Summer is finally here !
The highlight of the year, the summer season brings with it heat, long evenings outside, music, fireworks and other festivities.
How good it is to be able to enjoy the sun and a few days of vacation to take a real break. In any case, it is too heavy to work or to engage in too intense activities.
But be careful, the Pitta dosha (fire and water) increases sharply in this season. Responsible for digestion and transformations, you will have to take care of it to keep it in balance and have a great summer.
Sticky, dripping sweat, red skin and irascibility: for some, excessive heat can be difficult to bear. They dry out bodies and hearts: anger, impatience and irritation come out in the summer.
To counter the excesses of Pitta, “let's balance the opposites”, a very simple and yet full of common sense rule specific to Ayurveda.
Calm, rest, freshness will therefore be the watchwords for enjoying the summer while maintaining good energy, without burning your wings.
But first, is it really summer where you live?
It's hard to be wrong: when temperatures rise above 25°C for long periods and the sky is clear, summer has arrived.
You can then adopt your summer routine!
Summer routine
In summer, the sun gives us beautiful, bright evenings. You can shift your schedule a little and go to bed and get up a little later than usual, without exaggerating.
If you feel tired during the day, take a little nap in the shade.
Avoid the hottest hours of the day, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., at the risk of getting sunburn and sunstroke.
In summer, you can sleep on your right side to avoid compressing the heart and lungs, already put to the test by the heat.
If you can, go on vacation and spend time with your loved ones.
If you have to work, set up a little routine that excludes efforts – physical or intellectual – that are too intense to spare yourself.
Energy levels are quite low in summer, so relax!
Sweet and refreshing dishes to enjoy the flavors of summer
In summer, the heat puts a strain on the body and it is through a gentle and refreshing diet that we can counterbalance its effects. So avoid anything that is too spicy, salty, acidic, heavy or fatty and focus on sweet, bitter and astringent foods.
In the morning, you can start the day on an empty stomach with a glass of lukewarm water into which you have poured a few drops of lemon juice. It’s an excellent way to boost “agni”, the digestive fire.
The heartiest meal must be lunch. Avoid eating too heavy in the evening, at the risk of having a restless night.
Eat your meals calmly and coolly, concentrate on what you are eating, taking particular care to chew your food well.
It's the season for raw vegetables garnished with fresh herbs, mixed salads, picnics and aperitifs where you eat with your fingers!
Summer only lasts so long so take advantage of vegetables with a high water content and seasonal herbs:
- Grated carrots
- Cucumber
- Germinated seeds
- Green salad like lettuce, romaine, mesclun
- Spinach shoots
- The Basilic
- Mint
- Coriander
- Parsley
Also to be enjoyed after steaming:
- Broccoli
- The courgette
- Green beans
- Sweet potato
- Fennel
To accompany them, you can prepare rice, an ideal cereal for summer because it is very easy to digest. So you don't get bored, you can also cook semolina, quinoa, bulgur, chickpeas or coral lentils.
Summer is also the season of abundant sun-drenched fruits. Red fruits, peaches, apricots, cherries, melon, watermelon, etc. It is recommended to enjoy them outside of meals so as not to disrupt digestion.
And finally: drink, drink, drink!
Water, fresh fruit juices, warm herbal infusions.
Consume in moderation: industrial drinks that are too acidic or drinks that are too cold, a real blow to the stomach.
Protect your body from heat
In summer, the skin becomes bare. Dresses are worn shorter and lighter, the sun's rays bathe us in their light.
Enjoying the sun without damaging your body, this is the challenge we face this season!
The skin and eyes are particularly sensitive to excess heat and exposure to the sun, avoid going outside between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. or protect yourself with complete equipment: full-screen sunscreen or clothing with sleeves. and long legs, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. You know you'll regret not doing it!
At the end of the day after showering, refresh your skin with aloe vera and moisturize it with coconut oil.
You can diffuse essential oils of rose, sandalwood, jasmine or vetiver while you use the bathroom to benefit from their refreshing properties.
As for the wardrobe, wear light colors like white, blue, green or lightly colored like pink, yellow and orange. Choose natural materials like cotton and linen which are more pleasant to wear when you sweat.
Gentler and more peaceful physical activities
If you absolutely want to do running or other intense physical activities, choose very early mornings or evenings when it's cool. With a little luck, the path will be yours alone!
If the heat becomes unbearable, jump into a lake, the sea or the swimming pool! The water element is very calming. If you pass a waterfall, stop for a moment to meditate.
For your yoga practice, it's time to slow down. During the session, we will favor postures close to the ground, twisting to facilitate digestion or bending legs apart to cool down.
Here are 12 postures for a peaceful summer yoga practice:
- Upward facing dog – urdhva mukha svanasana
- Crescent Moon Pose - Anjaneyasana
- Half split pose – ardha hanumanasana
- Inverted warrior pose – viparita virabhadrasana
- Side lunge - skandasana
- The pyramid - parshvottanasana
- Downward facing dog - adho mukha shvanasana
- Pigeon pose – eka pada rajakapotasana
- The garland – malasana
- Diving heart - anahatasana
In high heat, it is important to rethink your yoga practice to avoid overheating or even discomfort!
Cultivate gratitude
Summer, season of abundance.
Take a moment to appreciate the fruits of your labor and effort.
Santosha, one of the 5 personal observances of yogis, designates contentment in all things.
This is the right time to nurture it: cultivate your gratitude by admiring the spectacle that nature offers, appreciate feeling alive and being able to contemplate so much beauty.
Also take advantage of this to simplify your life and resist “more is better”.
Learn to disconnect for real
Do you spend your vacations with your cell phone in your pocket and work problems on your mind?
What if for once, you learned to say no, take a real vacation and unplug everything?
To restart better, it is important to clear your mind, to find yourself again.
So leave your computer in its case and don't give in to the temptation to take it with you on vacation.
The only electronic device allowed is your camera, for memories and family albums.
Take advantage of this timeless moment to take care of yourself and your well-being.
Discover our other Ayurvedic routines:
Discover here our eco-responsible yoga outfits made in France from recycled materials, perfectly suited to practicing all types of yoga!
And so as not to miss any news from Géopélie, subscribe to our newsletter here at the bottom of the page 👇 we only send a maximum of two per month!
Sources:
Leave a comment