Summer Guide
Maximize Your Summer Health
Constitution Specific Suggestions for a Cool & Blissful Pitta
Season
Light. Fire. Heat. Intensity. Its summertime! Do you worship long days of bright sunlight? Do you welcome a
renewed feeling of lightness and expansive consciousness? Maybe you just cant get enough of the hot summer
temperatures. Or, do you dread the heat and go out of your way to avoid the summer sun? Perhaps a dark, airconditioned movie theater is more your speed on a hot, summer day.
Summer, like each of the seasons, arrives with its own distinct personality. Depending on your constitution,
summer may increase your internal sense of harmony, or it may aggravate one of your innate tendencies. For
example, a hot-natured individual who prefers a cool climate may love the winter, but will feel hotter than most
to the point of discomfort as the heat of summer intensifies. On the other hand, someone with chronically cold
hands and feet, who never seems to be able to stay warm in the winter months, will experience exactly the
opposite: long, cold winters will be a challenge and s/he will relish the heat of summer. But the seasons need not be
an intrinsic source of fluctuating dread and euphoria.
One of the fundamental principles of Ayurveda is that our habits, routines, and dietary choices should ebb and flow
with the seasons. We can support an improved state of balance throughout the year by making a conscious effort to
live in harmony with the cycles of nature and by regularly adjusting our lifestyle and habits to accommodate the
arrival of each new season. While this idea may at first seem daunting, many people find that the recommended
seasonal adjustments come quite naturally and that a few simple changes can dramatically increase health and
vitality.
In Ayurveda, it is said that like increases like and that opposites balance; this helps to explain why summertime
stirs something different in each of us. If you know your constitution, you can actually take even more personalized
steps to harmonize your internal landscape with the changing nature of the seasons.
If you are unsure of your Ayurvedic body type, try this Banyan Botanicals questionnaire to help you determine
your constitution.
Summer: The Pitta Season
The most striking characteristics of summer the heat, the long days of bright sun, the sharp intensity, and the
transformative nature of the season are directly in line with pitta, which is why summer is considered a pitta
season. And, despite the fact that some climates are exceptionally humid this time of year, the cumulative effect of
intense heat is to dry things out, so summer is also considered dry. On a more subtle level, summer is a time of
expansion and mobility traits more characteristic of vata. While there is plenty to celebrate about summers
unique personality, its possible to have too much of a good thing. A summer seasonal routine is aimed at fostering
diet and lifestyle habits that will help to prevent the over-accumulation of summer qualities and allow you to enjoy
the unique gifts that summertime has to offer.
Negotiating a Blissful Summer: General Recommendations for
the Pitta Season
Your primary focus through the summer months will be to keep pitta balanced by staying cool, mellowing intensity
with relaxation, and grounding your energy. It may also be helpful to learn to recognize early signs of pitta
imbalance so that you can take steps to address those quickly, if they arise. But summer has some distinctly vata
characteristics as well, so youll also want to stay hydrated, foster stability, and balance vatas natural
expansiveness and mobility with quiet, restful activities. The following recommendations for pitta are appropriate
for most people during the summer. For additional considerations specific to your constitution, see the sections
addressing each of the seven Ayurvedic body types below.
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
Vata-Pitta & Pitta-Vata
Pitta-Kapha & Kapha-Pitta
Vata-Kapha & Kapha Vata
Vata-Pitta-Kapha
Pitta Season Diet
During the summer, our bodies naturally crave light foods and small meals that are easy to digest because the
digestive fire a strong source of internal heat disperses in order to help keep us cool. 1 Being fully present with
your meals while savoring the flavor and texture of your food will help minimize the risk of overeating. Summer is
a time to favor the sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and to relish in cool, liquid, even slightly oily foods. This is
the best time of year to enjoy fresh fruits and salads. It is also a great time to indulge in sweet dairy products such
as milk, butter, ghee, cottage cheese, fresh homemade yogurt, and even ice cream on occasion. All unrefined
sweeteners except honey and molasses are cooling and can be enjoyed in moderation during the summer months.
In the way of beverages to beat the heat, enjoy cool or room temperature water infused with mint or lime and a
little raw sugar, a sweet lassi, cooling herbal teas such as peppermint, licorice, fennel or rose, or an occasional
beer. Iced drinks are best avoided; they disturb the digestive fire and create toxins in the body.
Go easy on sour or unripe fruits, aged cheeses, and heating vegetables and spices such as carrots, beets, radishes,
onions, garlic, ginger, and mustard seeds. Try to avoid extremely spicy foods like chilies or cayenne pepper
altogether. Also keep in mind that raw vegetables (as in salads) will be better digested if they are eaten at lunch,
rather than at dinner.
Below is a list of some ideal summer foods:3
Fruits to Favor
Apples
Grapes
Plums
Avocados
Limes
Pomegranates
Berries
Mangoes
Prunes
Cherries
Melons
Coconut
Pears
Cranberries
Pineapples
Veg
etab
les
to
Fav
or
Artichokes
Cauliflower
Kale
Asparagus
Celery
Lettuce
Beet Greens
Chard
Okra
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Cucumbers
Watercress
Cabbage
Green Beans
Zucchini
Barley
Rice, Basmati
Wheat
Gra
ins
to
Fav
or
Leg
umes to Favor
Adzuki Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Soy Beans & Products
Black Beans
Mung Beans
Split Peas
Oils
to
Favor
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Sunflower Oil
Spi
ces & Garnishes to Favor
Basil
Coriander
Lime
Cardamom
Dill
Mint
Cilantro
Fennel
Parsley
Me
ats
to
Favor (if you eat them)
Fish (freshwater)
Poultry (white)
Shrimp
Sw
eeteners
Maple syrup
Unrefined cane sugar
Turbinado
Pitta Season Lifestyle Choices
Summertime is bursting with vibrant energy and most people find it easier to rise early in the morning at this time
of year. This is a natural and beneficial rhythm to embrace. Early morning is also the best time for exercise. Before
you bathe, massage the skin with a light coating of a pitta soothing oil, like coconut or sunflower oil, to calm the
nervous system and cool the body. Essential oils of jasmine and khus are good fragrances for the summer or you
may enjoy a rose water spritz to calm, cool, and refresh your mind.
Dressing in light, breathable clothing made of cotton or silk and favoring cooling colors like whites, grays, blues,
purples, and greens will help you counter the intensity and heat. Summer is ideal for spending time in nature, but
when you do go outside, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to shelter yourself from the intense sun. On
especially hot days, there is often an afternoon lull in energy and you may find that a short nap is beneficial.
In the evening before bed, wash and dry the feet and massage them with a light coating of brahmi oil to ground
your energy and draw the heat down. It is best to retire by 10 or 11pm to avoid an overly stimulated mind, and
lying on your right side will activate the lunar pathway in the left nostril, which is calming and cooling. Also be
aware that sexual activity, in excess, can provoke pitta and deplete energy, so cultivate moderation in this aspect of
your life during the summer months.
Pitta Season Exercise
Summer can motivate improved physical fitness and it is generally a great season to be active, provided you
exercise at appropriate times and at an appropriate intensity. Exercise is very heating and, at this time of year, is
best avoided during the heat of the day, especially from 10am 2pm. Instead, try exercising early in the morning,
when the atmosphere is crisp and cool. Its also important not to push too hard. Ideally, exercise at about 50-70%
of your capacity, breathing through your nose the entire time, if you can. Follow your workout with a drop of rose
oil to the third eye, throat, and navel to help the body cool down.
Pitta Season Yoga
Breanna, Customer Service Supervisor, takes a pitta-soothing meditation break in the Banyan garden.
Pitta is fiery and intense; you can balance the pitta season by simply adjusting your yoga practice to calm pittas
tendencies. Allow your routine to be guided by relaxed effort: move gently, fluidly, and gracefully, keeping the
gaze soft and the breath stable. Cultivate a calm inner awareness rather than pushing yourself to maximum capacity
with precision and sharp muscular effort. Check yourself frequently to ensure that youre not straining in your
practice. Focus on creating a sense of groundedness and flow rather than becoming static in the poses.
Since the solar plexus tends to hold heat, favor asanas that massage, strengthen, and wring out the abdominal
region such as cat/cow, cobra, boat, side openers, and twists. Cooling, self-referencing poses such as childs pose
and forward bends are also very beneficial during the pitta season, as are gentle flows such as moon
salutation. Always close your practice with a few minutes in shavasana to ground your energy and integrate the
benefits of practicing yoga. For instructions on any of these poses and more information on yoga most suitable to
pitta season,click here.
Herbal Support for Pitta Season
There are numerous herbs that support the healthy function of pitta that can be especially beneficial during the
summer season. Among them are: Amalaki, Brahmi, Bhumyamalaki, Guduchi, Kutki, Neem, and Shatavari. For
more information on the unique role each of these herbs play, see Balancing Pitta. Many of our herbal formulations
also provide support for pitta including Healthy Pitta, Liver Formula, Pitta Digest, Blood Cleanse, Healthy Hair,
and Mental Clarity.
References
1. Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. Churchill Livingston Elsevier, 2006.
51-52.
2. Lad, Vasant. The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies. Three Rivers Press, 1998. 64-66.
3. Douillard, John. The 3-Season Diet. Three Rivers Press, 2000. 85-86, 109-117, 130.
4. Lad, Vasant. Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing. The Ayurvedic Press, 2006. 232-238.
