In the Summer | Balancing Energies and Calming the Fire

In mid-February, just at the dawn of summer, I experienced one of the worst acid attacks I’ve ever had. That is the inspiration behind this post.

Quick background, I have always suffered from an acidic stomach. I’ve had attacks that sent me straight to the hospital, crying from so much pain. Doctors would give me different drugs to get by but then, one day the pain would be back, triggered by possibly anything I consume nearly on a daily basis. Ever since I was a lot younger, I’ve always been a sucker for really sour, acidic food (most especially fruits) and deliciously spicy ones. As I grew older, I became fond of coffee and tea. All these threw my body out of balance.

FIVE ELEMENTS IN THREE DOSHAS

And so last month, I was taught a lesson that has changed the way I consume food. I’ve always been aware of what my stomach cannot tolerate but I chose to eat them anyway. This time, I think the stubborn me is ready to raise the white flag. After my sister’s delicious roasted garlic and chili oil caused a major acid eruption in my stomach, my life has not been the same. My Doshas went crazy and my internal body fire flared up like never before, causing so much stomach pain that I could barely eat and sleep.

Wait. Internal body fire? Doshas? What?!

Okay. Based on Ayurveda or the traditional Hindu system of medicine, the body and mind are composed of Doshas or biological energies that provide every person with a unique blueprint for mentality and physical health. The three energies are Vatta (Space and Air), Kapha (Earth and Water), and Pitta (Fire and Water). Every person has a different combination of each (with one or two dominant doshas), giving us unique individual qualities. When your dominant doshas are affected and go beyond normal, these energies become imbalanced. The same thing happens when the levels of your dominant Doshas drop.

A concrete example of this is my acid attack. I am generally Pitta-dominant so the consumption of hot and spicy food (attributed to fire) increases this energy, or in other words, stokes the fire. The symptoms of a Pitta imbalance include irritability, inflammation and ACID INDIGESTION. So there’s our culprit.

The thing is, the food we eat are not the only ones that affect our Doshas. Our activities, our lifestyle and even the seasons also play a role. So if you think the dominant doshas may constantly change, you are correct. If there is any factor among these that could affect almost everyone at the same time, I would say it’s the season. And now that summer is upon us, you can expect a lot of Dosha imbalances around you–most likely in the form of hot-headed people.

COOL, CALM, COLLECTED

You don’t have to suffer from any health problem to be wary of any imbalance in your body. The rise in temperature should be enough to tell you to stay in-tune with yourself.

Here are a few things I enjoy doing to keep things in check during my favorite season:

NOURISH

Eat more fruits and vegetables, less starch. The body naturally craves for food that will keep it hydrated during this time. Don’t shy away from produce that carry a lot of water such as melons, jicamas, cucumber, etc.

Bitter tasting vegetables such as Kale are your best friends. Aloe Vera or Ghrita Kumari in Sanskrit is considered a miracle plant in India. It is, for me, a staple, for this season. This plant has stood by me for years. From stomach, to hair, to skin—it does wonders.

No Aloe plant at home? I recently discovered Aloe Cure, an all-natural solution to my acid problems. It’s part of my daily green smoothie now and no, it does not affect the taste.

Also eat less fried, sour and spicy food. These may aggravate or bring your Pitta dosha beyond its normal level.

Drink room-temperature water rather than ice-cold beverages. Ice-cold drinks work up the body even more as it tries to turn what’s too cold to a temperature that matches it.

SEE

Even the colors you see affect the energies that run through your body. The ones that are great for you this season? Blues, greens, pearl whites, silver, and gray. Does that paint a picture to you?

We have a ton of beautiful beaches in the Philippines. If you haven’t planned a trip yet, call your friends and/or family now and book it. Once there, take your eyes of your digital screens and soak in the view. Not only is it surely breathtaking, but the cooling hues balance off excess Pitta.

BREATHE

Sure. We do this all the time but the way we breathe also affects our body’s temperature. Pranayama or breathing techniques allow you to generate heat or to cool down the body depending on which one you practice. An age-old technique called Sitali (shee-tali) cools down the body by inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the nose. Read more about the technique here.

If you like fragrances, choose scents that are light and floral such as rose, jasmine and lavender. Rub at pulse points like at the back of your ears, the temple, collarbone or that crease below your nostrils.

Still the easiest way, for me, to calm the fired up Pitta is to take a few minutes to sit quietly without having to talk, think, or even pay attention to anything or anyone. When you’re out of whack, you tend to become agitated and scattered. So, take a bit of time each day to collect yourself and you just might feel the temperature cool down in an instant.

Aloe Cure is available at Watsons and several other health stores in the market.To find out more about your Dosha, visit the Chopra Center website here.

Featured Image shot at Crystal Beach Resort, Zambales, Philippines