and reduces the blood temperature as it leaves the lungs
heat in the reproductive and excretory organs is reduced
regulates hormonal secretions
balances the endocrine system
makes one virile and attractive
gives control of the mechanisms of the body
stabilizes the mind
deepens the mind/body connection
discourages a lack of motivation
reduces the need for eating, drinking, and sleeping
increases sattva (goodness and purity of the mind--leads to enlightenment)
Contraindications:
chronic constipation (Swatmarama, 244)
extreme cold (Kripalu, 3.28)
excess vata dosha or kapha dosha (Kripalu, 3.28)
How to do the Hissing Breath (Swatmarama, 243-244)
Sit in a comfortable position with the spine elongated
Close the eyes, or look at a spot 2-3 feet in front of you
Hands can be on the knees, using a mudra, if you know one
With the lower and upper teeth pressed together, separate the lips
Slowly breathe in through the gaps in the teeth
Observe the sound of the breath
When the inhalation is finished, close the lips and exhale through the nose
Start with 8 rounds and work your way up to twenty rounds
The Cooling Breath: Sheetali Pranayama
Sheetali has multiple meanings in Sanskrit, it means "cooling" and also "calm," "unemotional," and "without passion. (Swatmarama, 249)"
The Cooling Breath not only cools the body but also the mind (Swatmarama, 249), and can be used after heating breathing practices or anytime during the day (Swatmarama, 250).
Benefits of the Cooling Breath (Swatmarama, 249-251)
lessens an enlarged stomach or spleen
reduces fever
regulates bile
decreases hunger and thirst
counteracts poisons
cools the mind
cools the body
purifies blood
improves digestion
alleviates high blood pressure
soothes the nervous system
Contraindications:
in excessive cold (Swatmarama, 251)
high vata dosha or kapha dosha (Kripalu, 3.28)
How to do the Cooling Breath
Sit in a comfortable position with the spine elongated
Close the eyes, or look at a spot 2-3 feet in front of you
Hands can be on the knees, using a mudra, if you know one
Stick out the tongue
Roll up the sides of the tongue so it forms a tube
Slowly breathe in through the tongue as if you were sucking through a straw
After the inhalation is finished, breathe out through the nose
Start with 9 rounds and work up to 10 minutes
If you can't roll your tongue, stick with the Seetkari breath above.
5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer That You May Not Know
This summer, remember these 5 ways to stay cool and use them to help prevent irritability and frustration from the heat.
Eat cooling foods
Spend time in or near water
Use cooling, soothing essential oils
Avoid the hottest part of the day
Utilize cooling breathing techniques
If you need help finding balance in your life, book a consultation.
Muktibodhananda, Swami, and Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Light on Hatha Yoga. 3rd ed., Yoga Publications Trust, 1998.
Kripalu Center. "Foundations of Āyurveda." 2019. PDF.
Miller, Dr. Light ND, and Dr. Bryan Miller DC. Ayurveda and Aromatherapy: The Earth Essential Guide to Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing. 1st ed., Lotus Press, 1995.