It is sweltering hot! But hey, it’s summer, are we not supposed to be sweating like heathens in an ashram? We salute the sun after all, so let’s show that bright shining ball in the sky that we are grateful for all it does, but for the love of ice cubes, we could use a breather!
6 Yoga Tips to Beat the Summer Heat
1. The Frozen Jane Fonda: Strap on the sweat bands – that you pre-wet and froze in the freezer (of course), along with your mat towel. Work it out!
2. Slip n’ Slide Yoga: Have a body of water nearby? A baby pool, hose or a spigot? Lay down a few mats and slither like a cobra (bonus: Sitali “cooling” breath – curl your tongue behind your teeth and “hiss” through your inhale. Exhale through your nose. repeat.). Or if you’re lucky enough, hop in the pool and do your best impression of a watery warrior. (avoid underwater pranayama).
3. Pratipaksha Bhavana: Think it’s hot? Think again! Just reverse your thoughts. It’s actually snowing, and you’re huddled up in your igloo Eskimo style. Look! There’s a polar bear. brrrrr…
4. Rain Salutations: Spin around clockwise after every round and chant the lyrics to your favorite precipitous song. Do these salutes and make it rain!
5. If you can’t beat em, Bikram: So it’s 105 degrees and humid – the perfect conditions for a FREE hot yoga class. When life hands you hell, do the devil’s yoga! (oh, we kid the Bikrammers)
6. Freestyle Yoga: All of you exhibitionists, this is your chance to shine. You know all those shops downtown will be blasting the AC, so don your favorite yoga duds and make like a mobile posing mannequin.
However you plan to spend your sticky summer days, slather on the sunblock, drink plenty of water, and be sure to give yourself a sweet and cool savasana.
Have more tips to keep your cool?
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Earlier…
move north (i did) then smile at the heat you left behind, right here with you 😉
Hey we must be in the same heat wave. Since you asked for tips, I just posted a list of tips on my blog. In my adult class, the students actually cheered when I said we were doing a slower class on one hot day this week. Usually the kids are outspoken, but the heat brought it out in the grown ups.
http://www.youngyogamasters.com/2011/07/21/hot-kids-yoga/
A lot of people in the New York area must have been doing your #4 because there was a thundershower and it finally cooled off here.
Not ready to do #6. When I’m in a shopping center, I’m shopping. I’m not laying down my bags for a second to do yoga, someone might swipe ’em …. this is, after all, New York City.
HAHAHA Great point! But maybe when you have some downtime or are on vacation you can just whip out your freestyle yoga.
Great list! My favorite is rain salutations. Ask and you shall receive (or at least feel cooler)
I taught an outside yoga class last week in the park in the Philly area….there were tall trees, shade and wind and I kept the class gentle but I could still feel the sweat dripping down my back.
Peppermint essential oil! I know that’s not directly related to yoga, but you could include it before your practice or just put some on for when the humidity gets to you.
You’ll smell like a Peppermint Patty, but at least you’ll feel nice.
When life hands you hell do the devils yoga- love it!
You forgot going naked of course…..
Cute, but nothing in here really helps from a practical sense.
Big things for staying cool in the summer is:
a) eating pitta-reducing foods that are sweet (fruits but not citrus/milk), bitter (leafy greens, some spices), astringent (mint/other herbs/legumes) and just generally cooler, easier to digest foods. All of this will calm pitta. Pitta dosha people in general will want to keep this in mind.
b) practicing more cooling yoga. So instead of the traditional surya namaskara, doing the Chandra Namaskar moon salutes which are more cooling. Other cooling/Pitta-reducing postures would include cow, boat, cobra, forward bends and twists.