June is when summer's heat starts to deplete the body. Every one-degree rise in body temperature makes your heart beat ten extra beats per minute, which is why a flushed face shows up so quickly in summer and why people get exhausted faster than they expect. Ayurveda's June practices are about staying ahead of that: hydrate with electrolytes, clear excess heat from the liver while berries are still here, choose lime over lemon, and protect the heart and the eyes before August catches up with you.
Why June is heart season
With every one-degree rise in body temperature, the heart beats an extra ten beats per minute. That is why it is so common to get a flushed face in summer. It can result in quickly getting exhausted. So we go through the month talking about how to avoid burnout in summer.
How summer dehydration depletes you
Don't get overheated. That starts now.
If you get overheated, the heat draws out the bodily fluids and dries you up. We are a water-based system. What makes the earth unique is that it is mostly water, and so are we.
People think it is normal to be drenched in sweat, but these things dry you out. By August, you will be too dried out and depleted. It shows up as anxiety, constipation, and dry skin.
That first cool day in late August, the body can feel that winter is coming and starts to pull from the blood, and the blood becomes too thin. People go into the season of cold too dry, and that starts right now.
Avoid the dry foods. Crackers, chips. They feed the dryness.
The June hydration toolkit
Pomegranate mocktail. Pomegranate, maple water or coconut water, aloe, fresh mint. Helps you hydrate and remove excess heat.
Coconut water. Nature's perfect electrolyte, especially if it is fresh from the coconut. Mix it with pineapple juice to spice it up and get more electrolytes and variation. Pineapple has a lot of enzymes, makes a wonderful electrolyte drink. Vatas and pittas do well with straight coconut water. Vatas do better with pineapple juice. Everyone can use these things; it is about amount.
Start using lime instead of lemon. Don't forget that lime is more cooling and drying than lemon. A homemade limeade is a June classic. Rinse your teeth after drinking citrus to protect the enamel.
Bitter is the taste for clearing summer heat
Bitter is a fantastic taste for moving excess heat, especially in small amounts. It is better if you add it into something unctuous and cooling, like ghee or coconut oil. Neem infused into coconut oil is a classic Ayurvedic skin rash remedy. So is aloe.
Aloe is cooling and emulsant and flushes the liver, but don't overdo it because it could decrease digestive juices. Topically it is fantastic.
Berries are your last chance to move the lymph and clear the liver
Berries are the last chance to move the lymph and clear the liver as we head into deeper summer. Eat the fresh berries while they are here.
Blueberries are very cooling. The constituent that makes them blue is particularly for clearing liver heat.
Tart cherries (not sweet cherries) are very good for clearing the liver.
Moon bathing and blue-bottle water for liver heat
Drinking water that has been soaked in a blue bottle under the moon is a special treat for the liver. Even just moon bathing, laying outside when the moon is out at night, is a practice. Not staring at the moon, but being outside when the moon is out.
How to know your dosha by how summer heat hits you
You know you are a Vata if you love the hot, humid weather, because moisture plus heat equals bliss for the Vatas.
You know you are a Pitta if the heat makes you irritable.
You know you are a Kapha in summer because you will more easily trap heat, and that may be nice in the beginning since Kaphas tend to be cool. But you need to be more careful: you trap heat more easily than the Vatas. Vata and Kapha are both cold. Kapha is cold and Vata is freezing.
Eye care for summer
Eyes are damaged by too much heat. Get up in the morning and splash cool water on your eyes, or use rose toner. We don't want the eyes to get too hot this summer.
Your senses are your navigational tools, they are your jewels. The eyes are incredibly delicate. They need lubrication, not to get too hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the #1 thing to focus on in Ayurveda in June? Don't get overheated. June is heart season and the start of the depletion cascade that hits you in August if you let yourself get too dried out. Hydrate with electrolytes (coconut water, pomegranate mocktail), eat the berries while they are here, and choose lime over lemon.
Why are berries important in June? Berries are the last chance to move the lymph and clear the liver before deeper summer. Blueberries are very cooling (the constituent that makes them blue clears liver heat). Tart cherries (not sweet) are excellent for clearing the liver.
What's the difference between lime and lemon in Ayurveda? Lime is more cooling and drying than lemon. For summer, switch to lime. Rinse your teeth after drinking citrus to protect the enamel.
What does moon bathing do in Ayurveda? Moon bathing means being outside when the moon is out at night (not staring at the moon). It is cooling for the liver. Water soaked in a blue bottle under the moon is a special treat for the liver.
How do I know if I'm a Pitta in summer? You know you are a Pitta if the heat makes you irritable. Vatas love hot humid weather. Kaphas trap heat more easily than they expect and need to be careful even though they tend to be cool.