Cleansing is an ancient tradition that focuses on healing and replenishing both the body and mind. An Ayurvedic cleanse for pitta dosha works to bring optimal healing for those with a pitta constitution by focusing on reducing heat, building ojas, and leaning into a heavy dose of self-compassion.
Ayurvedic Cleanse For Pitta
Not sure if you’re pitta dominant? Discover this comprehensive guide to the pitta dosha to discover if this sounds like you.
How do you determine if you need an ayurvedic cleanse? These pitta imbalance signs and symptoms will help you determine if a cleanse is necessary for you or not.
Routine During Ayurvedic Cleanse for Pitta
To begin a Pitta cleanse, it’s important to adjust your routine to balance the Pitta dosha. Here’s what a sample day of activities looks like:
Morning Routine
- Wake before 7a, or just before sunrise.
- Take care of your oral hygiene through tongue cleaning and oil pulling to eradicate toxins and reduce ama from entering the digestive tract.
- Practice nasya to relieve stress, protect against irritants, and build ojas.
- Find moments of stillness through meditation or cooling pranayama such as sitali. Learn more pranayama exercises and techniques to find the best fit for you.
- Stimulate your lymphatic system to further encourage cleansing through abhyanga. Coconut oil is the optimal oil for the pitta dosha as it is cooling.
- Enjoy non-competitive exercise and activities such as yoga, swimming, and hiking.
- Drink warm (not hot) Pitta balancing teas.
Throughout the Day
- Eat your largest meal at lunch. Between the hours of 10a-2p, pitta energy is strongest, and thus your Agni (digestive fire) is at its strongest as well.
- Rest when you need to.
- Stay hydrated.
- Eat a light dinner by 7p.
Evening Routine
- Begin to wind down by 8p. Turn off all electronics and discover calm activities such as reading, stretching, journaling, or drawing.
- Enjoy Triphala tea.
- In bed by 10pm.
Diet During an Ayurvedic Cleanse for Pitta
It’s crucial during an ayurvedic cleanse for pitta that your diet is simple and clean. Start by removing or limiting aggravating foods such as red meat, dairy, processed, fried, canned, frozen food, alcohol, drugs, and caffeine and focusing on whole foods for optimal nourishment, such as beets, berries, potatoes, squash, and dark leafy greens.
The intention behind a clean and unprocessed diet is to ease your body’s digestion, so it can focus on more necessary tasks of processing and eliminating built-up toxins from your body. A suggested diet for an ayurvedic cleanse for pitta is rice porridge and kitchari. According to Ayurveda, kitchari is the most digestible food to consume, therefore making it ideal for cleansing. Try for yourself with this kitchari recipe.
For daily dietary support, learn what foods to eat and what to limit for the pitta dosha.
Pitta Supporting Herbs
Herbal support during an ayurvedic cleanse for pitta should be nourishing and cooling. Pitta is very hot, and thus, it’s important not to add any extra heat to an already hot dosha. Chyawanprash is the ideal herbal supplement for pitta because it is a fully rounded ayurvedic medicine containing all ayurvedic 6 tastes, offering complete balance. Chyawanprash is nourishing while also supporting proper detoxification. Learn more about the benefits of chyawanprash. Take 1 tsp of chyawanprash in the morning for optimal clarity, focus, and overall bodily functioning.
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Clare Michalik, Ayurvedic Practitioner, @clareminded
