Suresh felt completely exhausted from roaming in the blazing sun the entire day. He was totally drenched in a stream of sweat. The scorching heat of summer tests our patience every day. ‘There are so many inventions happening in this world. Then why hasn’t anyone invented a handy AC or Fan?’ Suresh asked, exhausted from his everyday trouble.
In this season, like Suresh, we are all eagerly waiting for the environment to cool down. This important aspect has already been described in the old books of Ayurveda(Granth). Therefore, the use of fans, coolers and air conditioners is a must in this season. We can use Khas curtains to maintain coolness in the room. Sprinkling water on these curtains can create more coolness. The blow from fans and coolers can cause problems for some people such as a cold or feeling heaviness in the body. These people should take care that the blow of air should not be directly on their body. In this season, we should take care of one important thing. We must avoid going directly into an air-conditioned room when we have just come from the outside heat. Similarly, we should avoid going outside directly from an air-conditioned room. This sudden difference in temperature can be harmful to our body.
We can use cold water for drinking and bathing as well. Tools like showers and bathtubs are also useful. Wrapping a wet napkin or handkerchief on our body gives us continuous coolness. The constant cold touch makes the hot summer comfortable.
In this season, it is advisable to wear silk or cotton clothes while going out. The clothes should be loose and made of soft fabric. Dark coloured clothes increase heat. Therefore, it is beneficial to wear light colored or white clothes in this season. It is mandatory to use caps and umbrellas to protect ourselves from the sun. The intensity of heat is harmful for our eyes as well. Hence, we must use goggles while roaming in the sun. It is better to avoid going out in the afternoon heat.
Whenever we come from outside, from the extreme heat of the sun, it is necessary to take care of one important thing. We always wash our face immediately after coming from outside. This is harmful for the strength of our eyes. Therefore, after coming from outside, we must wait for some time. Once the body temperature reduces to room temperature, we can wash our face with cold water.
In Grishma Rutu, if possible, try to avoid excessive exercise as this can cause more fatigue. Among them, exercises like swimming would be more useful. It is better to just sit in the water for a long time rather than swimming too much. If you still want to exercise, slow walking in the morning and evening when it is not sunny is desirable. Doing such exercises for a long time is not recommended.
In Grishma Rutu, dryness in the body keeps increasing. We have also seen that Vaat dosha increases and loss of strength also happens in this season. Considering this, an afternoon nap is very beneficial. In other seasons, sleeping in the afternoon is not recommended in terms of health. However, in this season, it is considered to be necessary. We should sleep on the terrace or in the open courtyard, in the moonlight. The coolness of stars is very beneficial during this time. Activities like sitting or roaming in moonlight should be done frequently.
We should apply lep(coating) of cool herbs like Chandan(sandalwood), Kapur, Nagarmotha on our bodies in summer. It helps to reduce body heat. Also, these scented herbs keep our mind fresh. We can use fragrant flowers like Mogra(Jasmine), Jai and Jui for this purpose. Different types of scents, Attar and deodorants can be used freely to keep ourselves refreshed.
Dr Mayuresh Aagte