Don’t fight the Summer slowdown
We’re having an unusually long Summer here in the UK. While some see it as a blessing, others are struggling just with the day-to-day. Newspaper headlines make temperature comparisons with other countries calling places “a furnace”, “frying pan” or with “blistering heat”. And a common complaint I hear people tell me in consultations is how exhausted they’re feeling.
So, what can Ayurveda teach us about how best to approach this weather to maintain our energy levels?
Ayurveda reminds us that we are a reflection of our surroundings. So just as the Summer heat depletes the Earth, we too can feel drained by it. The key is learning to work with these natural rhythms instead of against them.
Activity
Ayurveda recognises the sun as a vital source of energy. This is why exercises such as surya namaskar (sun salutation) are energy givers. Equally though, spending time in the sun is a langhana therapy, that is to say a reducing therapy.
This happens due to the Ayurvedic understanding that life is a dance of dualities and like increases like. So, excess activity in the middle of the day when the sun is at its peak is asking for trouble. We only need to look at our neighbours across the water to appreciate the importance of siestas. And in other parts of the world, Summer time means an earlier start and finish at school.
Trying to push on with the regular pace and routine like nothing’s changed won’t serve us very well. As much as is realistic, try to make the most of the cooler times of the day. This might look like shifting your exercise routine to the morning or taking a break from work in the middle of the day and completing it in the evening when it’s cooler.
Nutrition
As the Pitta energy increases in our environment, our digestive capacity can become reduced. This can show up as loss of appetite or even loose stool. For this reason, it makes sense to choose easily-digestible meals. Taxing our body with dense, heavy, spicy or hard-to-digest meals can impact our energy levels. In the protein-heavy culture we live in, now is not the time to worry ourselves about increasing protein intake (unless we’re professional athletes or on strict diets for medical reasons).
Naturally, we find that we crave juicy, watery and light foods. These are the exact type that will cool, nourish and replenish us in this heat. But don’t mistake this for iced foods. Eating or drinking iced drinks will put out the digestive fire completely, making our body work harder to bring its core temperature and digestive capabilities back to its baseline.
Instead, go for cooked meals with green vegetables added for liver support and enjoy fresh fruits. Stay hydrated with room-temperature drinks that have naturally cooling herbs and spices in them such as mint leaves, coriander seeds, licorice root or fennel seeds. I speak from experience of working with patients over the years that have felt the serious consequences of dehydration and it’s so easily done so keep a close eye on this.
Mind
It’s not just the literal temperature that impacts our comfort or biological processes though. There’s a reason why we use terms like “hot-heated” or “prickly” when describing people who are easily frustrated or angered. We associate extreme heat with intensity and pressure. Initially, this sounds fun with Summer time bringing us festivals, travel, late nights and barbecues. But stressing over work, travel itineraries or FOMO can lead us to feeling like an overheated engine. That’s exactly how I’d describe Pitta exhaustion.
Knowing when to take our foot off the pedal and factor in downtime when we’re making plans is key to maintaining our energy when the season naturally encourages rest anyway. Making rest as important as play will also help us keep our cool when we find ourselves in stressful situations. We all know the feeling of having a short fuse when we’ve not had enough sleep!
Here are some additional tips from Ayurveda to help stay cool this Summer:
Try this thirst quencher: coriander seed infused water (soak seeds in water overnight then strain and drink)
Moon salutations (chandra namaskar) is a yoga asana that has a cooling and stabilising effect on the mind and body
Prioritise sleep – late nights will aggravate Pitta dosha even more
Try this cooling breathing exercise (Sheetali) – inhale through the mouth with your tongue rolled and sitting slightly outside the mouth, then exhale through your nose with your mouth closed
Foot massages (Pada Abhyanga) using coconut oil at the end of the day are a dreamy way to get grounded but also to help release stored heat from the day
Lying with our legs up against the wall (viparita karani) is another yoga posture which can bring much-needed relief to our legs and lower back that can feel heavier than usual in this heat. It also encourages circulation back to our heart, helps reduce fatigue and supports our nervous system so that we feel rested.
Summer doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and I say this as a city-dweller. The key is to embrace the Summer slowdown and be strategic with how we take care of our energy whether that’s through our activities, what we eat and what we choose to give attention to.