Published April 1, 2026 12:33PM
Many women have been taught to dread the changes that their bodies undergo with the passage of time. Social media reels, advertisements, even your own unrealistic expectations contribute to that by constantly reminding you of the changes to come. But menopause is neither disease nor taboo. Nor is it a time when you are meant to feel only helpless and hopeless and frustratingly out of control of your own body. Yet one of the most common symptoms of menopause does exactly that. We’re talking about hot flashes.
Research suggests that more than 75 percent of women going through perimenopause experience hot flashes, which are sudden heat waves ranging from mild to intense, and/or night sweats, which cause you to wake up in the dark drenched in sweat. Because these symptoms occur as part of a gradual life transition, hot flashes and night sweats can last a decade or longer, according to contemporary research as well as Ayurvedic texts dating back some 3000 years.
Much remains to be understood about hot flashes. Yet when it comes to finding natural remedies for hot flashes and changes in your body, what is lacking isn’t a quick fix. It’s an understanding of what is causing the symptoms so that you can address them.
What Causes Hot Flashes, According to Ayurveda
In the tradition of Ayurveda, hot flashes are considered a side effect of excess pitta dosha, which is associated with an imbalance of the fire element, or heat, in the body. (Learn more about your unique constitution by taking our dosha quiz.)
According to this approach, hot flashes are not an isolated condition but rather a sign of imbalance. Similarly, experiencing night sweats and other symptoms of menopause—including variability in appetite, sleep disturbances, heart burn, indigestion, and migraines— is a sign of variability in the fire and wind elements in the body. According to Ayurveda, the imbalance is primarily caused by a change in agni, which is your metabolic fire.
The solution becomes addressing the root cause—supporting and balancing the strength of your digestion—during every stage of menopause. When we understand what is transpiring and make changes to correct what is imbalanced, we find that most of the unwanted symptoms reduce in frequency or resolve themselves.
Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes
Start by making one small change at a time, educating yourself from a place of motivation rather than dread or overwhelm. From there, consider slowly incorporating another routine into your everyday life. Each small change supports your changing hormones.
The following insights are for educational purposes and are not intended to replace medical advice.
1. Don’t Overhydrate
There’s been a lot of emphasis on hydration during the last decade, and as a result, some people might actually take in too much water, according to Ayurveda. When that happens, the excess douses gastric fire and dilutes digestive enzymes and acids. In turn, this weakens the digestive fire and increases the wind element.
Take a moment and imagine your gastric fire is a candle flame. If the wind becomes too strong, it can either flare, leading to hot flashes and night sweats, or it can extinguish, leading to other related symptoms including poor appetite, nausea, and weight gain.
You want to continue to hydrate. But here are 3 simple changes in your hydration routine that will make meaningful changes:
• Start sipping warm water throughout the day
Sipping warm water consistently and steadily feeds the digestive fire. When we chug cold or hot water, it brings imbalance to the pitta dosha. As with most things in yoga and in life, our inner health is all about balance and moderation.
• Reduce the quantity of water that you chug at a time
According to Ayurveda, there is not a default amount of water that everyone should consume. Rather, the specific number of ounces is tailored to the individual. Sip it throughout the day rather than chug it.
• Reduce your water intake starting late afternoon
Beginning at 5 pm, your digestive fire lessens. When you take in a lot of water at that time, you are diluting the digestive enzymes at a time when they are already weak, according to Ayurveda. The dampened digestive enzymes makes the digestive organs work harder, which in turn overtaxes the body and generates friction, which can contribute to the experience of hot flashes.
2. Reconsider Your Sweeteners
According to Ayurveda, some sweeteners are considered heating, which can increase the already imbalanced pitta dosha in the body, whereas others are cooling. Consider reducing your intake of heating sweeteners, including honey, maple, syrup, and agave syrup. Cooling and soothing alternatives include rock candy, date syrup, and date sugar.
3. Sip Cooling Tea
Ayurvedic herbal teas are often recipes that have been passed down generationally in India. This simple 2-ingredient recipe can help calm signs of pitta aggravation and soothe the inflammation that leads to hot flashes and cold sweats.
Take a mixture of 1 teaspoon coriander seeds and 1/2 teaspoon dried, organic, food-grade rose petals. Steep in 12-16 ounces of boiling hot water for 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can boil the mixture for 2 minutes. Strain and sip during the midday hours or before bed. You can add rock candy, date sugar, or date syrup to taste for added sweetness and beneficial cooling.
4. Massage Yourself With Oil
Oiling your body is one of the most essential and effective practices in Ayurveda. It’s sometimes called snehana, which means “giving love.” With the decline of estrogen before, during, and after menopause, the body benefits from oiling not only to reduce dryness but to help cool the body and calm stress.
Opt for cold-pressed coconut oil or sesame oil and gently apply to the entire body before taking a shower or going to bed. If you’re running short on time or are extra tired, simply massage these five areas: foot soles, palms, underarms, groin region, and abdomen. These are the common hideout places for stress and heat and are extra rich in nerve endings that can be calmed through this practice.
5. Make the Kitchen Your Pharmacy
Incorporate more cooling herbs (such as cilantro, parsley, and mint) into your cooking and reduce your intake of heating herbs (including oregano, dill, and thyme). Herbs are not simply flavoring agents; they can help balance the body changing food to be less heating and more cooling, less aggravating and more soothing.
Also, favor cooling spices such as coriander, fennel, cumin, and black pepper over heating spices like mustard seed, red chili peppers, cinnamon, and clove.
As with each of these natural remedies for hot flashes, it doesn’t take a dramatic amount or effort to create a noticeable effect. Simple does it.
If you’d like to learn more, Indu Arora is leading a free menopause webinar on April 5. The replay will be available for 15 days. Register in advance.