Slow Down and Cool Off: How Ayurveda Can Support You in the Summer
It’s August, and it is hot here in the South. Actually, let’s be honest — it’s downright sizzling right now. That’s summer for you, and honestly, I love it. But it’s also really easy to overheat, especially if we’re keeping up a strong, active vinyasa yoga practice. That’s why I want to gently suggest hitting the pause button, just a bit, and exploring slower styles like Hatha yoga, Yin, or Restorative yoga. These practices still get you moving, but in a gentler, more cooling way.
If you had told me to slow down back in my 20s or 30s, I probably would have looked at you like you had five heads and called you crazy. Back then, I’d power through anything, no matter the heat. But now, in my 50s, I (hopefully) have gained some wisdom. These days, I’m actually willing to take my own advice: slow down, honor what my body needs, and pay attention to how the seasons affect me.
That brings me to Ayurveda. If you haven’t heard of it before, Ayurveda is yoga’s sister science — a beautiful, holistic system that supports living in harmony with the seasons, the phase of life you’re in, and your unique constitution, known as your dosha. Let’s dig into that together, and talk about some simple ways you can work with Ayurveda to stay balanced and cool this summer.
What Is Ayurveda, Really?
Let’s break this down in simple terms. Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine from India, dating back thousands of years. The word “Ayurveda” comes from two Sanskrit words: ayur (life) and veda (knowledge). So, it’s literally the “knowledge of life.”
Ayurveda looks at each person as a whole being — mind, body, and spirit — and sees health as a balance of these parts, in harmony with nature. One of Ayurveda’s key ideas is that everyone has a unique constitution, or dosha, made up of the elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether). These doshas are called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Vata is mostly air and ether — light, quick, changeable.
Pitta is fire and water — hot, intense, driven.
Kapha is earth and water — steady, grounded, nurturing.
While we all have a mix of these, one or two usually dominate.
In summer, which is considered a Pitta season (hot, bright, fiery), the heat can push Pitta types especially out of balance — but really, it can overheat any of us if we’re not mindful. Ayurveda teaches us to balance this by inviting in opposite qualities: coolness, calmness, gentleness. That’s why slowing down makes sense this time of year, no matter your age or dosha.
How Ayurveda Supports You in Summer
So, what does this look like in everyday life? Ayurveda gives us a road map for adjusting our routines to stay in sync with nature. Before I go further, let me say: I am not an Ayurvedic specialist, counselor, or practitioner. I just dabble in Ayurveda for my own health and well-being, and I’ve found its simple wisdom incredibly helpful over the years. I always recommend connecting with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner if you want to go deeper.
That said, here are a few simple ways I’ve learned to work with Ayurveda to stay balanced during these sizzling summer days:
1. Favor Cooling Foods
Summer is not the time for spicy curries or hot, heavy stews. Instead, think fresh, seasonal, cooling foods:
Salads with cucumbers, leafy greens, and fresh herbs
Watermelon, cantaloupe, and berries
Coconut water
Mint tea
Light, gently spiced dishes rather than super hot ones
If you love a sweet treat, try frozen grapes or a simple fruit sorbet. All of these help counter the summer’s fiery nature.
2. Adjust Your Yoga Practice
Instead of fiery vinyasa flows, try:
Hatha yoga with longer holds and slower transitions
Yin yoga for deep tissue release without overheating
Restorative yoga for a truly restful reset
You’ll still move and stretch, but in a way that cools you down instead of firing you up even more.
3. Shift Your Schedule
Ayurveda also suggests working with the sun’s power. In summer, practice yoga early in the morning or later in the evening when it’s cooler. Avoid exercising in the hottest part of the day (10 a.m.–2 p.m.).
4. Add Cooling Self-Care
A cool shower, especially before bed
Spritz your face with rose water
Practice Sheetali breath (the “cooling breath” — rolling the tongue into a tube, inhaling through it, and exhaling through the nose)
These little rituals can help your body release built-up heat.
5. Honor Your Natural Energy
Summer is a social season, full of activities, trips, and fun. That’s wonderful — but if you find yourself getting frazzled, Ayurveda encourages you to take breaks. Schedule time for rest, even if it’s just sitting in the shade with an iced tea and doing absolutely nothing for half an hour.
Ayurveda and Your Season of Life
Another beautiful thing about Ayurveda is that it considers your stage of life too.
In childhood, we are in a Kapha phase — all about growth and stability.
In adulthood (especially young adulthood), we tend to be in a Pitta phase — driven, ambitious, fiery.
As we move toward midlife and beyond, we shift into a Vata phase — more air and ether, sometimes more dryness and sensitivity.
That means as we get older, slowing down in summer isn’t just a seasonal strategy — it supports where we are in life, too. Personally, I’m more willing now to listen to my body’s cues, to rest, and to enjoy practices that soothe rather than push. That wasn’t the case in my 20s, but I’m grateful for the change.
See The Big Picture
If there’s one thing I’d love for you to take away, it’s this: you do not have to power through summer like a superhero. Ayurveda teaches us to live in harmony with nature — which is actually the most natural thing you can do.
This season, try:
✅ Eating cooling foods like cucumber, mint, and watermelon
✅ Practicing gentler, slower yoga
✅ Resting during the hottest part of the day
✅ Staying hydrated with plenty of water or herbal teas
✅ Adding simple self-care rituals like rose water mist or cooling breaths
Summer is a time of joy, growth, and light, but it can also lead to burnout if you don’t respect its fiery energy. Give yourself permission to slow down, honor your rhythms, and work with the season rather than against it.
Your Summer Ayurveda Challenge
To make this fun and practical, here’s a little challenge for you to try this week:
Make one cooling meal. For example, a cucumber and mint salad with a side of watermelon and a glass of coconut water.
Do one gentle yoga practice. Maybe a 30-minute restorative class or a Yin sequence.
Practice Sitali breath for 5 minutes. Breath in with your tounge curled up on the edges and let the breath draw in on the tongue feeling coolness, breath out through the mouth.
That’s it — three simple steps to bring Ayurveda to life and help you stay cool, calm, and collected this summer.
If you give this a try, let me know how it goes — I’d love to hear about your experience living in rhythm with the season. Ayurveda is such a beautiful guide, and once you start exploring it, you might find it’s exactly what your mind, body, and spirit have been craving.