5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer Naturally with Ayurveda

Summer brings long days, golden light, and abundant energy.

Yet, for many women—especially after 40—it can also bring discomfort.

Hot flashes, restless nights, irritability, and digestive flare-ups often feel sharper in summer’s heat.

Ayurveda, the ancient science of life, explains this beautifully.

Summer is ruled by Pitta dosha, the energy of fire and water.

When Pitta becomes aggravated, the body and mind can feel overheated—both literally and emotionally.

The good news?

Ayurvedic cooling tips are gentle, practical tools to restore balance.

In this post, I’ll share 5 ways to stay cool in the summer using Ayurveda.

These tips go beyond “drink water and stay in the shade”—they help you find summer heat relief for body, mind, and spirit.

• Why Staying Cool in Summer Matters for Your Health

• 5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer with Ayurveda

• 1. Choose Cooling Foods for Summer

• 2. Spend Time in or Near Water

• 3. Practice Cooling Breathwork

• 4. Use Cooling, Soothing Essential Oils

• 5. Avoid the Hottest Part of the Day

• Align Lifestyle with Ayurveda Summer Tips

• Beyond the Basics: Cultivating a Cooling Mindset

• Integrating Ayurveda into Your Summer Life

• FAQs: 5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer

• Gentle Next Steps

Why Staying Cool in Summer Matters for Your Health

When the mercury rises, your body works harder to maintain balance.

Summer heat can dry out the skin, weaken digestion, and disrupt sleep.

Many women notice increased irritability, headaches, or skin flare-ups during hot months (EasyAyurveda).

From an Ayurvedic perspective, this is the impact of excess Pitta dosha—too much heat in the system.

That’s why summer heat relief is more than comfort; it’s a foundation for long-term health.

Keep reading to explore the 5 ways to stay cool in the summer.

Learn more about the Symptoms of Pitta Out of Balance in this post.

Understanding Pitta Dosha in Summer

In Ayurveda, Pitta is composed of fire and water.

It governs digestion, metabolism, and transformation.

In balance, Pitta gives us sharp intelligence, radiant skin, and strong digestion.

But when Pitta is aggravated—common in the hot summer season—it manifests as:

• Irritability and frustration

• Overheating, hot flashes, or flushed skin

• Restless or disturbed sleep

• Loose digestion or acid reflux

For women 40+, hormonal changes can magnify these symptoms, making summer especially challenging.

This is why learning to balance Pitta in summer is essential.

Check out this free downloadable worksheet:

Is My Pitta Out of Balance?

5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer with Ayurveda

Now let’s explore five deeply nourishing, practical Ayurvedic tips for summer.

These practices are simple yet profound, drawn from the wisdom of Ayurveda and enriched with personal experience.

1. Choose Cooling Foods for Summer

Food is one of Ayurveda’s most powerful medicines and one of the 5 ways to stay cool in the summer discussed in this post.

In summer, the guiding principle is to favor cooling foods for summer—those that pacify Pitta.

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, and asparagus

• cooling herbal teas such as rose, lavender, hibiscus, peppermint, fennel, and coriander

• other cooling beverages like coconut water, cow's milk, goat's milk

• 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, and 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.

I remember one particularly hot July afternoon when I craved ice cream but instead reached for fresh watermelon.

The relief was immediate—not only physical but emotional, too.

The sweet taste carries a soothing, grounding energy that nourishes both body and spirit.

Learn more about the 3 Tastes That Pacify Pitta Dosha in this post.

2. Spend Time in or Near Water

Pitta dosha is soothed by being in or near cool water.

Ayurvedic cooling tips include being in water or even just beside 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. Practice Cooling Breathwork

Breath is one of Ayurveda’s most direct ways to balance heat and one of the 5 ways to stay cool in the summer discussed in this post.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Muktibodhananda & Saraswati, 1998) describes cooling pranayamas like Sheetali and Seetkari.

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.

Just a few minutes of cooling breathwork can calm irritability and restore clarity.

I still recall practicing Sitkari on a rooftop in Kathmandu as the city shimmered in intense heat.

My body softened, my mind steadied.

Explore more about Yoga poses and breathing practices that soothe Pitta dosha in this post.

Download this free, easy reference guide, Breathe to Cool, that you can keep by your bedside.

4. 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 diluted oil 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

5. 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.

Learn more about cooling Pitta dosha with this free downloadable Cooling Bedtime Rituals Worksheet.

Align Lifestyle with Ayurveda Summer Tips

Finally, align your whole lifestyle with Ayurveda summer tips:

• Wake early, before the sun’s intensity rises.

• Take gentle walks in the cool morning or evening.

• Avoid strenuous midday activity.

• Practice Abhyanga (self-massage) with coconut or Brahmi oil for cooling nourishment.

Abhyanga is one of my favorite practices to recommend.

I massage my feet with coconut oil or ghee before bed—cooling the body, calming the mind, and soothing restless energy.

Beyond the Basics: Cultivating a Cooling Mindset

Ayurveda reminds us that true balance is not only physical—it’s mental and emotional, too.

Summer heat often stirs impatience, irritability, or the urge to “do more.”

Cultivating a mind-body cooling practice might mean:

• Journaling in the evening light

• Practicing gentle restorative yoga

• Choosing patience and surrender over pushing

One summer evening, I sat watching the sun set behind oak trees, restless from the day’s heat.

As the sky shifted to dusky pink, I felt a reminder: summer is not only about intensity—it’s about softening into rhythm.

This is the deeper teaching of Ayurveda.

Integrating Ayurveda into Your Summer Life

The beauty of Ayurveda is that it doesn’t demand perfection.

It asks only for awareness.

By weaving in even one of these Ayurvedic tips for summer, you’ll notice shifts—in digestion, sleep, and emotional balance.

Try this: choose one cooling food, one herbal infusion, or one breath practice to explore this week.

Notice how your body and spirit respond.

FAQs: 5 Ways to Stay Cool in the Summer

Gentle Next Steps

Summer doesn’t need to feel overwhelming.

Small changes, like these 5 ways to stay cool in the summer create ripple effects in health and well-being.

If you’d like to go deeper, I invite you to book a consultation with me.

Together, we can create a personalized summer plan that brings balance, beauty, and ease.

🌿 Explore related posts:

• Abhyanga: The Art of Ayurvedic Self-Massage

• Cooling Summer Soups for Pitta Season

• Ayurveda Tips for a Restful Summer Night

References

• 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.