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Summer

How to Make the Perfect Summer Salad

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Summertime is the time for salad—the possibilities are endless. 🌺🌱🍅 In the Virginia summers, greens grow in abundance, fruit starts popping off and there are edible flowers galore! It’s one of my favorite times of the year. ⁠

Of course Ayurveda suggests not over consuming raw food, but there are plenty of ways around this. Salads are appropriate in the hot summer months and if your digestive system is a little sluggish, you can always pair your greens with a cooked element or additional spices to support your specific needs. ⁠
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I love going to the farmer’s market in the summer and seeing what creations I can make with the various colors and shapes of the vegetables. Making food should feel like an art (of course it’s not always going to feel easy), but it is an act of creativity that can really serve you well. ⁠
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When it comes to making salads you can get really creative. Just simply think of what flavors and textures you love most and create a salad from that. For me, I love crunch, I love FAT and I love citrus. I usually end up making a big bowl of greens, some sort of seed sautéed in ghee, avocado, radishes and all of it topped with a lemon vinaigrette. I often will always add some sort of protein source. Grilled chicken, fried tempeh and hard boiled (farm fresh eggs) are all my favorite go-to forms of protein.

Here's How to Make my Perfect Summer Salad:

Salad Ingredients:

  • ½ cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 ½ cups summer greens (mix of your choice-diced)
  • 1 tbsp lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup summer cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1 handful of summer sprouts
  • Optional protein add ons: ¼ cup cooked chickpeas or grilled chicken

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp vegan mayo
  • ¼ cup fresh mint & parsley mix (diced)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Assemble all of your salad ingredients into a bowl (except the sprouts) organizing however you would like. Whisk dressing ingredients in a bowl using a fork (adding more or less apple cider vinegar depending on preference). Generously pour dressing over the salad. Garnish with fresh edible flowers and sprouts!

Enjoy! 🥬🌱🍅🌼

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Beet & Chickpea Hummus

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To further support you during this kapha season, I want to offer up one of my go-to recipes for one of my favorite grounding veggies: the beet! ⁠
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Beets are loaded with health benefits and when I eat them regularly I feel like I have some sort of super strength. ⁠
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Their rich color is a key indicator of their richness in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. ⁠
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In Ayurveda, beets can be eaten in abundance by all doshas as long as they are prepared appropriately. Vata & pitta individuals can tolerate cooked beets more so than kapha. If you are prone to have more kapha, try adding a little extra mustard seed and black pepper to your beets. ⁠
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Other benefits of beets include: ⁠
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🫜 Improves circulation ⁠
⁠🫜 Supports healthy skin⁠
⁠🫜 High in iron ⁠
⁠🫜 Good for liver detoxification ⁠
⁠🫜 Cleanses the blood ⁠
⁠🫜 Good for the brain ⁠
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I love making all sorts of dishes with beets. I’ve added beets to chocolate cakes, roasted them for salads, hummus and dressings, and have even added them to smoothies. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the beet! ⁠

Now let's get into the recipe:

Ingredients: 

  • 1-2 beets (already roasted or boiled)
  • 1 can of chickpeas drained (or you can use 1 cup freshly cooked/drained chickpeas)
  • 1 juiced lemon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • 3 Tbsp tahini (if you’re looking for an even more kapha-friendly version, you can use sunflower seed butter)
  • ¼ water
  • Olive oil for topping

Directions:

  • Add all the ingredients to a food processor (except for the olive oil). Blend until smooth (you may need to add more water to reach the desired consistency).
  • Top with a drizzle of olive oil, a little parsley or some sesame seeds!⁠

Save this recipe for the next time you need to spice up your dinner rotation or add some color to your plate. 😉🫜🌺🌿

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Rose + Mint Sun Tea

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For this recipe, just let the sun do the steeping. 🌞 Steep dried rose petals and fresh mint in a glass jar under direct sunlight for a few hours. (No need to measure perfectly - just add what you’ve got on hand!) Sip room temperature or slightly chilled throughout the day to stay hydrated and soothe Pitta. What do you get? A cooling, heart-opening, Pitta-pacifying potion that’s as beautiful as it is nourishing.⁠
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Here’s a little bit about how these plant allies help support us during the warmer months of the year…⁠
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🌹 Rose - The ultimate flower of the Divine Feminine:⁠
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• Cools the heat of both the body and our emotions (hi, Pitta spiciness 😅)⁠
• Soothes the heart and uplifts mood with its subtle, floral sweetness⁠
• Some studies have demonstrated that rose also has the potential to support the reproductive and nervous systems, and even impact dopamine levels⁠
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🌿 Mint - The crisp, clarifying herb we all need in summer:⁠
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• Helps to clear excess heat and inflammation from the gut and skin⁠
• Stimulates digestion without aggravating Pitta (exactly what we want!)⁠
• Awakens the mind while calming overactive fire in the head + heart 🔥⁠

Sip this floral elixir all day long to stay hydrated, radiant and keep your Pitta chilled out. Your inner fire goddess will thank you. 🧘🏼‍♀️

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Homemade Coconut Yogurt

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Coconut Yogurt is so delicious and easy to make. It is one of my favorite things to top onto mung daal (if using for savory dishes, exclude the vanilla and maple syrup) or to eat with berries and nuts! Plus, it helps keep the digestive system in check. I especially love it around the early spring/summer months. ⁠
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Add coconut milk, probiotic capsules, vanilla bean and maple syrup to your shopping list—it’s the perfect time to make this cool, sweet recipe! 🥄

Ingredients: 

  • 1 14-ounce can of full fat coconut milk or 1 can of heavy coconut whipping cream
  • 2 capsules of your favorite probiotics
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean powder
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
  • Dash of sea salt

Instructions:

  • Add the coconut milk to a food processor or blender and blend until it is all one consistency. Pour into a glass jar.
  • Empty your probiotic capsules into the yogurt and stir until smooth.
  • Cover the jar with a cheesecloth and a rubber band to secure.
  • Let the yogurt sit on your countertop for at least 24 hours (up to 48 hours is okay).
  • Once the yogurt has reached a thick consistency, add the remaining ingredients and store in the refrigerator. Yogurt will get thicker while it is in the refrigerator as well.
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Holistic Sun Protection and Summer Skincare Tips

This is a picture of a woman in a light white blouse holding her hand up to sheild her face from the sun. It links to a blog post about sun protection and summer skin care tips.

We are entering the late-summer season here in Virginia, and this can be a complicated time for skincare! On one hand, your skin requires more moisture from being dried out due to heat factors, which might also be making you sweat more, which oils up your skin. Throw sun exposure in there and you have a recipe for confusion and potential skin damage.

Don’t let the humidity fool you, even if you live in the tropics, air humidity cannot completely protect your skin from the drying effects of the sun (and the AC). Whatever your skin type, these sun protection and summer skincare protocols will help keep your skin in tip-top shape for the long haul.

Sun Protection From the Inside

Don’t Forget to Drink Water. Skin health starts with deep hydration. 

  • Aim to drink about 2 cups of water an hour. I recommend adding Trace Minerals, electrolytes, or one of these hydrating herbs to your water. These products changed the hydration game for me. 
  • Add a little Aloe Vera juice in the morning to your smoothie or drinking water for more cooling and hydration.
  • Avoiding diuretics like coffee will also help keep you hydrated. If it’s hot outside and the days are long, you might not even need coffee for that morning boost. Experiment with skipping it when the weather is warm. Instead, try drinking an energizing juice with vitamin C to give you a refreshing alkalizing boost in the morning.

Eat for the Sun. Make sure you’re getting Zinc and D3 in your diet. I recommend a liquid D3 supplement under the tongue for maximum absorption. Now you might be thinking: won’t I get vitamin D from the sun? Nope. What we get from the sun are the building blocks so that our body can produce vitamin D. And those special rays that help your body make vitamin D are only out when the sun is at a 30+ degree angle from where you are on Earth. You can use the app DMinder to find out when that vitamin D window is where you are in the world. 

What’s also important to keep in mind is that vitamin D3 offers skin protection and most people are low in Vitamin D3. It’s one of the only vitamins I recommend supplementing with regularly.

Some foods that also provide sun protection from oxidative damage are: polypodium leucotomos (a fern native to South America that you can find in some oral sun supplements), blueberries, carrots, watermelon, aloe, coconut oil, grapes, olive oil, avocados, sweet red peppers, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, guava, pomegranate.

Practice. Ayurveda teaches us that when the element of Fire is elevated, like during summer, we not only get physically hot and burnt out, but we’re also prone to heat-based emotions that are intense and sharp, like anger. Sitali breathing is a cooling breath exercise that's perfect for taking it down a notch. Sitala reduces Pitta dosha. I like doing this after a workout while I’m stretching, or when I’m lying down enjoying a face mask.

How to do Sitali Breathing

  • Close your eyes, breathe with awareness in your diaphragm for several minutes, then open the mouth and pucker your lips into an O shape.
  • Curl your tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth about 3/4 of an inch.
  • Inhale deeply across the tongue and into the mouth as if drinking through a straw. Notice how your breath feels cooler? Focus on that cool sensation on the tongue.
  • Withdraw the tongue and close the mouth, exhaling completely through the nostrils.
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On your Skin

Exfoliate. Powdered coconut milk is a great exfoliant. If your skin is oiler, you can also try chickpea flour, almond flour or powdered honey.

Less is more. Avoid foundation and heavy blush and bronzer if you can, especially if you live in an area that’s already heavy (humid), in addition to being hot. Instead, reach for beautifying serums that have hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and polyphenols. Let your serum dry and then add a lightweight cream or oil. This summer I’ve been using Hanacure’s Nano Emulsion Cream. It’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t clog my pores or cause oiliness, but nourishing enough that it doesn’t leave my skin feeling exposed either. I like layering this under a nice face oil at night.

Cleanse. My skin dries out too easily for me to do mud masks year-round, but when I’m hot, humid and sweaty, my skin actually likes that drying effect that a mud mask provides. Here’s how to do one: Once a week, mix bentonite clay and a little activated charcoal with apple cider vinegar until you get a nice muddy consistency and slather on your face. You can even bring it down your neck and décollete to your breasts and underarms for a detoxing lymphatic mask. Let it completely dry and then rinse it off in the shower. Follow with a hydrating serum, lightweight cream or nourishing oil.

You can also try our Amalaki summer face mask recipe.

Nourish. My favorite summer oils are Rosehip seed oil and Carrot seed oil because they are light. Carrot seed oil also has the benefit of providing a little sun protection.

Protect. 1) Wear a hat & 2) Find a natural mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Be mindful not to over use sunscreen because it does reduce your body’s ability to make vitamin D3, which ironically you need for skin sun protection. I only wear sunscreen on places that have the most potential for damage: face, décollete, shoulders, upper arms, back of hands, around armpit and behind knees and elbows. I like using Life Extension Shade Factor Mineral Sunscreen in SPF 30.

Mist. This, hands down, is my favorite thing. Misting your face three to six times a day helps keep your skin moisturized (and is the most overlooked but important skincare routine!) and cools you off. Any natural face mister will work, it just requires purified water. Some have floral essence, aloe vera, essential oils and vitamin E; but unless my skin is burnt, I prefer the plain ones best, like the Evian Facial Spray (the fine mist this one emits is perfect). It’ll make you feel like a bougie old French woman (bonjour!), but a little goes a long way and your skin will show the difference. One bottle of Evian spray lasts me 6 months and I’m never found without one.

We hope you love these skincare and sun protection tips! For more practices, techniques and simple recipes for feeling both beautiful inside and out, check out our virtual Ayurvedic spa day workshop here. 

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Amalaki Summer Face Mask Recipe

This is a picture of a plant called Amalaki. It links to an Amalaki summer face mask recipe.

Amalaki (aka Indian Gooseberry, aka Amla) is COOLING. It’s great for pitta tendency people who get overly heated (think menstrual-related acne or loose stool), especially this time of year.⁣⁠ Try this Amalaki summer face mask recipe to cool and cleanse your skin during the hot summer months!
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This herb is also a potent external medicine for hair and skin. Amalaki is a well-known rejuvenate as it gently cleanses the colon, beautifies hair and skin and is an all-around tonic for the organs. In India it's known as a super-food, youth-enhancer!⁣ It's also one of the fruits in Ayurveda's digestive formula, Triphala.⁠
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We recommend getting your amalaki powder through Banyan Botanicals who we know and love! Use code KATIES15 for a discount.⁣

Amalaki Summer Face Mask Recipe:

  1. Chop up finely a sprig of washed parsley (the parsley is optional!)
  2. Crush it up in a mortar and pestle until the juice is coming out (the bottom of the clean jar on a chopping board can suffice if you don’t have one).
  3. Add 2 teaspoons of Amalaki (Amla) powder and hot water to make a wet paste with the crushed parsley.
  4. Add a teaspoon of Manuka honey to the still warm mixture and blend them all together into a paste.
  5. The crushed parsley won’t spread consistently but this doesn’t matter as the hot water will have dispersed its compounds into the paste.
  6. You want your face mask to be the consistency of yogurt, easy to spread but not too watery/runny.

Application Instructions:

  • Apply the paste while it's still warm to freshly cleansed, damp skin.
  • Lie down in your room with mask on for 20-30mins.
  • Wash off with warm water and apply your favorite moisturizer!

This summer face mask recipe is great for blemishes but it may dry out your skin if left on too long or if used during dry months or during dry skin cycles. Use this in humid environments, in the high summer season or if you have oily skin.

If you want to take your summer self-care routine to the next level try sipping on a cooling summer herbal tea or our Rose Water Mocktail while mixing up this summer face mask recipe!

Happy at-home Ayurveda facial-ing! 😎

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Herbal Teas for Plump, Hydrated Skin

This is a picture of herbs and tea in a class. It links to a blog post about Ayurvedic herbal teas for hydrated skin

Maintaining hydrated skin in the summer (and as we age) is an inside job! However, drinking a ton of water will only do so much if your tissues aren’t actually nourished and rejuvenated from within. The demulcent herbs in these herbal teas actually hold lubricants that will plump up the skin full of water (in a youthfulness-boosting way, not a water retention way!) to give you glowing, hydrated skin! 💦

See below for our favorite demulcent herbal teas for deeply hydrated skin:

❤️ Licorice is an anti-aging, nourishment-boosting, ultimate rejuvenation herb (aka a rasayana). Its sweet, cool, and moisturizing effects help rejuvenate and hydrate all 7 tissues. We use this licorice power from Banyan Botanicals. You can use code KATIES15 for a special 15% discount on all of Banyan Botanicals' awesome products!

🌹 Rose helps to balance Sadhaka Pitta (one of the Pitta subdoshas), cooling excess heat in the blood before it erupts in our skin and balancing emotions so they don’t disturb our hearts. On those extra hot days, try our cooling Rose Water Mocktail.

🌺 Hibiscus is soothing and purifying. Its sweet, astringent and cooling properties support healthy, hydrated skin and a clear complexion.

🥀 Rose hips are sour, astringent, and warming which helps reduce vata. Rose hips contain many vitamins that make them beneficial for all skin types and are associated with anti-aging. We love these rose petals from our friends at Paavani Ayurveda.

🏵️ Last but not least, marshmallow root helps store water which helps our skin remain plump and lush. It helps rebuild our body’s water element and also boosts our hair’s lustrousness and growth!

Two other great Ayurvedic practices for glowing, hydrated skin are dry brushing and Abhyanga. Both of these practices increase blood and lymph circulation through self-massage. Learn more about these skin-health-boosting practices in our blog post, Why You Should Dry Brush (or do Abhyanga).

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Ayurvedic Mint, Pistachio and Cilantro Chutney Recipe

This is a picture of a bowl of green chutney. It links to a Ayurvedic Mint, Pistachio and Cilantro Chutney recipe blog post.

This Ayurvedic mint, pistachio and cilantro chutney recipe makes a tasty side or topping rich in herbs and spices that support digestion, detoxification and overall health.

Ayurvedic Mint, Pistachio and Cilantro Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios (soaked for 1-2 hours)
  • 1 small green chili (optional, adjust to your heat preference)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (lightly roasted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional, for cooling effect)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon rock salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black salt (optional for a tangy flavor)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil (optional for added smoothness)
  • 2-3 tablespoons water (adjust consistency as needed)

Optional Additions to this Ayurvedic Mint, Pistachio and Cilantro Chutney Recipe:

  • 1/4 teaspoon *turmeric powder: Adds anti-inflammatory properties.
  • 1/2 teaspoon jaggery or raw honey: For balancing Vata and Pitta doshas, adds a touch of sweetness.

*Use code KATIES15 for a special 15% discount on all Banyan Botanical products.⁣

Instructions:

  1. Soak the Pistachios: Soak the pistachios in warm water for about 1-2 hours. This makes them easier to blend and helps release their oils.
  2. Toast the Spices (Optional): In a small pan, lightly toast cumin and fennel seeds until fragrant. Allow them to cool slightly.
  3. Blend Ingredients: In a blender or food processor, add soaked pistachios, cilantro, mint, green chili (if using), ginger, roasted cumin, fennel seeds, rock salt, black salt, lemon or lime juice, and turmeric (if using). Blend until smooth. Add water gradually to reach your desired consistency.
  4. Adjust Seasoning: Taste and adjust salt, lemon juice, or jaggery/honey as needed.
  5. Optional Oil: Add coconut or olive oil for a richer texture. Blend again for a few seconds to incorporate.
  6. Serve: Serve fresh with meals or as a dip. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ayurvedic Considerations for this Ayurvedic Mint, Pistachio and Cilantro Chutney Recipe:

  • Vata Dosha: Reduce green chili and use a small amount of oil and jaggery/honey to ground Vata.
  • Pitta Dosha: Skip or reduce the chili and black salt, use more mint for cooling, and add fennel seeds to soothe Pitta.
  • Kapha Dosha: Skip the oil, use lime juice instead of lemon, and add more chili and ginger for heat and stimulation.

This chutney could be a great addition to an Ayurvedic spring cleanse or our Instant Pot Kitchari.

Enjoy making this flavorful mint, pistachio and cilantro chutney recipe and pairing it with your meals! 🌱

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…when you’re in a love affair with your own in …when you’re in a love affair with your own inner best friend, healer or parent and realize that you have a presence within you that offers the guidance, love and acceptance you really long for. 💞 

When you meet this inner companion, the need for outside validation begins to fade. You realize that the most powerful healing force you’ve ever known lies with your relationship to your Higher Self or personal connection to Divinity.

Or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to have one of those few special friends in your life who serves in this role for you—tag someone below who makes you feel this way. 🤝🏽
On the summer solstice, the earth is closest to th On the summer solstice, the earth is closest to the sun. Solar energy reaches a peak, and we can experience this solar energy within us on a subtle level if we pay close attention.⁠
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The solstice is a time to let our UP + OUT energy flow, experience the higher frequencies of celebration and bask in the abundance of light.⁠
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P.S. Go deeper with us into an elemental study of nature and your body’s innate wisdom in our free Women’s Wisdom and Ayurveda mini-course. Comment WISDOM below to get access now. 🌼🌿
Nature always knows how to help us stay balanced, Nature always knows how to help us stay balanced, and Mama Nature is always offering us her health-giving gifts in the form of seasonal produce! Ayurveda teaches us to eat with the seasons—in summertime, that means letting our food nourish and cool us from the inside out.⁠
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Here are my go-to summer fruits and veggies to keep that Pitta calm, your digestion happy and your skin hydrated and glowing:⁠
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🥒 Cucumbers: The ultimate Pitta soother, hydrating and cooling.⁠
🍉 Watermelon: Sweet, juicy and the perfect antidote to summer’s heat.⁠
🍓 Strawberries: Antioxidant-rich, sweet and a little astringent—the optimal light pick me up.⁠
🍑 Peaches: Hydrating and satisfying: Is there anything better than a fat, juicy summer peach!?⁠
🥒 Zucchini (and all your summer squashes): Moist, cooling and easy to digest.⁠
🍒 Cherries: Sweet and astringent goodness with heart-loving benefits.⁠
🌽 Sweet Corn: Grounding and satisfying, a perfect addition to your summer salads.⁠
🫐 Blueberries: Cooling and cleansing, while also supporting overall digestion. Their antioxidant-rich profile is just a bonus!⁠
🍇 Grapes: Grapes are kinda like nature’s perfect summer candy, amiright!? ⁠
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A few little tips I’ll leave you with:⁠
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~ Fruit is best enjoyed on its own (not with heavy meals).⁠
⁠
~ Keep it seasonal and local if you can, even if it doesn’t match this list perfectly!⁠
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~ Mid-morning or afternoon is the ideal time to consume fruit while honoring our agni’s rhythm.⁠
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Ayurveda helps us balance our mind, body and spirit from the inside out with ancient (yet timeless) healing spiritual principles. ⁠
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🌺 If you’re ready to take your journey with Ayurveda to the next level, join us in 2026 and become a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Coach. Learn more about Shakti Ayurveda School at the link in our bio.
The heart chakra is where we get a second pass at The heart chakra is where we get a second pass at our emotions—the sacral chakra says, “How does this make ME feel?” The heart says, “How does this experience affect EVERYONE?”⁠
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When we allow our emotions to rise into the heart, we can hold our own feelings alongside an awareness of the collective.⁠
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We begin to understand that we’re all touched by the same moment in different ways, because we’re each seeing through a unique lens and set of past experiences. ⁠
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Join us on June 26th from 10am-12pm ET for our next Spirit Sessions deep dive into the Heart Chakra! ⁠
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🌿 Curious what last month’s session was like? Catch a sneak peek by listening to the latest Spirit Sessions Podcast episode and get a taste of these monthly spirit-woman gatherings.⁠
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🌹 Catch the podcast and join us for the next Spirit Sessions meeting on June 26th at the link in bio.
When you try to delete your shadow work instead of When you try to delete your shadow work instead of actually doing it… 🫠🗑️

Healing doesn’t happen in one meditation practice (or even one therapy session). True healing is actually a lifetime of learning to love and accept who you really are.

Authentic self-compassion isn’t about deleting our darkness or getting rid of our shadows. It’s about developing our capacity to hold it all. ✨

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