The heat is on!

"Our biological existence is a dance of the three doshas of vata, pitta, and kapha.  Life is a multi-colored tapestry of their movement in various plays of balance and imbalance, coming together and going apart.  These three powers color and determine our conditions of growth and aging, health and disease." - Yoga and Ayurveda, David Frawley

**Disclaimer - once again I remind the readers of this blog that I am in no way an expert **

Each of us have some portion of each of these doshas.  Our constitution is determined at birth but it fluctuates and become imbalanced at times.  Here's a quick over-view of each dosha.

Vata                                                  Pitta                                          
ether &  air                                  fire &  water                                 
"that which moves things"         "that which digests things"       
space, light, cold, dry                oily, hot, penetrating                  
                                   Kapha
                                water, & water
                            "that which holds things together"
                             cold, wet, heavy, dull
* Heal thyself - Ed Zadlo, D.Ay

Have you noticed that when the temperature outside rises so does your internal temperature?  Perhaps that explains why I've been feeling so cranky and why so many others around me are so cranky.  Pitta seems to be high for a lot of people.  How do we keep pitta under control as we approach the hot summer months?
What are the signs that you may be experiencing excess pitta? 

Some signs of pitta being high are:  Quick to anger, critical (that's how it manifests for me), intense,  over-heated easily.

Here's some things we can do to help:  Try to stay cool, especially your head, balance activity with adequate amount of rest, practice breathing deeply, making your exhalation twice as long as your inhalation.  When practicing hatha yoga remember to soften and release in the asanas (postures) rather than pushing or forcing.  Focus on releasing and surrendering in each asana.  Avoid spices or oily foods.  Avoid critical thinking ( I know that's easier said than done but try)  When you have a critical thought - acknowledge that you may be experiencing excess pitta and at the very least, refrain from acting on that critical thought.

Try chanting "OM"  - Om = expansion which is good to counter-balance the constricting effects of too much pitta.

It's okay to relax and let go.  The world will not collapse if we relax and let go.  In the words of my dear friend, Jon, it's not your job to hold up the world.  So let go.  Relax.  As I type these words I'm aware that  I've been clinching my jaw so much that I've got a headache.  My shoulders are up around my ears and I think I've been holding my breath for most of the day.

If you're experiencing these things too, take a moment, right now and open your mouth as wide as you can, stick out your tongue, move your jaw side to side.  Relax your shoulders down and away from your ears. Now take a deep breath in....... Open your mouth and release the breath....... Aaaahhhhh..... I'm feeling better already.  What about you? 

Please feel free to share your tips or suggestions for keeping your cool when the temperature is up.

I was worried a little about offering suggestions since I'm not an expert but then I saw a bumper sticker that said:   "Noah's ark was built by amateurs .  The Titanic was built by professionals"  LOL!