Hello, Pitta Season

Diagram from The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine by David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad

Schedule Your Seasonal Check-In

Pitta Dosha in Ohio

In Ohio, we generally experience Pitta Season from mid-June through October. This is an approximation, of course, because the seasons are not held to a strict calendar date. Ayurveda understands that the seasons are fluid and organic. Pitta Season, regardless of the exact date it begins to unfold, is comprised of two Ritus (seasons) which are:

Grishma Ritu: Late Spring/Early Summer (mid-May to mid-July)

Varsha Ritu: Late Summer/Early Autumn (mid-July to mid-September)

Summer is ruled by Pitta Dosha, which is prone to overheating at this time. I can always tell when it’s finally Summer because people’s road rage and impatience becomes very apparent. Summer can aggravate and inflame Pitta Dosha, so it’s a time to lean into sweetness and softness as much as possible. Avoid friction in every sense of the word and sooth Pitta with routines and practices that keep your cool physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is a powerful time when we can easily access our inner light, in a sense, but we don’t want to overdo it. Doing so can lead us quickly to burnout.

About Pitta Dosha

Pitta Doshas’s Seasonal Approximation: Summer through Early Autumn

Pitta Dosha’s Time of Day: 10AM-2PM and 10PM-2AM

Pitta Dosha’s Elements: Fire & Water

Pitta Dosha’s Qualities (Gunas):

LIGHT/SHARP or PENETRATING/HOT/OILY/LIQUID/MOBILE

Pitta Dosha’s Associated Sense Perception: Sight

Pitta Dosha’s Light Aspect: Transformation, Discernment, and Intellect

Pitta Dosha’s Shadow Aspect: Inflammation, Irritation, and Friction

Pitta Dosha’s Emotional Expression: Passion, Excitement, Anger, Jealousy, Judgement

Pitta Dosha’s Primary Seat in the Body: Stomach & Small intestines

Balanced vs Imbalanced Pitta

Pitta Dosha (the combination of the elements Fire & Water) is found predominantly in the stomach, small intestines, liver, blood, skin, and eyes.

When Pitta is balanced, we have a healthy appetite and an alluring power that emanates from within (from our core, our solar plexus, the “seat” of Pitta). We can easily initiate change and see projects through to the end, leading with grace and control. A rosy glow in the cheeks and a sparkle in the eyes are telltale signs of healthy Pitta Dosha.

When Pitta is imbalanced (in excess, vitiated, quality spoiled), we can experience any of the following:

Physical Symptoms: inflammation, itchiness, hives, rashes, acne, excess sweating, GERD, ulcerative colitis, acid reflux, nausea, headaches, burning eyes, acute infections, any “itis.”

Emotional Symptoms: anger, jealousy, frustration, judgement and criticism (especially of the self), perfectionism, impatience, control issues, an inner sense of urgency, burnout.

Schedule an Ayurvedic Consultation

Ayurvedic Diet & Lifestyle for Pitta Season (Summer)

The old Ayurvedic adage that guides all of our intentional decision-making is: “Like increases like, opposites balance.”

Because the qualities of Summer are hot and sharp/penetrating, we simply want to avoid foods and habits that increase these qualities the majority of the time and instead favor foods and habits that are opposite and therefore balance Pitta Dosha during this season when it’s already naturally most abundant.

Agni is at its lowest point during this time of year. It might seem counterintuitive, especially because we are always operating under the idea that our Agni reflects the sun in the sky—when the sun is hot and strong, so is our Agni, hence why we eat our largest meal during midday and avoid complexity during solar eclipses. The reason why Agni and digestion is a bit weaker in Summer is because this heat is being drawn out to our skin to we can sweat and cool off, leaving our inner fire with less energy to digest our food. Many people, myself included, experience lower appetite in the Summer and this is why. Because of this, we want to favor lighter and simpler foods in general to make things easier on Agni.

Pitta can easily become aggravated (even if we are not Pitta-dominant by nature) when we consume too much spicy (pungent) or acidic foods. Think:

Black pepper
Tomatoes (and other nightshades)
Peppers
Spicy curry
Sour and citrus fruits
Sour dairy or milk products
Fermented foods (yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, fire cider)
Garlic
Onions
Coffee (especially if rancid or moldy)
Alcohol
Fried foods, oily foods
Salty foods in excess

We can easily burn ourselves out if we aren’t careful in Summer. Spending a lot of time in the sun, working outside or around fire or in hot conditions, engaging in contentious conversation and picking fights (especially after 10PM), and smoking can all increase and aggravate Pitta.

Summer is the season for napping, according to Ayurveda. In order to avoid burnout and preserve our Ojas (vitality), it is okay to nap in the afternoon. Resting the body and mind is very important during Pitta Season.

Although Pitta wants to continue transforming the world around us at all times, we must meet that fervor with compassion and assure ourselves that slowing down is not a relinquishing of control or an admittance of weakness or unworthiness; as all things in nature, human beings go through cycles of production and rest, and we cannot stay in go-mode indefinitely without throwing our systems out of balance.

Supportive Spring lifestyle choices include slowing down, less rushing, more gentle yogasana practices, yoga nidra or yin yoga, playing in water, cooling pranayama like Sheetali, and leaving spaciousness on your calendar.

Ayurveda's Six Tastes for Pitta Season: Bitter / Sweet / Astringent

Ayurvedic wisdom teaches us that a truly holistic and nutritional meal should contain all six tastes, which are: Sweet/Sour/Salty/Bitter/Pungent/Astringent

It's also wise to do our best to incorporate all six tastes in every meal whenever possible because this will ensure our satisfaction. Oftentimes, we are left still craving something at the conclusion of a meal; the urge for extraneous and mindless snacking can be avoided if we ensure our diet consists of the six tastes.

While each taste is suitable year-round, there are certain tastes we should favor more than the others in each season. Summer/Pitta Season is the time for the bitter, sweet, and astringent tastes.

Because Pitta Dosha increases when we consume the sour, salty, and pungent tastes, it is not generally advised that we eat these foods in excess during Summer. However, your individual Constitution should always be the determining factor in making dietary decisions that deeply support you and encourage the equilibrium of your Doshas. Consult with your Ayurvedic practitioner to gain clarity on how you can choose and build your seasonal diet to support your personal Consitution.

Schedule an Ayurvedic Consultation

About the Tastes of Summer

Bitter: A cholagogue, increases digestive enzymes (Agni) and encourages bile flow by stimulating the liver and gallbladder. Helps to detoxify the blood and metabolize fat, which is increasingly important through Spring, the time to release excess, including residual fat-soluble toxins stored in the tissues. An antipyretic, dispelling heat, fire, and fever (in TCM this would be “stomach heat” or “damp heat.”) Kapha and Pitta need more, Vata needs less.

Sweet: A demulcent, important for soothing inflamed tissues that are hot and dry. The anabolic action of the Sweet Taste helps to encourage tissue growth and development and to replenish lost Ojas when we experience overheating and burnout. Sweet has a nourishing, cooling effect on the body that promotes harmony of mind and facilitates contentment. Pitta and Vata need more, Kapha needs less.

Astringent: Important for pulling out trapped heat and creating tone. Counteracts water retention through its drying property. A diaphoretic (increases urination) and hemostatic (stops bleeding and discharges such as diarrhea). It is tonifying for the tissues, creating firmness and structure within membranes. Kapha and Pitta need more, Vata needs less.

See the above images for examples and suggestions of bitter, sweet, and astringent foods.

Digestion is a Priority in Every Season: Ama, Undigested Food

We always want to avoid foods and lifestyle choices that produce Ama, the product of incomplete digestion. Ama is a toxic, sticky sludge the clogs the channels of the body (channels that need to remain open to ensure nutrients make it to our cells and waste can be carried out of the body) and coats the cells, making it difficult to access our intelligence and intuition.

Cellular intelligence and immunity suffers when Ama is present.

Leftovers (past 2 days), packaged foods, processed foods, frozen foods, pesticide-laden foods, and genetically modified foods introduce toxins into our systems and shadow our intellect, creating Ama.

Schedule a seasonal check-in to ensure you’re not contributing to the creation of Ama.

Schedule Your Seasonal Check-In

In-Person Treatments for the Season

Shirodhara to calm the mind and promote clarity and compassion
Hrid Basti for nourishing the heart and fiery emotions
Abhyanga to release trapped heat in the body

Schedule an Ayurvedic Consultation

My Summer Recommendations from My Favorite Sources

Remember: In order for internal therapies (like supplements and herbs) to truly be effective and not a waste of money, Agni must be strong and healthy and Ama must be minimal or nonexistent. The recommendations for Pitta Dosha support below are not the more intricate formulations Ayurveda might sugest because the majority of the population simply isn't prepared to take them right away. In order for supplements to be truly effective, we must have a healthy foundation already set. The following are milder tools you can begin using on your own; I invite you to really take time with any new additions to your diet/lifestyle and note any subtle changes.

To gain more clarity about how to begin setting healthy foundations that support your Constitution, schedule an Ayurvedic consultation.