Stay Cool in the Summer

In the yogic tradition, summer is said to have a pitta dosha. Pitta is associated with the element of fire, and its qualities are hot, penetrating, moist, bright and sharp – kind of like a sunny, humid summer afternoon in Tennessee.

Summer is a time to laze around like our smart kitty. According to the ancients who studied yoga, it's a time for a diet which emphasizes sweet tastes and has a lot of cool liquids.

Avoid too much exercise. (My husband says you should move only enough to assure that all sides of your body are reached by the fan.) (But you don’t have to go that far – he sure doesn’t!)

Enjoy forests, gardens, flowers and cool water. Drink more liquids. Eat cooling foods like cucumber, peas, carrots, watermelon and other melons, blueberries and coconut. Eat less citrus, olives, spicy and greasy foods, red wine and sweets.

When you drink a cool drink, don’t use too much ice – too much can slow metabolism.

You can practice cooling breaths like the lunar breath or sitali.

Keep your eyes cool, wear sunglasses, and avoid too much computer use. If your eyes are tired, soak a cotton pad in rose water and place over your closed eyes, or “palm” the eyes.

Wear hats to keep your head cool. Wear loose, cotton clothing in light colors.

If you have a place to swim, enjoy that. You can also mist your face or take a cool shower to cool off your skin.

Slow down. Walk slower, drive slower, rest on your porch. Stay cool!

Thanks to Kellen Brugman of Fair Havens Yoga in Nashville for information in this article. Her more complete article is in the summer issue of “Salutation,” a publication of the Yoga Society of Nashville, www.yogasocietynashville.org.