With the summer solstice in late June we entered primetime fire season for the year. Temperatures are now soaring, pores are weeping, puppies are panting and everyone is looking for cooling relief. Much as the Northern Hemisphere has warmed, so has your body as it embarks on a natural cleansing process in summer, providing an opportunity to reset for the coming winter months when heartiness and healthfulness will be paramount.
The sun basking through your window lures you to bathe in extended daylight but the greatest challenge in summer is to gauge our internal compass for heat tolerability. Not everyone experiences 90 degrees in the same way and this time of year is particularly challenging for those with a lot of natural fire in their constitution. Inflammation, redness, burning indigestion, loose stools; and subtle body intensities such as anger, irritability, and judgment become more prevalent. Burnout is more likely this time of year, as is depletion and weakened immunity, setting the stage for illness during fall and winter months.
For those with low fire in their constitution, summer feels like a gift from the heavens to warm stiff joints, enhance digestion, and gain more natural energy from the sun. You will thrive this time of year. Enjoy it.
For fire-types, avoiding excess heat is not impossible, even in summer. The following Top 10 Tips To Cool Your Jets in Fire Season are for those who naturally stand too close to the fire in summer so that you can enjoy the long days without getting “burned”.
Top 10 Tips to Cool Your Jets in Fire Season
Wake up before dawn to exercise outdoors. Walk, run, bike, yoga, swim…whatever strikes your fancy, do it early and enjoy the coolest part of the day to raise your internal fire.
Drink plenty of room temperature water - it will hydrate you and cool you down faster. Ice water may be tempting but it will constrict your blood vessels, keeping heat in the body as opposed to dispersing it out. Sweating is a cooling process, let it happen.
Between 10am and 2pm - the hottest time of day - cool your constitution with hibiscus or peppermint tea infused at room temperature (prepare and let sit overnight). Other great options that target the liver - the hottest organ in your body - include burdock root, dandelion leaf and licorice. Chamomile tea in the evenings is ideal for cool, restful sleep.
Make a Cilantro Juice - 1 cup of organic cilantro (not tightly packed) mixed with 1 cup fresh-pressed apple juice (I prefer Gala apples for their sweetness) or sweet orange juice, 1/2 cup of organic wild blueberries and the juice of one lime. Add a banana for added sweetness if desired. Blend together and enjoy.
Enjoy a 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera Juice (Inner Filet) mixed with 1/4 cup of room temp water in the evenings before bed to cool the liver before sleeping. Do not do this if pregnant.
Adjust your cooking spices to cooling tones such as cilantro, coriander, fennel, mint and chamomile. Warming spices are still okay, just make sure your ratio of cool:warm spices favors the former over the latter this time of year.
Enjoy salads with bitter greens. Ayurvedically speaking, salads are only indicated for those with high fire in their constitutions and those with moderate fire in the summer. This is the time of year to enjoy them, so dig in!
You may find yourself longing for a blessed afternoon rainstorm to wash away the heat. Put on a bathing suit and go enjoy the natural cooling offered by Mother Nature. Rain is water. Water is life. Don’t run from it.
Moderate your AC - it may be tempting to crank up the AC and hide from the steamy afternoon sun but try to keep the temperature moderate (~72-74 degrees). Mass fluctuations will disrupt your internal thermometer, throwing your physiology into a tailspin just to regulate heat. You can turn the dial down on the AC at night when sleeping.
Meditate in nature. Meditation naturally cools your mind and doing so in nature enhances the effects. Find a shady spot under a tree. Close your eyes. Tune into the birds and the rustle of the leaves. Imagine a cool mist washing over you. Let go.
Holistic healing and Ayurvedic science gift us the knowledge of knowing our bodies, the elements that are predominant in our constitution and - even more importantly - how to navigate and balance them through the seasons and beyond to avoid discomfort and disease. Curious if you have too much - or too little - fire in your constitution? Book a 15 min free Ayurvedic Clinical Care consult today to learn how KA Ayurveda can help you heal through holistic wellbeing.