Summer heat makes us feel a little fiery.

On a physical level we can get dehydrated, sweaty and a little cranky from all those late nights. Because our physical bodies are so inextricably connected to our minds and emotions, we tend to get heated on the inside too; we can easily get irritable, angry, resistant, aggressive and polemic.

That’s OK. Ayurveda (India’s holistic medical system) helps us understand that summer is a fierce season of aggravated Pitta, the fire element in our bodies that can make us overheated if it gets too high.

So we can choose to sprinkle in some sweet ingredients and pleasant aromas into our days that help to add some gentleness to that heat. Excess Pitta has a need for beauty and sweetness.

What’s more sweet and beautiful to us than a Rose?

Rosewater. Because our various predecessors found a way to make the notoriously beautiful and dreamy flower ingestible, as a tool to uplift the spirit, mind and the body.

In India, Rose is a staple remedy for an agitated mind and an overheated body. Our agni, or internal fire, comes up in our eyes, so Rosewater can be sprayed externally to cool us down. It purifies our skin, heals sunburns, calms acne, cools inflammation, freshens breath, relieves stress, adds sparkle back to our eyes… the list goes on…

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Rose is a tonic for the Liver, the organ that is emotionally characterized as anger, and equates to the Pitta qualities in Ayurveda. It is valued as an herb for alleviating emotional stagnation, related to resentment and heated frustration.

One small flower has all this power to uplift us on every level.

Here’s a summery recipe that pairs calming Rosewater with cooling limes to infuse beauty and pleasantness into your day.

Limes are one of the most thirst-quenching, digestion-aiding, body-cooling (by helping us sweat), and blood-cleansing little fruits out there. You can use lemons too, but limes are more cooling and agreeable for Pitta qualities.

And we’re using cooling aloe vera and maple syrup (instead of raw sugar) for some extra Pitta calming effects.

Cheers to your new favorite refreshment and go-to mocktail!

Summer Rosewater Lime-ade Recipe:

16 oz Spring Water

1 Lime

1-2 Tablespoons of Rosewater

1-2 Tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera

1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup

Adjust to your taste.

Blend, shake, sip, smell, and uplift yourself!