New Summer Series: Let Go

​This is the first week of my new “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” 

Most of us are familiar with Yoga, but Ayurveda may be unfamiliar and mysterious. Yoga and Ayurveda grew together in India and have both been around for at least 8000 years, maybe more. Yoga focuses on physical movement, breathing and meditation while Ayurveda is concerned with diet, plant-based medicine and overall healthy lifestyle. Each week we’ll cover a different topic related to this season that Yoga and Ayurveda calls “pitta.”

In Ayurveda, Pitta is made up of water and fire elements, so its qualities are hot, oily, spreading and smelly. Sounds like a hot, humid Oklahoma day to me! Summer is here and we’re all feeling the heat.

Pitta affects us physically and mentally. Physically, we feel hot and sweaty, ready to hop in a pool or enjoy cool watermelon. Due to the heat of pitta, though, we may also have skin inflammations, sensitive eyes and loose stools.  Mentally, we can become very focused and determined, as when we’re having a sports competition with friends. The overheating of pitta, however, can lead to frustration, even anger, making it difficult to keep a lid on our emotions.

Ayurveda teaches that like increases like and opposites heal. We can INCREASE Pitta and its unpleasant symptoms by eating spicy food, getting overheated, and bottling up our negative emotions until they boil over. We can DECREASE Pitta by eating cooling foods, slowing down a little bit, being outside in Nature at dusk and dawn, and facing our emotions with maturity and clarity.

By far, the best lesson Pitta teaches us is to LET GO. 

Let go of one thing on your schedule this week so you can sit under a tree.

Let go of hard workouts so you can balance heat and cool in your body.

Let go of regrets from the past and fears about the future so you can be fully alive in the present moment.

Let go of repeating thoughts and emotions so you are free to act skillfully and with wisdom.