How To Reduce Pitta In a Flash | Pitta Dosha Symptoms (2025)

With rising temperatures and increasing intensity in life, Pitta dosha can quickly escalate in our bodies and minds. Pitta intensifies rapidly and spreads like wildfire. When this occurs, maintaining our composure—both physically and mentally—becomes more challenging 🥵

Luckily, Ayurveda provides effective methods to balance Pitta, helping you prevent bothersome heat-related issues such as excessive sweating, irritability, and digestive discomfort.

Learn to recognize Pitta symptoms and learn how to keep your cool. Bonus: free Pitta cooling beverage eBook.

Explore more on the Saumya Blog, selected top Ayurveda blogs and websites.

Which Dosha is Responsible for Body Heat?

In Ayurveda, Pitta dosha is responsible for body heat. Pitta is described as hot, sharp, oily, and penetrating. When fiery Pitta flares up – we burn up and burn out. That's why reducing body heat with Ayurveda starts with reducing Pitta dosha.

Pitta Imbalance Signs and Symptoms

Pitta heat manifests in many ways, including:

17 Ways to Reduce Pitta and Body Heat with Ayurveda

Believe it or not, it’s easy to get heat out of the body with Ayurveda.

17 powerful, yet manageable, ways to reduce Pitta dosha and keep your cool:

1. Eat Cooling, Pitta-Reducing Foods

Your diet is one of the best ways to reduce body heat with Ayurveda. Focus on foods with cooling properties and high water content:

Remember to eat your main meal around noon when your digestive fire is strongest. This helps prevent excess heat buildup in the body.

Cooling Ayurvedic Recipes from the Saumya Kitchen

Looking for delicious ways to incorporate these cooling foods into your meals? Explore these original Pitta-balancing recipes from the Saumya Kitchen:

These nourishing dishes are crafted to cool your body, soothe your Pitta, and tantalize your taste buds while supporting your overall well-being.

2. Stay Hydrated with Cooling Ayurvedic Drinks

Proper hydration is essential for managing body heat. While it may be tempting, avoid ice-cold drinks as they can inhibit digestion and lead to more heat in the body over time. Try these cooling beverages instead:

Cooling Drinks from the Saumya Kitchen

There are many ways to quench your thirst and cool your Pitta with Ayurvedic beverages. Try these original recipes from Saumya Ayurveda:

These refreshing concoctions are designed to not only cool your body but also balance your doshas and support overall well-being.

3. Do Light Exercise in the Morning or Evening

Exercise is great for your well-being, but it can also heat up your body and mind. Reduce Pitta by exercising early in the morning or in the evening when temperatures are lower.

Opt for less strenuous activities like:

Remember to listen to your body and avoid overexertion, especially on hot summer days. Find a way to get exercise without leaving your body overheated and your mind overly intense.

4. Perform Ayurvedic Oil Massage (Abhyanga)

Abhyanga, or Ayurvedic self-massage, is an ideal way to relax and cool the body. Massaging cooling oils into your skin can bring you instant relief on a hot day. Use oils with natural anti-Pitta properties such as:

Massage these oils into your skin, paying special attention to your feet, hands, and scalp. This practice not only cools the body and prevents Pitta from building up and boiling over, it also calms the mind and improves our overall well-being.

5. Dress in Pitta-Cooling Clothing

According to Ayurveda, one can reduce Pitta and heat by choosing fabrics and colors of clothes that balance Pitta. This concept aligns with Surya Chikitsa, the Ayurvedic practice of color therapy or treatment.

Surya Chikitsa teaches that colors have a profound impact on our physical and mental well-being. By extending this principle to our clothing and environment, we can create a cooling effect that helps balance Pitta dosha.

Here's how to apply this wisdom:

The principles of Surya Chikitsa can be extended to your environment as well. Consider incorporating cooling colors in your home decor, such as the color of paint on the walls, furniture, or even something as simple as the color of flowers or pictures on your desk at work.

By mindfully choosing your clothing and surroundings based on these Ayurvedic principles, you can create a cooling oasis that helps keep Pitta in check throughout your day.

6. Reduce Mental and Emotional Intensity

Hot weather isn’t the only thing that heats up Pitta dosha. There’s Pitta season, of course, and Pitta-aggravating foods like alcohol, caffeine, and hot spices. But the most overlooked source of Pitta provocation is... intensity!

We live intense lives. Commuting, stressful, demanding jobs, work-life balance challenges, pandemics, and on it goes. There's a lot of intensity just navigating daily life, so where we can, we need to release the pressure and also learn how to keep it from building up.

Here are a few Pitta-friendly ways to manage stress and intensity in your life:

7. Practice Pranayama Breathwork

The way we breathe changes how energy flows throughout our bodies. If you learn to breathe diaphragmatically, you will be calmer and healthier, and you'll strengthen your mind and body connection.

So, take a deep breath – let's relax.

How To Reduce Pitta Immediately

Shitali Cooling Breath

How to perform shitali, or cooling breath:

Close your eyes and relax. Sit with your head, neck, and spine in alignment. Straight, yet relaxed.

Note: If you cannot curl your tongue, clench the teeth gently together and press your tongue up against the teeth. Inhale through the teeth, exhale through the nostrils with the mouth closed.

Benefits of Shitali Pranayama

Shitali pranayama breathwork is an excellent practice for Pitta types and those with Pitta symptoms. Hot flashes? Add this to your morningand eveningdaily routine and anytime you need to cool off and chill out.

Ready to get started? Incorporate these cooling, centering practices into your daily routine, and you will change how you feel. Empower yourself.

8. Find Balance With Nasya Oil

Nasya, the Ayurvedic practice of applying medicated oil to the nasal passages, can be a powerful tool in cooling Pitta and reducing body heat. This therapeutic treatment nourishes and cleanses the nasal passageways, considered the gateway to the brain in Ayurveda.

What is Nasya Oil? Nasya oil is infused with Ayurvedic herbs to balance the doshas, improve prana flow, and alleviate various health issues. For cooling Pitta, specific cooling herbs and oils are used in the preparation.

Benefits of Nasya for Cooling Pitta:

How to Use Nasya Oil for Cooling: Use Nasya oils with cooling ingredients like Brahmi oil, coconut oil, or ghee. Apply a few drops in each nostril in the morning or before bed. This practice helps cool the head and mind, often providing relief from headaches and mental tension.

*Note: While Nasya can benefit many, it's important to remember that Ayurveda emphasizes personalized care. An experienced Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner can help identify the correct Nasya oil blend to effectively reduce body heat and cool Pitta for your individual needs.

9. Try Ayurvedic Moon Bathing

Wondering how to do an Ayurvedic moon bath? It's simple. Go outside. Sit or lay on the ground or, if you prefer a chair or lounge chair. Whichever you choose, keep the head, neck, and spine in alignment, yet relaxed.

10. Use Cooling Mists

Soothe your skin with a cooling facial mist. Keep in the fridge and spritz if you feel a hot flash coming on. Book a free consultation to see why Saumya clients love our organic rosewater mist.

11. Embrace Aromatherapy

Use cooling essential oils like sandalwood, jasmine, or spearmint to calm Pitta. Fragrant flowers can soothe Pitta, too. So, stop and smell the roses – and the lavender, geranium, and jasmine! –it's nature's aromatherapy.

12. Practice Emotional Release:

Holding in or onto emotions aggravates Pitta. Is something or someone creating stress in your life? Conduct a reflective assessment and let go of what and who is no longer supportive.

Journal, talk with a trusted friend, or seek professional support to let go of pent-up emotions. You should feel lifted and energized after interacting with your life, not spent and irritated.

13. Incorporate Ayurvedic Daily Routines:

Establish cooling morning and evening routines to maintain balance throughout the day. Explore these Saumya guides to determine which daily rituals are right for you:

14. Be Mindful of Sun Exposure

While sunlight is essential for health, excessive exposure can aggravate Pitta dosha and increase body heat. To balance your sun exposure:

Remember, moderation is key. Some sunlight is beneficial, but protect yourself from overexposure to maintain Pitta balance.

15. Balance Social Activities

Be aware of your social energy limits and take time to recharge when needed. Be smart about events and observe what your sweet spot is for social activities. If you're prone to overheating, take it easy, don't push yourself. Pitta types may tend to push themselves, and what is needed to balance that intensity is to back off and take it easy.

16. Left Nostril Breathing | Chandra Bhedana Pranayama

Left Nostril Breathing | Chandra Bhedana (Moon-Piercing Breath)

bhedana= piercing

(chahn-drah)chandra= moon

An easy and most effective pranayama which cools the body. Single nostril breathing purifies the Chandra(moon) Nadi(channel). Nadis are energy channels in the subtle body through which prana (energy) flows.

Every hour and half, our bodies switch which nostril is dominant (most open). When the left nostril is dominant, our body cools down.

To Perform Chandra Bhedana or Left Nostril Breathing: Gently close your right nostril and simply breathing normally, inhaling and exhaling through the left nostril. This pranayama activates the parasympathetic nervous system activates, reducing adrenaline, slowly the heartrate, calming and clearing the thinking, reduces anxiety and...the body temperatures drops.

Chandra Bhedana is instantly cooling.

Recognize Pitta dosha symptoms and reduce Pitta in a flash.

Your Guide To Dosha Imbalances

If you're wondering if you have a dosha imbalances, chances are likely that you do. Peruse these comprehensive lists of signs and symptoms of dosha imbalances. Remember, you may have more than one dosha imbalance.

Peruse these comprehensive and convenient lists of signs and symptoms of dosha imbalances. As we are comprised of all Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, there can be an imbalance in any of the doshas, or a combination of dosha imbalances. Read all three lists and see if anything looks familiar.

How To Reduce Pitta In a Flash | Pitta Dosha Symptoms

Saumya Ayurveda Can Show You How!

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