Striving4Zen

There's a little fury in all of us. In fact, Ayurveda has a name for that fiery energy inside your belly -- pitta. And during the summertime, your pitta needs to be checked and balanced. So we spoke with Manjula Paul, an Ayurvedic consultant at Ishta Yoga, to find out more about how to stay as cool as a cucumber:

Skip the ice cubes. Shockingly cold drinks deplete the spleen (that easily forgotten organ with the big job of breaking down fat). Drink water that's room temperature or, better yet, guzzle coconut water -- it's naturally cooling and packed with minerals and electrolytes.

Pick the right produce. Choose sweet (tangerines, cantaloupe, pears), bitter (dark leafy greens) or astringent (cranberries, celery) foods. They all balance pitta energy.

Quench your face's thirst. A few cucumber slices on the eyes or a splash of rosewater is all it takes.

Go with your gut feeling. Yoga poses, including the cobra, boat and fish all focus on your abdomen (for a complete list go here). And when your abdomen's happy, so is your pitta.

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Labels: ayurveda, healthy living, living holistically, staying cool