Anger and Hostility

Anger and hostility are signs of aggravated pitta in the nervous system. 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.

DIET. Perhaps most important, a person who becomes angry easily or often should follow the 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.

KEEP COOL. It’s also not recommended for people with a pitta body type to take saunas or steam baths, to get overheated from exercise or sports, or to be in too much direct sun. In other words: keep cool.

OIL MASSAGE. Rub some bhringaraj oil or coconut oil on your scalp and on the soles of the feet. 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.

USE SANDALWOOD OIL. Another simple and effective way to help balance your emotions is to place 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.

HERBAL TEAS. Drink chamomile-tulsi-rose tea.

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.

HAVE A PITTA-PACIFYING DRINK. Into 1 cup of grape juice, add ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon fennel, and ½ teaspoon sandalwood powder. This cooling, pitta-pacifying drink will help to settle angry feelings and other pitta symptoms such as burning in the stomach.

GHEE NASYA. Dip your little finger into a jar of brahmi ghee (or plain ghee if you haven’t made brahmi ghee), and lubricate the inside of your nostrils with a small amount. (Make sure your nails are trimmed so you don’t scratch yourself.) Then gently inhale the ghee upward. This sends a calming message to the brain. You will become quite tranquil; anger and hostility will dissolve like a cloud in the sky.

DO BREATHING EXERCISES. A cooling pranayama to help dissipate anger is shitali pranayama. Make a tube of your tongue; breathe deeply through your mouth down into your belly; hold the breath for a few seconds; exhale through your nose. Do about 12 repetitions. (See the illustration in chapter 6.)

YOGA POSTURES. Good yoga asanas for pitta include the Camel, Cobra, Cow, Boat, Goat, and Bridge poses. (See appendix 4 for illustrations of yoga postures.) Avoid the Headstand or other inverted poses such as the Plow and Shoulder Stand. Do not perform the Sun Salutation; do the Moon Salutation instead.

MEDITATE. There is an ancient method of meditation that involves watching your every emotion come and go, without either naming it or trying to tame it. As the feelings arise, breathe deeply, and exhale the emotions out.