Dubai, UAE: As temperatures and humidity soar across the GCC, RAKxa Integrative Wellness, Thailand’s premier wellness destination offers its top five tips for maintaining health and vitality during the region’s hottest months. Drawing from the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM), and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), these tips are designed to balance the body’s fire element, which is often aggravated during summer.
In these Eastern healing practices, the fire element represents the system of heat and metabolism in the body, which is centred around the abdominal area near the solar plexus chakra. When imbalanced, it can lead to physical and mental discomfort. Physically, imbalances can cause digestive issues like bloating and diarrhoea, nausea and acid reflux, increased body temperature, excessive sweating, and skin rashes. Heat build-up can also lead to migraines and headaches. As the solar plexus chakra also affects self-esteem and emotional regulation, when blocked by an elevated fire element, it can cause increased irritability, aggression, mood swings, and frustration.
To prevent the negative effects of summer heat on the body, RAKxa shares evidence-based tips across its five pillars of wellness.
Nutrition
During summer, it’s best to consume bitter, sweet, and astringent foods to cool and detoxify the body, reducing internal heat and inflammation. Bitter foods like leafy greens (kale, spinach, dandelion greens) help clear heat and balance Pitta, the dosha associated with metabolism, clear thinking, and a radiant complexion. Sweet foods, including melons, grapes, and berries, are naturally cooling and hydrating, reducing internal heat. Astringent foods such as pomegranates, legumes, broccoli, and cauliflower have a cooling and drying effect, absorbing excess moisture and preventing digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea.
Exercise
Adapt your exercise routine to account for the increased heat by engaging in physical activities during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening. Moderate exercise helps circulate energy (Prana or Qi) throughout the body, preventing stagnation and the buildup of excess heat. Recommended practices include:
Yoga: Focus on cooling and restorative poses like forward bends, twists, and gentle inversions.
Tai Chi and Qi Gong: Engage in slow, deliberate movements with deep breathing to cool the body and calm the mind.
Swimming: Stay active and cool with a full-body workout in the water.
Walking: Take gentle walks in shaded areas or during cooler parts of the day for cardiovascular health and energy circulation.
Stress Management
Managing stress is crucial for balancing the body’s fire element during the summer months. Stress can exacerbate the effects of heat, leading to emotional and physical imbalances. Practices to reduce stress include:
Meditation: Regular mindfulness meditation to calm the mind and reduce stress.
Sound Healing: Use sound healing techniques, such as tuning forks or singing bowls, to promote relaxation and balance energy.
Pranayama: Controlled breathing exercises to enhance relaxation and cool the body.
Restorative Treatments
Specific Eastern therapies, available at RAKxa, that help combat overheating during summer and re-balance the fire element include:
Mano Maya (Ayurveda): Medicated oil to drip onto the third eye to address sleep difficulties related to excess heat build-up.
Thalapotichil (Ayurveda): Applies a herbal paste to the head to cool and rejuvenate the body.
Scalp Acupuncture (TCM): Microneedling the head and scalp combined with acupressure massage helps to stimulate specific points and alleviate tension, headaches and overheating. This technique helps to increase blood and qi flow to the head, decreasing inflammation and promoting deep relaxation and sleep.
Thai Pure Nutrient Hair and Scalp Massage (TTM): Uses cooling herbs applied to the head to balance internal heat and soothe the mind.
Rest
Consistent, restful sleep helps regulate internal heat and recover from stress. Incorporate cooling herbs like mint or chamomile into your nightly routine through teas or essential oils to promote relaxation. Shiro-Abhyanga, an Ayurvedic self-massage with warm herbal oils to the scalp, pacifies the Pitta dosha and induces deep relaxation by stimulating specific marma (vital energy) points on the head. Tibetan singing bowls use vibrating sounds to relieve stress and align brain frequency, creating a deep sense of peace and promoting better sleep.
By incorporating these holistic practices, you can restore harmony to your body and mind, staying healthy, energised, and comfortable all summer long.
