Today’s Workshop

The main elements of summer are fire and water, and we have had plenty of both this year. Fire and water combine to make a hot, spreading oil that can really agitate the body and the mind.

Here are some signs that you are overheating:

🔥Red or irritated skin
🔥Heartburn or sour burps
🔥Getting hangry
🔥Nausea or discomfort upon missing meals
🔥Loose stools
🔥Hot flashes
🔥Frustration, anger, and irritability
🔥Judgment, impatience, criticism, and intolerance
🔥Red, dry, or light-sensitive eyes
🔥Excessive perfectionist tendencies
🔥Inflammation or burning pain

If left unchecked, these signs can build, so it is best to intervene early, or better yet, to prevent the heat from spreading. Knowing your constitution can help you make intuitive choices for how to support yourself seasonally.

For example, I LOVE spicy food (seriously, I used to put hot sauce on everything), but I have a fair amount of fire in my constitution, so I have learned that I shouldn't add fire to fire. I can tolerate some spice in the winter when it is cold out, but I hold the hot sauce in the summer so that my digestion and my mood don't get too spicy. When I do eat spicy foods, I balance that heat with lots of cooling foods, like cilantro and cucumbers.

This is one example, but in general, our needs and capacities change seasonally, so our nourishment and activities should adapt to those changing needs. This isn't an arbitrary practice, but one that is guided by our own body's wisdom.

The qualities of summer are oily, sharp, hot, light, fleshy-smelling, spreading, and liquid. Do you notice any of these qualities in your own body? If you do, you can support balance by introducing foods and practices with opposite qualities.

I'm leading a workshop TODAY from 4 - 6 pm all about how Yoga & Ayurveda can support seasonal balance. It is a virtual offering so you can join from wherever you are in the world. Click on the link below to register.