Pitta Season
Pitta season is here, we are seeing increased temperatures and humidity - all of which can aggravate the fire quality of Pitta. Moving from Kapha season to Pitta, requires some changes in our foods and practices.
Kapha, being comprised of Earth and Water elements, brings about sluggishness and stagnation in our bodies. We were combating that with warming and diaphoretic (channel opening) foods, herbs, and essential oils. This was to open things up to allow for the release of accumulated toxins from Vata season. To clear out the excess mucus from the stomach and respiratory system, the two “seats” of Kapha, or areas where the excess dosha tends to accumulate.
Pitta is represented by the Fire and Water elements, and is from the Sanskrit word “tapa”, or to heat and become hot. Ayurvedically, like attracts like and opposites balance, so we need to understand the qualities of Pitta to shift into balance. Pitta is: sharp, hot, oily, light, liquid, spreading, and sour. In terms of taste, we need to focus on sweet, bitter, and astringent. The sweet rasa(taste), helps to mitigate the sharp, sour, and hot quality of Pitta. Astringent taste aids in the absorption of the oily and spreading qualities. Bitter taste is very important to further support the raktavaha srotas, or our blood and circulation channels. This is a place where excess Pitta will accumulate, by keeping our blood cool, we avoid allowing excess Pitta dosha to accumulate in the “seats” of Pitta, which are the liver and small intestine.
Out of balance Pitta can cause many different symptoms in our minds and bodies. This can look like:
Anger, jealousy, envy
Frustration and irritability
Sharp, judgmental and critical mind
Body odor
Acid reflux and indigestion
Loose stool
Redness of the skin and/or rashes
Burning red eyes
Overall inflammation
The way we can balance for this is by shifting our diets, routines and practices to cool ourselves and avoid the flames of Pitta from burning us out. We need to favor cooling foods and practices that are rich in “soma”, or lunar and cooling energy. This means more seasonal foods like: cucumber, watermelon, coconut, zucchini, and summer squash. Soma is the fuel for our Agni, or digestive fire. Soma is the cosmic lunar principle, and Agni is the cosmic solar principle. Their proportions in our bodies are equal. If our Agni is still diminished from Kapha season, we can help to increase it by introducing more Soma during Pitta season.
Shift towards a more alkaline diet to balance the acidity of Pitta.
Try to do warm lime water in the mornings instead of lemon.
Increase your intake of dark leafy greens like kale and cilantro, which have alternative, or blood cleansing properties.
Avoid being in the midday sun. Seek shade and use sun protection.
Add some aloe vera and rose water into your skin care routine.
Adjust your exercise to less strenuous, more methodical options. Think hiking in nature over running.
A slower, more meditative asana practice.
Chandra seva – moonlight therapy. If you feel the effects of Pitta overwhelming you, a nice walk in the moonlight can help increase that cooling, lunar energy.
Sheetali Pranayama. Sheetali is known as the cooling breath, and is a very simple, quick way to cool our body when we feel physically or emotionally overheated. This is done by sticking out your tongue and curling it into a tube shape, inhaling a breath in through the tube you have created. Notice the feeling of cool air. Bring the tongue back into the mouth, and exhale through the nose. Repeat as many times as needed.
To help our guests at Kosa make this shift from Kapha, to Pitta season, we are adjusting our menu. Our CCF blend will now have the standard Cumin, Coriander and Fennel seeds, with the addition of Rose and Milk Thistle. Rose is energetically cooling and Milk Thistle has many phytochemicals that protect the health of the blood and liver. Our herbal infusion will have Hibiscus, Lemon Balm, Licorice Root and Ashoka. Garnished with lime and mint leaves. Hibiscus and Ashoka work on the physical and subtle heart(Sadhaka Pitta). Lemon Balm helps to calm and cool the overactive Pitta mind, while Licorice Root’s heavy and sweet qualities help to cool and balance.
Our base oil should now be Sunflower Oil, doshic specific changes can be added per the needs of our guest. Table warmers should start on low and hot towels should be cooled more before application to the skin. Any guests that we know to be of more Pitta constitution or imbalanced, should be advised to take precautions when using the steam and sauna, (drinking more fluids, using the rosewater provided, and alternating with a cool rinse as needed.)
