Is this extraordinary heat affecting you?
It’s affecting me, and a lot of it is my fault.
I’ll explain why, and maybe this might help you as well.
Last week I was on holiday in Portugal enjoying the sunny days as you would while on holiday. We would go out somewhere in the morning before the heat started, then in the afternoon I would either sit in the shade or take an afternoon nap. And then I would venture out again in the late afternoon or at dinner time. I was drinking a lot of water and having cool showers before going to bed and eating cooling foods. Bliss.
So what has happened to my common sense since I have returned home????
We are not used to hot temperatures here in the UK. I’m not used to hot temperatures here in the UK. I’m always complaining about the weather not being hot enough here. You see I was born in Australia and our summers were hot and long. I think I have a romantic memory of Australian long hot summers without actually remembering the down sides.
I have been in the UK for over 20 years and have forgotten what those long hot summers were like and, I have acclimatised to the UK weather.
This is what I have forgotten over the last couple of days. I think I got over excited and I have spent too long in the sun.
Well, now I have been suffering.
Yesterday and the day before I spent a lot of time out in the garden. I have been wearing a singlet top and shorts and a cap. I felt great. I don’t remember drinking a lot of water though because I was way too busy gardening. We had a nice bottle of Rosé sitting in the garden last night and I had a light dinner but then started snacking on crisps.
Just before I went to bed I started to feel quite odd and a bit aggressive. I was having a conversation with my husband and I my voice rose a few times. When he pointed this out to me I said I was just passionate. But in retrospect maybe this was the first sign of my Pitta inbalance.
I didn’t have a cool shower before going to bed last night which was a bad move. My system was warming up fast.
Everything was ok until about 3am. According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, chi, prana, blood becomes most active in the gallbladder and liver from about 11pm to 3am. My liver was working overtime. It was heating up and so was I. At one point I had no more bed clothes to strip off and I was burning up. I probably should have had a cool shower then and there but I felt too awful. My kind husband got me a cold flannel and I placed it on my liver side which helped a bit, until that heated up as well. I probably drank 1.5 litres of water and I was still thirsty. This lasted for about an hour and then the headache started.
It is a headache that is immediately recognised by me. I get this headache a few days before my period and sometimes when I ovulate. It usually lasts for 24 hours and it always starts at night. When I checked my diary this morning I noticed that I am due for my period in the next few days so that’s the reason for the hormonal headache. No wonder my system was over heating, my hormones were at it as well.
I moved into the spare room so that my poor hubby could sleep and tried to relax. I did some breathing and visualisation which helped and eventually I fell asleep.
So, what have I learnt and how am I remedying the situation today?
Firstly, Im not that young Australian spring chicken who used to love being in the sun anymore.
Secondly, practise what you preach to your clients about imbalance.
Today I am enjoying a lot of water and in particular this wonderful tea
I am eating cooling fruit, Ive just had lovely nectarines and I will have watermelon.
Tonight will be veg of some sort. No meat – meat heats the system
No booze – alcohol heats the system.
I have spent most of the day in my lovely therapy room in the basement of my home which is very cool. I will venture out into the garden later when the sun is milder, and I will have a cool shower before going to bed tonight.
I hope this has been of some help to you.
Its all about awareness, take note of what your body is telling you before its too late.
Enjoy the weather.
Eastgate Therapies 