Due to the prevailing heatwave conditions, Delhi and the neighbouring areas will not be getting any relief from the intense summer heat in the upcoming days. When the temperature rises to 45 degrees or above, our bodies have to work harder to stay at the proper temperature. According to Ayurveda, Greeshma Ritu may cause excessive heat, dryness, perspiration, and dehydration. Additionally, it raises Pitta dosha, which often aids in hormone and emotional regulation, and decreases immunity.
During this season, Ayurveda advises drinking water flavoured with fennel, coriander, or mint leaves and consuming foods that balance Pitta, such cucumbers and melon. In addition to massaging the body with coconut oil and soothing the skin with sandalwood paste, practicing Sheetali Pranayama can also assist chill the body.
Ayurveda tips to cope with summer heat
1. Stay hydrated with Ayurvedic drinks
Drink a lot of water flavoured with herbs, such as mint leaves, coriander seeds, or fennel seeds. To stay hydrated and cool, you can also sip on buttermilk (lassi), aam panna, bael juice (stone apple), or coconut water.
2. Include pitta-pacifying foods:
Consume meals that have sweet, bitter, and astringent flavours to balance your Pitta dosha. Cucumbers, melons, leafy greens, asparagus and zucchini are a few examples.
3. Use cooling spices:
Add reviving spices to your food, such as mint, coriander, and fennel. You can add these spices to cuisine or drink them as tea to help reduce body heat.
4. Aloe vera application:
On your skin, use a fresh aloe vera gel. When applied topically, aloe vera’s natural cooling qualities calm and chill the body.
5. Practice Pranayama:
Use the cooling Sheetali breathing method. Breathe in through your mouth, hold it for a short while, and then release the breath through your nose after rolling your tongue into a tube. This aids in the body’s cooling down. Alternate nostril breathing, or anulom vilayam, balances the body’s energy and soothes the mind, encouraging a feeling of inner serenity and tranquilly.
In the same way, the practice of Chandrabhedi Pranayama, or breathing via the left nostril, helps release surplus heat from the body and creates a calming effect that touches the body and the soul. Including these traditional methods in your daily routine promotes mental and emotional harmony as well as physical relief from the summer heat, making for a peaceful and revitalising experience even on the hottest days.
6. Coconut oil massage:
Use coconut oil to do an Abhyanga, or self-massage. Because of its cooling qualities, rubbing coconut oil into the skin can help lower body temperature.
7. Use sandalwood paste:
On your forehead and chest, apply a paste consisting of sandalwood powder and rose water. The body responds coolly and pleasantly to sandalwood.
8. Consume amla (Indian gooseberry):
Amla is high in vitamin C and is renowned for its cooling qualities. It can be eaten raw, as a juice, or as a powder that is combined with water.
9. Wear cooling crystals:
Wearing calming gemstones, such as pearl or moonstone, can assist maintain body temperature and regulate Pitta. It is thought that the body is cooled by these stones.
10. Avoid peak sun hours:
Ayurveda says that staying out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. can help prevent overheating.
