How to Cultivate the Superpower of the Season: Calm

This season calls for cultivating our superpower: Calm.

Find the clarity and balance you need, all underneath your own skin.

Summer is lovely, but it can also be heating to the system. If you catch yourself being frustrated and getting angry more easily than normal, perhaps it's the pitta coming up, as it is the predominant dosha of the season. We are inspired to do and move during summer, which is why it is healthy to be active. However, there are some subtle yet powerful guidelines to keep in mind as we engage in activity, which help us stay balanced and thriving while doing all that we love. Summer is about having fun, which is why sustaining your energy in a positive way can be your best bet to staying cool, calm, and active throughout the warm season. We want to sustain our energy into the seasons ahead, and maintain a healthy, vibrant fire. Ideally, we want to prevent burnout.

Pitta is primarily ruled by the fire element, but has a bit of water as well. This means that, like our agni, we should harness the power of our fire; you can maintain a healthy, thriving flame by finding the right balance with cooling practices and empowering tools that Ayurveda inspires us with.

Pitta's fire shows in our emotions and if you already have lots of (or some) fire in you, the heat can be increased. It is best to be outdoors when sun is not too hot, ideally earlier or later times in the day. Stay hydrated and enjoy cooling drinks, yet maintain your balance with healthy spices to keep your digestion strong. And, if you tend to have a fiery nature, cultivate love and compassion. Meditation, deep breathing, and peaceful mantras and music are ideal for calming pitta. Nature is also profoundly healing for pitta.

A powerful way to break through rigidity and find more ease of being (qualities that sometimes need to be balanced in pitta) is the practice of self-massage, or abhyanga. Our favorite pick for summer is organic Brahmi Oil with Coconut oil as a base, which can also be used for a head/scalp massage, relaxing the mind. This oil brings clarity and calm, helping you sustain a clear energy when awake and at rest. Brahmi, also called Gotu Kola, is a powerful tonic for the brain and mind, which refines our clear thinking and pumps up our creativity. I love to mix this amazing oil with coffee grounds and use it as a scrub.

 

 

The aim of abhyanga is to stimulate blood flow and circulation in body, increase self-love, provide nourishment, build healthy tissues (known as dhatus in Ayurveda), and tonify our whole body (including organs and systems for healthy functioning). Coconut, by nature, is cooling and ideal for pitta, and when paired up with powerful brahmi, it supports calm and clarity in the emotional body, as well as on the physical level.

Calm is a superpower, and if you can bring it into your life daily, it will promote more clarity, productivity, and overall well-being in all areas of your life. The body and mind will feel great in the summer heat, and your skin will remain moisturized and healthy. You will also radiate a beautiful, sexy glow, which comes from the benefits of the oil PLUS the inner love you are cultivating with this powerful practice.

Think of how you feel, when you are calm:

Beautiful. Content. Free. Clear. Joyful.

These qualities all represent our purest form, known as sattva. Feeling this good is a reflection of cultivating your superpower of calm, which can begin the moment you decide to give yourself some love. Start with the powerful practice of self-massage and watch it unfold your peaceful nature.