Summertime gives us license to vacation on the beach, dance at outdoor concerts and sip frozen drinks. Tans, burns and tons of bottles of aloe vera… tis also the season for surreptitious burnout. Without the right homeostatic implementations, bright sun and bright colors can be super aggravating to the body and mind.

The intense and prolonged sunlight during Summer can provoke skin rashes and burns, while the heat intensifies irritable mood propensities like anger and hostility. Pitta-heavy doshas are extra sensitive to light and colors as their skin and eyes are easily vitiated. To minimize or prevent overstimulation, pastels help calm fiery Pitta energy. 

Dosha Dressing for Pitta unites fashion, beauty and lifestyle to breeze through any Summer heatwave.

Intense Pitta can easily become aggravated during the Summer with lax rules, boisterous crowds and poolside frosés. This dosha is driven and sensitive, making inflammation of the mind and body a major concern. Incessant focus on work and new ventures fuels physical burnout. Conscientious Pitta tend to the mind by ensuring it is cool. This means a relaxed, collected, and calm mental state is essential to relieve associated body flare-ups.

Disease- inflammation (IBD), rosacea

Overindulgence- rivalry, spicy food

Mind- innovative, adaptive, compassionate

Dress Code

Loosening up is important to prevent burnout. Casual Friday was invented for a reason, after all. But that requires stepping out of the habits that keep us wound up. Choosing a more muted color palette is difficult for ambitious Pitta, who is more comfortable in an Alexander McQueen red power suit than a gorpcore re-vamp. A giving pastel yellow skirt paired with a light white linen shirt is compatible with this Type-A dosha (both are from Uniqlo). Pastel yellow ballet flats support easing into a more relaxed state. The Chanel tweed’s here are perfect for everyday wear especially paired with marma points discussed in the Summer Shoes article.

Beauty Add-Ons

Pratima Neem Oil is a mainstay for itchy skin and extra sun protection. It is also a calmative skin conditioner after a fresh shave. This is particularly beneficial to Pitta during summer because they tend to redden and rosacea is not an uncommon side effect from alcohol intake in the heat or intense sun. Their skin is also quick to burn in the sun.

Excessive sweating is a sign of excess internal heat. Keep a watermelon mist like one’s from Trader Joe’s and Glow Recipe in the refrigerator or cooler to spritz throughout the day. Both in Ayurveda and modern cosmeceuticals, the cooling and biomolecular properties of watermelon calm the skin.

Pitta’s deep intense eyes can burn tired from days out in the sun. Wearing protective eyewear is essential like these in purple from Summer Beauty Add-Ons. Not the one to shy away from the sunshine, adding yellow to the eyelids keeps Pitta jovial. Balance it out with a swipe of lilac to liven up the intensity and seriousness that is natural in Pitta personalities. The Nars Fashion Rebel duo (ca 2013) is a lovely example of using both together.  

Lifestyle Tips

Change up physical, mental and dietary choices. Though a pain for high-energy competitive Pitta types, they can avoid aggravation of the body and mind by easing up on vigorous workouts. Hit the beach, hiking trail or pool for less stressful activities. Moonlight swim, anyone?

Adding incense or fresh flowers refreshes spaces and moods. Shoyeido makes lovely jasmine, rose and cherry blossom scents. Jasmine decreases autonomic nerve activity, thus slowing down heart rate.

The popularity of frosés and frozen margaritas reveals that most of us enjoy cooling cocktails during Summer. Unfortunately, heat from outdoor temperatures and the liver can exacerbate foul moods, skin flares and GI inflammation. If not participating in teetotalism, then have one on a stomach nourished with Pitta compatible foods to mitigate the negative effects. Ease up on the spicy tacos and load up on bitter greens like a kale Caesar is perfect to cool down an overactive Pitta system.

Whatever you are up to, take a minute to breathe. Inhale coolness and exhale heat with sheetali pranayama for up to 9 rounds. This technique allows internal heat to cool through the mouth and release heat through the nasal cavity by activating the neurorespiratory system. As the cool air is felt through the mouth, it translates to comparable thinking patterns. Studies have shown sheetali to lower blood pressure and hypertension, which Pitta’s are susceptible to.

Enjoy the sunrise and sunset. Pitta has a huge issue with control, so take advantage of summer relaxation mode to let go of the reins. Don't overschedule, overthink or overdo. At work, Pitta keeps at it like tomorrow won’t come. It is essential to take a break- get up and stretch, look through the window at the gorgeous sky, go for a walk. If Einstein took a break to go sailing, it’s surely no problem for you.