Seasonal regimes are about adopting apt diet and lifestyle modifications to cope with influences of the seasonal changes on our body. Following a seasonal regime helps to maintain the equilibrium of the body irrespective of the environmental changes happening outside the body.

Following are a few super easy tips on maintaining health during Summer:

  Wake up time

Greeshma ritu or the Summer comes under Uttarayana period (Jan to June). Uttarayana comprises winter, spring and summer wherein the days are longer and nights are shorter.

Wake up early (between 4 – 5:00 am because the sun rises early during summers as the days are longer). By this we gain a few more minutes to add on to our busy life too, thus easing the time constraints by keeping you active.

Oil Pulling

Add oil pulling into your daily routine.

After brushing and tongue cleaning, it is ideal to do oil pulling with 1 table spoon of coconut oil (5 min) as coconut oil has cooling properties.

Abhyanga

Mild abhyanga (application of oil) to the body with cooling oils like virgin coconut oil (for Pitta/ sensitive skin), kshira bala taila (for Vata dominant /dry skin), Body oil (from Sri Sri Tattva for all skin types) will be ideal during Summer.

Do not forget to oil your head with oils processed with cooling herbs like brahmi, bhringaraj, aloe vera, methi and amla (eg. Brahmi bhringaraj oil, Bhringamalakai taila etc).

Exercises

Light to moderate exercise is recommended, as the body is quite dehydrated and fragile due to the seasonal changes.

Bath

There is nothing refreshing as a cold shower to wave off the tiredness and enliven your body.

Applying paste of chandan, methi, aloe vera pulp in rose water or curd on to the body helps to remove sun tan and improve the skin tone.

Care for the Eyes

Keeping a wet tea bag and cucumber piece over the eyes relieves the fatigue in the eyes and cools them down.

Super cool drinks

Soothing, cooling, nourishing and rejuvenating drinks which quenches the thirst, are essential during this season. Hydrate yourself with tender coconut water and drinks like diluted syrups of Sariva, Ushira (both available as Sariva and Ushira syrup), mango, grapes, rose etc. They help to combat the extreme heat outside.

Soaked dates and raisins soaked for 1-2 hours can be macerated and filtered and added with jaggery or palm sugar is a drink which provides strength and vitality too.

Low digestive fire can be stimulated well with the digestive drink prepared with 30 gms of jaggery in 1 liter of water, pinch of dry ginger powder, cinnamon and cardamom and mixed well.

Diet and hydration:

• Drinking water – Water kept in a mudpot/ copper vessel is the best for drinking. Can add (soak) naturally cooling ingredients to it.

• Diet – Include more watery diets like khichdi rather than going for dry and junk food. Fruits including varieties of melons and of course the king of fruits, mango, considered as the delicious seasonal fruit, are a must have.

Include healthy fats in diet like clarified butter (cow’s ghee) and milk (added with cardamom, a pinch of dry ginger and turmeric powders) as a rejuvenator. This helps to pacify dryness in the body due to the increasing vata during the summer.

Ayurveda treatments during Summer

Mild detox therapies like virechana and basti can be administered.

A bunch of external therapies like Abhyanga, Shirodhara, Thalam, head massage, Taila dhara, Takra dhara, Ksheera dhara prepared with cooling herbs, Mukhalepam, body wraps with sandalwood etc are excellent in managing the summer heat.

These treatments help not only to combat weakness or prevent the toxin accumulation in summer but also to nourish your body and boost your immunity to survive well in the upcoming monsoon season too.