🔥 Is it hot in here or is it just my Pitta dosha influencing my body heat? 🔥

Ayurveda teaches that the Pitta dosha influences heat in the body. To take control of your body heat you likely want to stabilize any pitta imbalance. In this post, I’ll go through body heat and how to reduce body heat according to Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic Doshas And Body Heat

Ayurveda is an ancient form of medicine originating in India (and the sister science to yoga btw). It identifies three primary doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—that govern various physiological and psychological functions in the body. Each dosha is associated with different qualities, and Pitta, in particular, is linked to fire or heat.

Let’s review:

VATA

Elements: Air and Space
Light, cool, and dry
Governs all movement including blood circulation
Very cooling effect on excess body heat

PITTA

Elements: Fire and Water
Hot, sharp, and oily
Governs Digestion and Metabolism
Increases body heat generated

KAPHA

Elements: Water and Earth
Smooth, Moist, and Steady
Governs the structure of the body
Cool and moist qualities can reduce body temperature

Your specific constitution will be unique to you. You may be 40% Vata, 35% Pitta, and 25% Kapha. This is why it’s important to know your dominant dosha. In order to do the things that keep balance within your unique body. Take my dosha quiz to find out yours!

Keeping your doshas in balance is the key to good health in Ayurveda. I’ve written a lot on how to keep your doshas balanced, but working with a licensed practitioner of ayurveda who can assess your body properly is a fantastic option if it is within your means.

What Causes Excessive Body Heat?

According to Ayurveda excessive body heat is often attributed to an imbalance in the Pitta dosha.

Pitta, associated with the elements of fire and water, is responsible for metabolic processes, digestion, and the regulation of body temperature. When Pitta becomes aggravated, it can lead to an accumulation of heat in the body, manifesting as symptoms of excessive body heat. Understanding the factors that contribute to Pitta imbalance allows for the implementation of Ayurvedic principles to restore harmony and cool the body.

Here are some of the common causes of pitta imbalance:

Dietary Choices: Consuming excessive amounts of spicy, sour, and pungent foods can aggravate Pitta.
Emotional Stress: Emotional imbalances, especially anger, frustration, and stress, contribute to increased Pitta.
Environmental Factors: Exposure to excessive heat, sunlight, and hot climates can exacerbate Pitta dosha.
Hormonal Imbalances: Fluctuations in hormones, particularly those associated with the menstrual cycle, can influence Pitta.
Inadequate Hydration: Insufficient water intake hampers the body’s ability to balance internal temperature.
Overworking and Overexertion: Excessive physical activity and strain without adequate rest can aggravate Pitta.
Sleep Deprivation: Lack of proper sleep disrupts the body’s natural cooling processes and contributes to Pitta imbalance.

Ayurvedic Medicine For Body Heat

Ayurveda offers ideas to reduce heat in the body that have been used for many many years. These ayurvedic tips have a deep history alongside the History of Yoga.

As sister sciences, they work together to create an ideal lifestyle blueprint. Every single body is different though, trust your direct experience with your body. Use these tips from Ayurveda as a guide to find out what works in your own body.

If you’re ever feeling like your internal thermostat is on overdrive, then try these ayurvedic medicine tricks to bring that body heat down.

Sip on Cucumber and Mint Infused Water: Toss some cucumber slices and fresh mint into your water. It’s not just a spa drink; Ayurveda swears by it for cooling down.
Try Amla (Indian Gooseberry) Juice: Imagine a berry that’s like a superhero against excess heat. Amla is just that! You can find it as a juice, and it’s both refreshing and Ayurvedically approved.
Cool down with Coconut water: Coconut water and a bit of fresh coconut in your meals – it’s like a tropical vacation for your body. Ayurveda loves coconut for its cooling vibes.

How To Reduce Body Heat Ayurveda

When you are suffering from excessive sweating and increased body temperature, try these Ayurvedic tips for cooling down:

Stay Hydrated

Maintaining a balanced pitta dosha means you need to stay hydrated! Cool water or even coconut water has a cooling effect on the digestive system. If you are noticing excess heat in the body, start by adding a cool liquid to your system for the quickest relief.

Keep hydrated by drinking cooling herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint.

Beware of Iced drinks. The key word above was “cool” not iced. These drinks can really aggravate your Kapha dosha and many Ayurvedic practitioners recommend skipping these extremely cold beverages altogether.

Eat Cooling Foods

To encourage Pitta balance and reduce excessive heat, Ayurveda recommends you eat more cooling foods like cucumber, mint, coconut, and coriander. Incorporating these into your diet uses food as medicine for reducing body heat.

According to Ayurveda, there are 6 possible tastes that food can have. They are Sweet, Salty, Sour, Pungent, Bitter, and Astringent tastes. Each taste will have a different effect on the body. You can use these taste profiles to make changes in your dosha.

Bitter and astringent tastes will balance pitta energy and reduce body heat. Some of my favorites include:

Pomegranates
Cranberries
Green and Black teas
Artichokes

Do not skip meals if your pitta dosha is imbalanced. A balanced Pitta wants to eat at regular intervals. I know, when you are overheated you may not feel the need to eat, but you should still eat foods that cool and balance your pitta dosha and reduce body heat.

The foods that you eat have a large impact on your digestive fire (Agni). In Ayurveda, foods are considered either cooling or warming. If you are looking to combat the excess heat in the body, stay away from spicy foods, sour cream, and other sour foods.

Stick with foods that cool you from within. Foods like green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits are great! Avoid citrus fruits and hot peppers that will not reduce body heat. Instead go for leafy greens, whole grains, or even cumin seeds that will reduce pitta.

Give yourself a massage

You can also use cooling oils, such as coconut oil or other herbal oils, to give yourself a full body massage. It may sound counter-intuitive, but the massage will improve blood circulation which helps to maintain body temperature.

Work to bring that body heat down by working to balance those hormones too.

Aloe vera has an impactful cooling effect on the skin. This makes perfect sense because I know when my body heat starts to get out of hand it can manifest as a rash on my skin. What do I reach for when I’ve got a skin rash or sunburn? Aloe vera of course!

You could also stay cool with some aloe vera juice. Internally aloe vera juice aids in healthy digestion and will reduce pitta energy!

Call on the Water Elements

If coconut oil or herbal teas aren’t able to reduce heat, try calling water elements. Take a cooling shower or if possible find a river or lake to take a dip in. Mother Earth is covered in beautiful calm water. You can bring your body temperature down by soaking your skin in her cooling water.

Practice Sitali Pranayama

sitali and sitkari calm the nervous system

When the summer temperature is increasing your body heat, why not try breathing to reduce body heat? Sitali Pranayama is calm in the form of breath. This breathing exercise will reduce body heat while your body temperature is high.

If you’ve never done this breathing technique before, don’t worry, it’s easy to learn Sitali Pranayama.

Closing Thoughts

Excessive body heat can manifest in a multitude of symptoms. Of the very least, being hot and sweaty often is not fun. Ayurvedic lifestyle choices can prevent this, among other health problems, and promote well-being.

If excessive heat in the body is causing health issues for you, I encourage you to use some of these ayurvedic tips to reduce body heat. As I mentioned above, seeking out a professional can help to specifically target your needs. A great place to start is to keep your stress down, enter your lovely yoga practice, and eat cooling food to reduce body heat.

You can also check out my new book Yoga Life: Habits, Poses, and Breathwork to Channel Joy Amongst The Chaos to determine your dominant dosha and how to use this knowledge to bring balance into your everyday life.

Next Steps

If you’re interested in practical kriya yoga as a way to improve your daily life and relationships, check out my Yoga for Self Mastery course.
Order my Yoga Life book for a practical guide to creating balance in your life through yoga.
Check out my YouTube channel and find some yoga classes that you can try out for yourself!

How To Reduce Body Heat According To Ayurveda