Summer is a season of light, play, and outward expansion; but it also brings heat, intensity, and the potential for burnout if we don’t pace ourselves. In Ayurveda, this is the time of Pitta dosha, ruled by fire and water. To enjoy summer with clarity and ease, we turn to practices that cool the body, calm the mind, and support digestion.
When the outer heat rises, it’s vital to reduce inner heat. Ayurveda recommends foods that are light, hydrating, and soothing.
Eat for Cooling, Not Just Craving
Favor:
- Seasonal fruits (watermelon, pear, grapes, mango)
- Coconut, cucumbers, zucchini, bitter greens
- Cilantro, mint, fennel, coriander, rose
- Basmati rice, mung dal, light soups, and herb teas
Limit:
- Sour, salty, spicy, oily, and fried foods
- Onions, garlic, tomatoes, coffee, and alcohol
✨ Cooling Favorite: Add a spoon of this Fresh Cilantro Chutney to your summer meals for digestive support and a burst of freshness.
Cilantro Chutney
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 tbp of coconut flakes
- ½ inch fresh ginger
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch of mineral salt
Blend until smooth. Use within 2–3 days. Excellent with kitchari, summer veggies, or grain bowls.
Hydration is a sacred ritual in summer. Rather than just water, Ayurveda suggests herbal infusions that cool, calm, and clarify.
🌿 Sip Calm: Herbal Elixirs & Infusions
🌸 Hibiscus Rose Elixir
A heart-opening herbal drink that supports liver, skin and mood.
❄️ Śīta Kāṣāya (Cooling Infusion)
This simple Ayurvedic practice involves steeping herbs without boiling; extracting their cooling properties gently.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp rose petals (or a few drops rose water)
- Optional: 1 mint leaf or pinch of licorice root
Instructions:
- Soak all ingredients in 1–2 cups room-temperature water overnight (or at least 4–6 hours).
- Strain in the morning.
- Sip cool or at room temperature throughout the day.
✨ Benefits: Calms Pitta, supports digestion, soothes the liver, uplifts the heart.
Ease into movement with practices that soothe the nervous system and release heat.
🧘🏽♀️ Move Mindfully: Cooling Yoga for Summer
Best postures:
- Child’s Pose, Seated Forward Bends
- Gentle Twists
- Supported Backbends
- Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall)
- Moon Salutations 🌙
Breathwork: Practice Sheetali or Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril) to cool and center.
🧴 Ayurvedic Rituals to Ground and Restore
Summer asks us to slow down and find softness. Create space in your day for grounding rituals:
- Abhyanga (self-massage) with coconut, brahmi, or sandalwood oil
- Rose water mist on the face and heart
- Wearing white, blue, or pastel shades
- Journaling or quiet reflection by water
- Evening moon gazing or a cool shower
✨ Tip: Apply vetiver oil or rose oil over the heart and temples before rest.
Let Rest Be Your Ritual
True summer radiance isn’t found in doing more—it’s in honoring your inner rhythm.
- Schedule white space in your calendar
- Take one screen-free day per week
- Choose silence or a Yoga Nidra practice over constant stimulation
- Sleep by 10 PM to help Pitta reset overnight
✨ Mantra for the Season:
“I release the heat of striving and return to the cool ease of being.”
Whether you’re near the sea, teaching your community, or tending to your own healing—may these practices bring peace, pleasure, and presence to your summer days.
Let Ayurveda and Yoga remind you: balance doesn’t mean withdrawal. It means knowing how to move with the season—softly, wisely, and beautifully.