Calming Anger Naturally: Ayurvedic Remedies for Pitta Imbalance

Pitta is necessary for right understanding and judgment, but when it gets disturbed or out of balance, it creates misunderstanding and wrong judgment, leading to anger and hostility. The aim is to bring the pitta back to its normal constitutional function. Here are several simple home remedies to cool down that hot pitta and keep tempers under control. Perhaps most important, a person who becomes angry easily or often should follow the DIET pitta-pacifying diet (see chapter 8), especially avoiding hot, spicy and fermented foods, citrus fruit, and sour fruit.

Favor simple, bland foods and cool drinks, and avoid alcohol and drinks with caffeine. It’s also not recommended for people with a pitta body type to take saunas or KEEP COOL steam baths, to get overheated from exercise or sports, or to be in too much direct sun. In other words: keep cool. Rub some bhringaraj oil or coconut oil on your scalp and on the soles of the feet.

OIL MASSAGE That will help to bring down the excess pitta. (See instructions for preparing herbalized ghees and oils in appendix 2.) You can do this every night before getting in bed to regularly moderate pitta. Be sure to wear some old socks and a hat, or put a towel on your pillow, to prevent the oil from staining. Another simple and effective way to help balance your emotions is to place USE SANDALWOOD OIL a drop of sandalwood essential oil on the “third eye” area between your eyebrows, as well as on the throat, breastbone, navel, temples, and wrists.

Just a small amount of oil is sufficient. Drink chamomile-tulsi-rose tea. HERBAL TEAS chamomile 1 part tulsi (holy basil) 1 part rose petal powder 2 parts Steep ½ teaspoon of this mixture in 1 cup of hot water, cool it, and then drink. You can drink it 3 times a day, after each meal.

• You can use an even simpler formula. Take ½ teaspoon of chamomile and 1 teaspoon of fresh, finely chopped cilantro leaves, and steep them in 1 cup hot water for about 10 minutes. Allow this tea to cool before you drink it. Into 1 cup of grape juice, add ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon fennel, HAVE A PITTA-PACIFYING DRINK and ½ teaspoon sandalwood powder.