During Summer when the heat is on, everyone will experience an increase in Pitta dosha. How that manifests is completely unique person to person, since we all have our own personal combination of the 3 doshas in our constitution, and of course, our own unique life experiences. Those with more Pitta dosha already are more likely to experience imbalance during Summer.
How does Summertime affect the body?
Our digestive system actually becomes its weakest during Summer. Heat disperses away from our core out to the extremities to prevent us from overheating. Kaphas & Vatas will appreciate this, as they typically run cool, but Pittas will need to put more practices in place to assure they don’t burn up & out.
Our microbiome starts to shift to accommodate better carbohydrate digestion. This allows us to be satisfied & better utilize the energy of the lighter foods that Summer naturally offers like those sweet fruits ~ all those Summer juicy fruits have been ‘cooked’ on the vine to make it easier to process for our cooler digestion. Nature has it all planned out in divine synchronicity!
Also dine on plenty of Summer veggies, whole grains, and legumes. For non-vegetarians ~ leaner, lighter dairy options & white meat or fish are the better choices. Rich foods in the Summer can overburden the weaker digestion.
How does this affect the mind?
Summer welcomes in high activity and adventure creating a lot of movement and an expansive quality. This can easily frazzle the ungrounded Vata types, and some Pittas, but this is a great time for Kapha to offset any heavy, sluggish energy.
The excess heat in the environment will definitely fire up Pitta types and truly anyone that gets overheated and could lead to agitation, anger, and simply, losing their cool.
Making sure you take the time and steps to properly chill out - body, mind, and spirit - will provide you with a smooth transition into this season of the Fire element.
For more ways to find balance in Summer check out my blog on Keeping Cool During the Summer.
Stay tuned ~ I will be sharing several different ways to naturally offset the excess heat this Summer.