Ayurveda continues to stand tall as a beacon of wisdom in this constantly evolving world. Deeply rooted in ancient teachings, philosophies, and nature, this traditional practice offers time-tested treatments for a myriad of today’s modern time ailments. One such common problem faced across the world is excess body heat, especially in the warm climate areas.
If you are feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally overheated and sweating through the sheets, then there is a high chance that you are dealing with “Pitta Imbalance”. This is an ayurvedic term used when your body shows symptoms of irritability, excessive sweating, skin rashes, inflammation, acid reflux, or fatigue. If you have ever felt that your body is overheating without having an actual fever, then it might be possible that your internal Agni is working overtime for you. Fortunately, there are numerous natural ways in Ayurveda to cool down this heat from inside out.
In this blog, you will be provided in-depth understanding about what body heat actually means in Ayurveda and how to reduce this using natural practices. Whether you are interested in practicing ancient cooling rituals, wish to make dietary shifts, or want to try herbal remedies, this is the best holistic path for you to consider.
What is Pitta Dosha? Understanding Body Heat in Ayurveda
In order to understand how to fix body heat with Ayurveda, you must get acquainted with one of its primary principles– which are the three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas are internal energies of your body that are responsible for governing the biological and psychological functions in your body. Every individual is born with a unique combination of doshas which is often referred to as Prakriti.
Amongst these, Pitta dosha is responsible for internal fire and water in your body and plays a vital role in the generation of your body heat. When this dosha is balanced, it helps you with focus, ambition, and mental clarity. Once Pitta dosha becomes unmanageable or is produced in excess, it leads to over stimulation in your body and constant burn ups.
Common Signs of Pitta Imbalance
When your Pitta dosha is elevated, especially during hot weather, the symptoms are seen both physically and mentally.
- Inflammation, skin rashes, acne
- Excessive heat and sweating
- Irritability and short temper
- Acid reflux, heartburn
- Strong thirst and frequent urination
- Diarrhea or loose stools
- Perfectionism and over-competitiveness
- Impatience behavior or judgmental thoughts
- Burning sensations in soles, hands, and eyes
Why Pitta Dosha Gets Imbalanced?
Pitta dosha is the fiery force of energy for governing digestion and metabolism in your body. When it gets imbalanced, there are various health issues you are bound to face. The imbalance usually arises from over stimulation, exposure to high temperature, use of pungent, oily or spicy food, chronic stress, frequent burnouts, intense sunlight, and irregular eating patterns.
Essentially, anything that adds sharpness, heat, or intensity through food or environment, raises your Pitta dosha resulting in a cascade of various symptoms. These symptoms further aggregate during the peak daylight time as it strokes the internal flames of Pitta. Skipping your meals, overexertion, frequent anger and competitiveness also results in misbalancing the Pitta dosha in your body.
How to Cool Pitta and Reduce Body Heat with Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, cooling Pitta dosha is a combination of food, herbs, lifestyle, and mindfulness which is used to restore balance internally and serenity to your mind. This is because the Pitta dosha is dominated by water and fire elements and naturally possesses the qualities that are sharp, light, oily, intense, and hot. When these qualities accumulate beyond the comfort zone of your body, they manifest inflammation, digestive disturbances, irritability, and excess heat.
1. Adopt a Pitta-Pacifying Diet
Food is one of the most important tools in Ayurveda and is extremely helpful in reducing Pitta dosha. Focus on eating food that are naturally sweet, bitter, astringent, and cooling in taste. Favour some fresh fruits like watermelon, sweet apples, pomegranates, melons, and pears that hydrate and cool down your body heat. Vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini, asparagus, and leafy greens are important for balancing your Pitta dosha. Dairy items that include fresh boiled cow’s milk and buttermilk helps to soothe your digestive fire and cure the imbalances caused by the dosha. Grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, and rice are extremely grounding and pacified for Pitta dosha. Coconut water and milk also helps in pacifying the dosha along with other cooling spices like cardamom, turmeric, fennel, mind, and coriander.
Avoid the food items that are extremely spicy or sour as they will cause more imbalance internally, resulting in the bad pitta dosha. Red meat, fried food items, and excess salt should also be avoided for better results. According to Ayurveda, acidic fruits like oranges, tomatoes, and pineapples worsens your dosha. You must stay away from alcohol and other caffeinated drinks in order to pacify the pitta dosha in your body.
2. Stay Hydrated—But the Ayurvedic Way
Ayurveda believes that water is nature’s first coolant and should be a priority in your daily routine. But before continuing, understand that you must consume water wisely and intuitively in order to see positive effects on your body. Drink slightly warm water or in the room temperature infused with different herbs like rose petals, fennel seeds, or mind in order to boost your overall wellness.
If you wish to flush your toxins and calm the Pitta dosha, then sip barley water or tea with coriander seeds in it. Avoid drinking ice cold water and drinks as it can disturb your digestive system even if they momentarily feel extremely refreshing. This feeling lasts only for a few minutes but does damage to your digestion. You can also consume aloe vera juice in moderation, which helps in cooling your liver and digestive tract.
3. Practice Cooling Pranayama (Breathwork)
You should always remember that your breath is a direct bridge to your internal body temperature. There are some designated breathing techniques that are curated by Ayurveda in order to cool your mind, body, and soul.
- Sheetali Pranayama: In this technique of pranayama you need to inhale through pursed lips or curled tongue and then exhale through your nose. It reduces internal heat of your body and helps in soothing the nervous system.
- Sheetkari Pranayama: Sheetkari pranayama is a variation of breathwork for those individuals who cannot curl their tongue properly. They are required to inhale through clenched teeth and then exhale via nose.
4. Integrate Cooling Herbs and Superfoods
The ancient practice of ayurveda offers several botanical thesaurus, one of them being the use of organic and natural herbs that are going to help in pacifying Pitta dosha. One major superfood for curing the imbalance is Amla, also known as Indian Gooseberry. It is a powerful antioxidant that acts as a natural coolant especially for calming your liver and skin. Another one is Shatavari, which is a nourishing adaptogen used to support reproductive health. Guduchi, also known as Giloy is used majorly for its anti-inflammatory properties and immune-enhancing qualities. Yashtimadhu or Licorice is another superfood used for soothing the lining in your stomach and providing adrenal balance. Sandalwood is often used as a paste or oil for providing cooling effects in your body. Before using these natural superfoods, you must consult an Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner, especially if you are consuming some medication or are pregnant.
5. Follow a Pitta-Pacifying Daily Routine (Dinacharya)
If you follow a Pitta-pacifying routine on a daily basis, then you will align perfectly with nature’s rhythm. Wake up early every single day in order to harness the cool energy of the morning with a fresh mood. Perform massage therapies like Abhyanga regularly with cooling oils such as coconut and sunflower to calm down your entire soul.
Avoid exercising and over-exerting during the heat of the day. Choose the time in the early morning or evening to practice movements like swimming, walking, or yoga. Dress in breathable and light fabrics such as linen and cotton. Always choose calming light colours like blue, white, or green. Take cool showers in order to release the stored heat from your body and refresh completely.
6. Calm the Mind: Emotional Cooling
Ayurveda believes that along with the physical changes, you need to practice emotionally as well as mentally to calm your Pitta dosha and enhance the imbalances. Emotions like jealousy, anger and over-competitiveness are some of the main symptoms of an overheated pitta mind. So to calm this down emotionally, you need to practice some mental movements.
Build a schedule of meditating daily and focusing on your breath as this will help your nervous system to calm down. You can also practice comparison meditations and mindful gratitude in order to invite gentleness. Repeat some calming mantras like “Om Shanti” to boost mental stability and spend time in the moonlight or some natural water sources for added benefits.
7. Sleep Right for Pitta Balance
Rest is one of the crucial aspects for curing the imbalances in all the doshas in your body. Especially for individuals whose bodies are governed by Pitta dosha, they are high-achievers and perfectionistic in nature. These kinds of people need to be extra mindful about their sleep cycle and rest hours.
If you are someone like this, ensure to go to bed before 10pm as staying up late can affect your Piita night time cycle. Avoid working for late hours and lessen your screen exposure at night. Create a cool and dark environment before you sleep to calm down your body heat. Make sure to drink cardamom mixed warm milk to boost your sleep cycle.
8. Try Traditional Ayurvedic Therapies
If your Pitta imbalance is severe and intense, you must join the Ayurvedic therapies provided by some trained professionals in order to get profound relief. Shirodhara is one of the major therapies used to balance Pitta in your body, that includes a constant stream of medicated oil that is gently poured on your forehead. This helps in calming down your nervous system and overheated body.
Takradhara uses buttermilk instead of warm oil for an instant cooling effect, especially if you have mental stress or skin issues. Pichu therapy uses oil soaked cotton pads for reducing inflammation and heat-related pain. These Ayurveda therapies not only cure the overheating in your body but also helps you to detoxify the internal organs, mentally clear your mind, and restore vitality.
In a fast-paced world where everything feels overwhelming, be it physically, emotionally, or mentally– ayurveda has its organic approach to deeply align with your wellness. By focusing on your diet, lifestyle, mindset, and rhythm of nature, this ancient science gently coaxes you back into a state of refreshed vitality. Let ayurveda be your haven of balance and your roadmap for your body’s inner calm.
