The heat’s hitting us hard everywhere, which is why we’re blasting our handheld fans, making ice cream with frozen fruit and spending our time in the proximity of our nearest water body. But even our best attempts are no match for the blistering temperatures; it seems that the heat is still finding a way to seep into our bodies and exacerbate a plethora of ailments. In this part of the world where humidity plagues us all throughout the year, we’ve found ways to cope: bamboo mats, rattan furniture and cooling concoctions, to name a few. My mother’s brew of choice involves rock sugar and snow pears, along with other Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ingredients. Rather than simply focusing on exterior cooling, TCM turns that attention inwards to address internal heat. In fact, beyond the weather, Chinese Medicine practitioner Chee Hee Seng adds that heat can come from other factors—like diet and lifestyle, as well as a yin deficiency. According to Ayurvedic science, pushing through intense workouts can also trap heat inside the system, expounds yoga and Ayurveda educator and founder of Sol House Candice Goh. Beyond the quick-and-easy methods of cooling off, here’s how heat can be addressed more holistically—with the aid of TCM and Ayurveda principles.
The body in heat
In TCM, Seng explains that the body is seen as an interconnected whole that is in constant interaction with the environment, our emotions, diet, lifestyle and the natural world. Health is characterised by maintaining balance between yin and yang; between different organ systems; between our body and the environment around us. When the balance is disrupted, symptoms start to appear and illness shows up. Feeling ‘heaty’ might seem to only be related to high temperatures, but there are a few causes:
- A hot and humid external environment
- A diet that consists primarily of spicy, fried, oily, greasy or heavily processed foods, which can contribute to the accumulation of internal heat especially when the digestive system is unable to process these foods effectively.
- Internal imbalance, like a yin deficiency. Yin represents the nourishing, cooling and moisturising aspects of the body. When yin and body fluids are insufficient, the body can develop what is referred to as ‘deficiency heat’.
It can present in the body in two ways: excess heat, which is identifiable by symptoms like sore throat, mouth ulcers, acne, red eyes, constipation or feeling irritable. In this case, the primary aim would be to clear heat. Deficiency heat, however, can be described as having insufficient water to cool the body, which can lead to dry mouth, night sweats and thirst. Remedying this would require nourishing yin.
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Ayurveda, Goh expounds, views the body as a living microcosm of the universe, woven together by five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. Even though ‘heatiness’ is more closely associated with TCM, excess heat is still equally as concerning in Ayurveda. It manifests as an imbalance in Pitta dosha, which is a mind-body energy made up of both the fire and water elements. Since Ayurveda operates on the principle of ‘like attracts like, while opposites create balance’, excess heat accumulates in the body when we consume or expose ourselves to factors that match the hot, sharp and oily nature of the Pitta. The ambient heat of Southeast Asia makes us more vulnerable, but internal heat can be further exacerbated by consuming fried, spicy, sour or overly salty foods. Alcohol, excessive caffeine, fermented foods and pushing the body also lend a hand in overheating the system.
When the Pitta dosha flares, the effects are both physical and emotional. Rashes, inflammation, acute headaches and intense thirst are the physical ailments, but excess heat can also look like irritability, impatience and the general feeling of being tightly-wound.
Fires everywhere
Of all the factors that contribute to heat accumulation, Seng highlights diet as the most critical of the lot. In TCM, spicy foods have a warming and dispersing nature, while greasy and sweet foods can affect digestion and contribute to what is often called ‘food stagnation’, or ‘dampness’. The spleen and stomach are responsible for transforming food into energy and nutrients, so overloading them with difficult-to-digest foods can cause imbalances to develop.
If Goh had to pinpoint the most potent catalyst, she boils it down to unprocessed emotional heat and overexertion. “We often think of heat only as food or weather, but intense ambition, unresolved anger, perfectionism and relentless multi-tasking kindles an internal fire faster than a bowl of chillies,” she elaborates. Even a lifestyle habit like eating on the go can cause the sadhaka Pitta—a subtype of Pitta governing the heart and mind—to become aggravated, which triggers systemic heat all throughout the body.
Ultimately, though, Seng elucidates that heatiness, or excess heat, is rarely caused by a singular factor. More often, it is a combination of diet, stress levels, sleep health, physical environment and a person’s individual constitution—according to TCM.
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Putting out the flame
The instinct, especially in Southeast Asia, is to douse ourselves in icy drinks and coop up in air-conditioned spaces. Yet, Goh reminds us that as much as opposites are meant to restore balance, extreme temperature shocks can prove to be disruptive instead. “Throwing iced drinks into a hot, digestive fire (Agni) is like pouring cold water on hot coals—it douses your digestive capacity, causing sluggishness and metabolic residue (Ama),” she explains. As much as the ice puts out the fire temporarily, the body has to work twice as hard to bring the internal temperature back up—all while generating more heat in the process. Similarly, air-conditioning can trap heat deep within the internal tissues while spiking the Vata dosha, or the air element. A far more sustainable fix, she recommends, is to sip on room-temperature water or coconut water, and mist the skin with a classic Pitta-pacifying distillate like pure rose water.
Remedies at home
In TCM, herbal teas may be useful, but it is also important to know exactly what you are ingesting. Many cooling herbs are cold in nature, which could worsen symptoms like bloating and fatigue in people with a weak digestive system or yang deficiency. Rather than simply ‘clearing’ the heat, the focus is on restoring balance. That being said, the more common herbal teas and ingredients include:
- Chrysanthemum tea, which helps target heat within the upper body like red eyes, dry eyes or heat-induced headaches.
- Prunella vulgaris, which is traditionally used for heat patterns involving the liver system, especially when there are symptoms like red eyes, headaches or irritability.
- Monkfruit, most commonly used to soothe the throat and relieve dry throat, hoarseness or cough associated with dryness and heat.
Goh’s recommendations within the Ayurvedic sphere include:
- Pitta-pacifying herbal teas, like a warm—but never scalding—infusion of equal parts fennel, coriander and fresh mint leaves. Fennel calms digestion, while coriander gently flushes excess heat through the kidneys and mint cools the circulatory system. Alternatively, rose petal or hibiscus teas will work just as well.
- Cooling the eye, as the eyes are the primary seat of Alochaka Pitta, the visual centre that processes both light and constant screen stimulation. Try lightly splashing room-temperature water over closed eyes after meals or at the end of the workday, to instantly draw excess heat away from the head.
- Shitali Pranayama, or cooling breath. Curl the tongue into a tube—or breathe through clenched teeth—and inhale slowly to draw cool air directly onto the palate, which helps to instantly lower the body’s ambient thermal energy.
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Treatments to try
If you need more help clearing excess heat, there are other Ayurvedic approaches.
- Pitta-pacifying abhyanga, or a full-body warm oil massage. Switching from the traditional warming sesame oil to coconut oil or sandalwood-infused oil can pacify the pitta, cool the skin and calm the nervous system.
- Takradhara, where a continuous, soothing stream of medicated, herb-infused buttermilk is poured over the third eye. It cools the brain to calm mental burnout, headaches and anger.
- Netra Tarpana, a specialised treatment where the eyes are gently bathed in lukewarm organic ghee. It nourishes the optic nerve, soothes eye strain and clears heat stored in the head.
- Kansa Vataki foot massage, where the soles of the feet are massaged with ghee using a small bowl made of sacred bronze. It physically pulls excess heat downward and out of the body.
In the realm of TCM, it is recommended to be assessed by a physician, who will consider where the heat is appearing, your constitution, and whether it is excess heat or deficiency heat that your body is dealing with. From there, a tailored mix of herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary adjustments and lifestyle recommendations can help your body regulate heat better.
Is heat always a bad thing?
The short answer: no. Seng reminds us that heat is a normal part of the physiology; in TCM, yang energy helps to maintain metabolism and function. Goh highlights that in balanced amounts, heat gives us sharp intellect, courage and strong digestion. Yet, when chronic excess heat is ignored, it moves from being subtle to becoming more structural. Inflammatory conditions, acid reflux, ulcers, skin disorders aside, it can also be linked to hyper-independence and perfectionism on the emotional and mental side of things.
Ultimately, it is a balance that we should strive for. TCM reminds us of the body’s innate ability to regulate itself; Ayurveda reinforces that the body and mind are inextricable. Addressing heat, Goh says, isn’t just about drinking cooling liquids. “It’s an invitation to soften our grip, slow down, carve out pockets of rest, and cultivate ease over intensity,” she concludes. Whenever you feel yourself heating up, wash it all down with an intentional sip of water—and as you breathe out, envision the heat dissipating out of every pore.
