Navigating Pitta Dosha: Gentle Care for Body & Mind
Hi and welcome! I’m Evangeline—mom, Registered Massage Therapist, Yoga teacher, and lover of all things health and wellness. I started this blog back in the early days of Covid19 as a way to stay in touch with my clients, and it’s grown into a space to share what I love most. Here you’ll find simple, nourishing recipes I make for my family, sprinkled with Ayurveda and Yoga wisdom. My hope is that these posts inspire you to care for yourself in small, joyful ways and feel a little more balanced in everyday life.
Ayurveda, the “knowledge of life,” teaches us to live in harmony with nature’s rhythms. As the seasons shift, so do our bodies and minds—adjusting diet and lifestyle with these changes supports balance, vitality,
and deep healing from within.
We are in ritusandhi, the transitional period between seasons in Ayurveda. Ritu means season, and sandhi means gap. In the northern hemisphere, this delicate phase spans roughly two weeks before and after a new season begins. During this time, the body adjusts to shifting energies, making it more vulnerable to imbalance. Ayurveda emphasizes gentle care: nourishing meals, adequate rest, and mindful routines.
During summer, pitta dosha naturally increases. Summer is a fire (agni) dominant season that leads into the drier (marut) qualities of autumn. Throughout summer, pitta can accumulate if it is not kept routinely in check. Two simple, effective ways to balance pitta are eating meals on time and avoiding bedtime later than 10 p.m. Small, consistent habits like these may seem minor, but they have a profound impact on maintaining pitta balance.
Pitta Dosha
Your fiery energy is known in Ayurveda as pitta dosha—the force responsible for digestion, metabolism, and transformation of everything that moves through your body.
Pitta is made up of five sub-doshas, each governing specific functions and located in different parts of the body:
Pachaka Pitta – the stomach, governs digestion
Ranjaka Pitta – the liver, seat of digestion, major detox organ, cleans the blood, digests fats
Sadhaka Pitta – the heart, linked to emotions and intelligence
Alochaka Pitta – the eyes, governs vision
Bhrajaka Pitta – the skin, regulates complexion and temperature
Liver’s Vital Role
The liver, known as the seat of digestion in Ayurveda, is responsible for over 500 vital functions, including filtering toxins, regulating metabolism, and maintaining emotional equilibrium. And since digestion is viewed as the root of health—or disease, caring for the liver is essential for overall long-term health.
Why Lunchtime Matters
Pitta rules between 10 a.m.–2 p.m., with digestive fire (agni) peaking around midday. This makes it the ideal time for your main meal. Skipping or delaying meals can irritate the liver, increase internal heat, and trigger inflammation.
The Cost of Staying Up Late
Pitta also rules between 10 p.m.–2 a.m., the body’s natural window for detoxification and repair. Staying up late, especially under artificial light, can overstimulate the liver and mind, leading to irritability, overheating, and digestive issues.
Over time, accumulation of pitta dosha leads to deeper imbalances. Signs may include irritability, overheating, poor digestion, skin and eye discomfort, and eventually more chronic issues such as ulcers, inflammatory conditions, or autoimmune disorders.
Simple Ways to Balance Pitta
Eat regularly, with your largest meal at midday.
Favor cooling foods: leafy greens, squash, pears, apples, berries; herbs and spices like coriander, fennel, mint, and rose.
Limit spicy, salty, and overly dry foods.
Move gently in nature, walk in gardens, along the beach, or shaded trails.
Wind down and sleep before 10 p.m.
Stay hydrated with room-temperature water or herbal teas like fennel, rose, or hibiscus.
By honoring these seasonal rhythms and caring for pitta intentionally, we can maintain digestive balance, emotional calm, and long-term vitality—flowing into autumn with ease and clarity.
References
Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Notes from Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015
