How to Cool Pitta and Reduce Body Heat with Ayurveda
Updated: 9 hours ago
As the temperatures rise and life gets more intense, Pitta dosha can flare up in our bodies and minds. When this happens, it becomes more difficult to keep our cool – both physically and mentally.
Thankfully, when we learn how to reduce body heat with Ayurveda, we can avoid troublesome heat-related issues, like excessive sweat, dehydration, hot flashes, night sweats, heartburn, migraines, and irritability.
This summer, stay cool as a cucumber (one of our favorite cooling foods) with these eight Ayurvedic tips to reduce body heat and Pitta dosha.
Explore more on the Saumya Blog, selected top Ayurveda blogs and websites to watch.
Time Magazine reported in the article, How to Build Up Your Heat Tolerance to Prepare for a Hotter World, "...about 30% of the population was exposed to a deadly combination of heat and humidity for at least 20 days annually, that percentage would increase to nearly half by the year 2100."
Reduce Pitta and body heat with Ayurveda and you reduce Pitta dosha in both body and mind.
Which Dosha is Responsible for Body Heat?
In Ayurveda, Pitta dosha is responsible for body heat. Pitta is described as hot, sharp, oily, and penetrating. When fiery Pitta flares up – we burn up and burn out. That’s why reducing body heat with Ayurveda starts with reducing Pitta dosha.
Pitta heat manifests in many ways, including inflammation, skin conditions, migraines, acid reflux, loose stools, nausea, constipation, body odor, excessive sweating, unpleasant menstrual cycles, burn-out, and more. Beyond physical symptoms, Pitta shows up as mental heat – think short-fuses, hot tempers, burn-out, and fatigue.
If this looks familiar, please keep reading.
8 Ways to Reduce Pitta and Body Heat with Ayurveda
Believe it or not, it’s easy to get heat out of the body with Ayurveda. Here are eight powerful, yet manageable, ways to reduce Pitta dosha and chill out:
Reduce Pitta with Ayurvedic Oil Massage
Dress in Pitta-Cooling Clothing
Hydrate with Cooling Herbs
Reduce Intensity in the Mind and Life
Practice Pranayama Breathwork
Find Balance with Nasya Oil
Explore our personalized services and book your FREE discovery call today.
1. Eat Cooling, Pitta-Reducing Foods
Your diet is one of the best ways to reduce body heat with Ayurveda. Foods with high water content, like watermelon and cucumber, can be both cooling and hydrating. You may want to start making your own green juices as well. Make a point of eating around noon, when your digestive fire is strongest. It's important to feed that fire, so you don’t burn up!
Along the same lines, you'll want to avoid foods that will heat up your body. Ingredients that can warm your body include carrots, chili, garlic, and citrus fruits. If you normally enjoy hot beverages like tea, allow them to cool to room temperature before you drink them.
While ice-cold drinks may seem like a great way to cool off, you should stay away from these beverages as well. Overly cold beverages can inhibit digestion, which can lead to overheating and discomfort.
List of Cooling Ayurvedic Foods:
Beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cilantro, green beans, okra, parsnip, peas, potatoes, and rutabaga
Bitter greens (Dandelion greens, kale, spinach, chard, and beet greens. Avoid mustard greens)
Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Cherries, etc.)
Melon (Watermelon, Muskmelon, Cantaloupe)
Whole Grains (Rice, Quinoa, Oats, etc.)
Dairy (milk, butter, ghee)
Almonds (soaked and peeled)
Moong dal (sprouted whole green moong makes a great cooling snack, or yellow moong dal)
Flax seed
List of Cooling Ayurvedic Drinks:
Coconut Water
Herbal Teas (Hibiscus and Rose)
Melon Juice
List of Cooling Ayurvedic Recipes:
2. Do Light Exercise in the Morning or Evening
Exercise is great for your physical and mental well-being, but it can also heat up your body and mind. Reduce Pitta dosha by exercising early in the morning or in the evening, when temperatures are lower. You can even make exercise a part of your Ayurvedic morning routine.
You may also want to make some changes to your exercise routine during the summer. Instead of intense cardio exercises, you may want to try a less strenuous form of exercise, such as a brisk walk by a lake or river or a cool swim. Find a way to get exercise without leaving your body overheated and your mind overly intense.
How Do I Know If I Have a Dosha Imbalance?
Peruse these comprehensive and convenient lists of signs and symptoms of dosha imbalances.
Peruse these comprehensive and convenient lists of signs and symptoms of dosha imbalances. As we are comprised of all Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, there can be an imbalance in any of the doshas, or a combination of dosha imbalances. Read all three lists and see if anything looks familiar.
“Veena has been great. I suffered with burning mouth syndrome for many years. Doctors and dentists had no idea what I was even talking about, much less solutions. Veena knew immediately. Within in a few weeks of using the herbs and protocols she recommended, I am not experiencing any of the symptoms I did previously. And, my thinking is clearer, I am nearly free from hot flashes, and I feel more like myself.
Everything has been easy to incorporate into my life, which is the best part. This feels sustainable. I highly recommend working with Veena.” – Liz Pfeffer, Albuquerque, New Mexico
3. Reduce Pitta Dosha with Ayurvedic Oil Massage
Abhyanga, or Ayurvedic self-massage is the ideal way to relax and unwind. It’s also a fantastic way to reduce body heat with Ayurveda. There are many oils that have natural anti-Pitta cooling properties and clients love our Pitta oil.
Massaging cooling oils into your skin can bring you instant relief on a hot day. It is important to have a regular practice of Ayurvedic self-massage to keep Pitta dosha from building up and reaching the boiling point.
Getting Started: How to Do Ayurveda Self-Massage at Home
4. Dress According to Ayurveda to Cool Pitta Dosha
According to Ayurveda, one can reduce Pitta and heat by choosing fabrics and colors of clothes that balance Pitta. One can extend the science of Surya Chikitsa (color therapy or treatment) to the environment in general, such as the color of paint on the walls, furniture, or at work something as simple as the color of flowers or picture on your desk. 1. Favor cool, natural fabrics that breathe well such as 100% cotton and linen.
2. Flowing fabrics that allow air to circulate around the body are also helpful.
3. As Pitta quality is predominantly hot, cooling colors bring balance – so look to the cool side of the color palette and favor blues, greens, cool purples and white.
4. If you're feeling hot, douse your clothing with cool water. Check into cooling scarves, neck gaiters, and towels designed to keep you cooler.
5. Stay Hydrated with Cooling Ayurvedic Herbs
Saumya Ayurveda clients know well how effective their custom digestive detox tea is. So, hydrate with herbalized water – and get those cooling herbs in!
While Ayurveda emphasizes drinking warm and hot beverages, a steaming cup of tea isn’t that appealing when it’s smoldering hot outside. Enjoy your hydrating Saumya digestive tea at room temperature when you’re looking to reduce body heat.
"How much fluid one needs depends on one's constitution (prakruti) and current state (virkruti), stage of life (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) location, and season. So, as I am known for saying, 'it depends.' The specificity of Ayurveda is how it is so effective. It's not a one size fits all answer, but what is most supportive for each client." - Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
6. Reduce Intensity in Your Mind and Life
Hot weather isn’t the only thing that heats up Pitta dosha. There’s Pitta season, of course, and Pitta-aggravating foods like alcohol, caffeine, and hot spices. But the most overlooked source of Pitta provocation is intensity!
We live intense lives. Commuting, stressful, demanding jobs, work-life balance challenges, pandemics, and on it goes. There's a lot of intensity just navigating daily life, so where we can, we need to release the pressure and also learn how to keep it from building up.
Picture a pressure cooker with the release valve at the top. If that valve is not letting out the steamy pressure, the pot explodes. All these Pitta forces and factors combine together and can burn us up
When we take steps to make our life less intense and overwhelming, Pitta cools down – and our bodies do, too. Read our blogs Ayurveda for Anxiety and Burnout and 6 Natural Remedies to Manage Anxiety with Ayurveda to cool intensity and reclaim your calm.
7. Practice Pranayama Breathwork
The way we breathe changes how energy flows throughout our bodies. If you learn to breathe diaphragmatically, you will be calmer and healthier, and you'll strengthen your mind and body connection. So, take a deep breath – let's relax.
Ready to get started? Explore these cooling, centering practices:
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8. Find Balance With Nasya Oil
What is Nasya Oil? Nasya oil is a therapeutic oil used in Ayurveda to nourish and cleanse the nasal passageways. Nasya oil is used for both Panchakarma (specialized deep cleansing) and Dinacharya (daily routine). Nasya oil is infused with Ayurvedic herbs to balance the doshas, improve the flow of prana, and alleviate a number of mental and physical health ailments.
What is Nasya oil good for? Nasya oil is good for cleansing and nourishing the nasal passages, which helps prana enter and flow through the body. Oil is also an anuapana, or carrier substance. When applied to sensitive nasal membranes, Ayurvedic herbs in Nasya oil are absorbed deep into the tissue layers.
These Nasya oil benefits make the practice an important part of a comprehensive Ayurvedic treatment plan. A Certified Ayurvedic practitioner can help identify the correct nasya oil blend to reduce body heat and cool Pitta.
“Your nasya oil really had a strong effect on my life. My mind was racing, and I have been highly stressed for a long time. I did the nasya and suddenly all went quiet. I felt like meditating. Your nasya oil really calmed the mind. I wanted to meditate.”
--S.L.., New Mexico
Explore More:
How to Cool Pitta and Reduce Body Heat with Ayurveda
If you're feeling warm, get out of the sun. Heat related conditions are serious health matters. Read up so you know what to do if first aid and help is needed.
Be smart about events and observe what your sweet spot is for social activities. If you're prone to overheating, take it easy, don't push yourself. Pitta types may tend to push themselves, and what is needed to balance that intensity is to back off and take it easy.
"I was dreading and anticipating hating a weeklong outside summer event. I’ve always hated summer. Hate being in the heat. Hate being in the sun. I am SO surprised! I enjoyed being there, being outside. I tolerated the high heat well and enjoyed the whole week. I was and am in a good mood. I was not affected by the heat and sun. And, for the first time in 46 years, I didn’t get sunburnt—I tanned!"
- A.D., Minnesota
Cool Pitta and Reduce Body Heat With Ayurveda – Saumya Ayurveda can Show You How
Learning how to reduce body heat with Ayurveda alleviates the heat of Pitta dosha. If you struggle with overheating during the summer months, if you find your body running hot throughout the year, have hot flashes, migraines, heated skin conditions, a short fuse....talk with Veena.
Book your discovery call to learn more. During this consultation, share your concerns, ask questions, and learn about Veena’s way of working with clients.
How to Keep Your Cool" is an invitation to transform your menstrual cycle... and while you're at it, transform your life. From menses to menopause, you deserve to keep your cool. This guide will show you how. Get your copy here.
“Oh my gosh this is an amazing book! The WORLD NEEDS THIS!!!”
--Dr. Melissa Persons, Minnesota
Explore More: Ayurveda and Menstruation – Creating a Healthy Flow
There is a saying, "The mind is more in the body, than the body is in the mind." The Saumya 3 Step Meditation Process shifts us from fight-flight-freeze mode, to rest-restore-relax mode. Give it a try for forty days and observe the changes. The more grounded and relaxed we are, the smoother life flows.
"The breath is the connection between the mind and body, so by training the breath, we become calm, focused, and grounded, we slow down the aging process by decreasing stress. These practices are so simple and easy to have as part of our daily life. We actually feel and look younger."
- Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
1. Learn Diaphragmatic Breathing and Change Your Life. When we re-learn to breath diaphragmatically, we move from the flight-fight-freeze mode, to rest, restore, relaxation mode from where we want and need to live.
2. Daily Guided Practices: 11 minutes in the morning and in the evening, as anchors of your daily Ayurveda routine.
3. Ayurveda Daily Routines: Ayurvedic Morning Routine | 6 Rituals for a Calm and Centered Day
"Choose a couple of practices from the routines that provide you with the greatest support. Perform them while applying our two minute meditation technique and your mundane tasks, just transformed into a mellifluous meditation. This is meditation applied to daily life." - Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
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-Molly Rossini, Minnesota
Explore More: Ayurveda Breathwork Pranayama
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This is certainly the headache treatment plan that I have seen the biggest benefit from, and I plan to continue my new regimen moving forward.
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-Adrienne Sobering, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Following Veena’s guidance, all these conditions have been nearly eliminated! The incurable ulcerative proctitus was given a Mayo Clinic Score of 0, normal or inactive disease.
I’m very grateful to Veena for the wonderful results and the healthier quality of life we have attained together. Without reservation, I highly recommend Veena at Saumya Ayurveda.”
---Christopher Schirber, Yoga Teacher, Minnesota
“Veena has helped me beyond my expectations! Veena is a wonderfully astute and thorough practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine. She is exceptionally intuitive and empathic and can "see" my body and accurately assess my ailments and condition through virtual visits. She can quickly determine courses of treatment for my health concerns that have produced excellent results for my body and mind.
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We all want to be heard, understood, and cared for as whole beings, not a set of isolated symptoms. True health is more than the absence of disease, which is why Western medicine so often leaves us feeling hopeless and unseen.
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Veena is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and meditation teacher, and monk.
She is President Emeritus and teaching faculty of the Meditation Center.
Veena fell in love with the traditional medicine used in her family’s home, learning herbal remedies at her grandmother's knee.
These childhood experiences were the seeds of a lifelong passion. For over 30 years, Veena has dedicated her life to the world’s oldest healing system: Ayurveda.
She draws on this ancient wisdom to help others find their compass to a healthy life – and support those left wanting by Western medicine.
An experienced Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Veena’s deep, intuitive knowledge of Ayurveda empowers her clients to reclaim their fullest, most vibrant lives –mentally, physically, and spiritually. Veena individualizes treatment plans to each person, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, so it fits your life and becomes woven in your lifestyle, naturally.