Hello David and friends,
I believe this may be the first time that many of my recommendations will be completely opposite from Pandara’s. We have been on this forum along time together, so it is about time maybe.
David, you haven’t mentioned your climate’s normal heat to be an issue as well, but can we assume that is playing a role too? Wet and hot/warm environments usually provoke the symptoms that you are presenting. If you throw in the dramatic and nearly instant change (the length of your flight) from this environment to that of your previous home, the caustic contribution of the volcano to the water and air, as well as any doshic provocations that you may have already been cycling in your constitution, it is not surprise that you are having these flare-ups. The good new is that there are a lot of opportunities to make some changes that will help you as you adjust to your new environment.
Ayurvedically speaking, whenever you increase heat, you increase agni. Any time you bring heat into your system through any medium, such as heating spices in our foods, climate, pitta increasing practices, etc., you are increasing agni. From what I can gather, it seems to me that pitta may be your dominate dosha normally, which makes any increase in pitta more noticeable.
Itching and burning skin can be due to too much vata (dry and cool) or a pitta (wet and hot), but with the situation and symptoms that you outlined, I would say it is a matter of your body dealing with excess pitta in its system. The trick is to keep the fire in your belly at healthy level so your digestion works properly for you, while helping dissipate the heat that is elsewhere in your body. You will likely need to make continuous micro-adjustments to help balance this.
My recommendations based on what you have offered:
[ul]
[li]Continue with the non-acidic, akalzing foods as these are most often also pitta decreasing foods too.[/li][li]Use coconut oil to condition and protect your skin. Sesame is heating and denser, which also keeps your body heat close to you. Ayurvedically, coconut oil is cooling and also allows heat to move away from the body. It also conditions and protects the skin from pitta flares.[/li][li]Bring more coconut oil into your foods, staying away from sesame or olive oils.[/li][li]If coconut is not your thing, (coconut is good for cooling pitta, but only if it is good for YOU), try aloe. You can also do a combo of aloe and coconut.[/li][li]Drinking medicinal aloe is also good–you can make non-citrus fruit drinks and add the aloe.[/li][li]Shitalli and Sitkari pranayamas can help cool during acute flare-ups.[/li][li]Incorporate appropriate pitta-pacifying herbs into your foods. (cumin, fennel, cardamon, aloe vera juice, pippali, etc.)[/li][li]Our eyes and our minds each have their own agni, so consider giving your eyes long breaks from the internet and TV. Also, keep good company with friends, music and books to balance the digestive fire of your mind.[/li][/ul]
This is good place to start. Depending on what brings you relief and what does not, I could offer you additional recommendations then.
Wishing you well in your new home,
Nichole