Beating the Heat with Yoga (yes, yoga!)

As another wave of heat washes across most of the country, it can remind us of the challenges to move about and feel functional.  And if you’re anything like me, when it’s in the 90-100F + range, even inside in air conditioning, it still feels HOT!  It wipes me out, makes me feel sluggish overall and like I can’t quite recover.  Maybe that’s age, moving into my late 40s, or maybe it’s a generalized lower tolerance for what has felt like an oppressively hot summer in Connecticut, or maybe it’s just plain hot.  All around, Science tells me that when temps are high, my body is simply trying to cool itself, find homeostasis, and balance against the heat, whether that’s perspiring from all places in my body (yikes – ever had your EYES sweat??), feeling tired, headaches, craving salads, ice cream and lighter meals, or drinking more water than I know what to do with!

Did you know there’s a Yoga to help cool the body??

Something I’ve been practicing lately, which has helped me cool my body (and my mind), has been Sheetali breath.  It’s a cooling breath practice from yoga that tells the nervous system to downregulate, promotes calm, and introduces naturally cooler air to the body.  I’ll walk you through this breath, which you may find helps bring some of that balance back while moving through the heat waves of the summer.

Sheetali breath 

(Note: this breath calls for curling your tongue – there are some people who biologically cannot curl their tongue – if that’s you, look below for an alternative breath, Sheetkari)

·        Find a comfortable seat where you can sit with as tall a spine as possible.

·        Take 2-3 full normal breaths.

·        Curl your tongue upwards towards the roof of your mouth, making a small hole (like a straw)

·        Draw in a cool breath, inhaling slowly through the ‘hole’ as if breathing through a straw.

·        Close your mouth.

·        Exhale through your nose.

·        Repeat – you can try this breath for 5-6 cycles and see how you feel, then work to increase the number of repetitions, perhaps increasing to 2-5 minutes.  Feel free to pause and resume your normal breath as needed and then return to Sheetali breath.

Using this breath acts to bring cooler air into the body (versus a normal nasal or mouth inhale), aiding your body to find physiological regulation, especially helpful when it’s just HOT outside!  You may also notice meditative qualities of this breath, a mindful presence, and an overall sense of calm that can help you ‘regain your cool.’

Sheetkari breath

(Alternative to Sheetali breath, offers all the same benefits of cooling the body and calming the mind – even if you can curl your tongue, perhaps try this one too!!)

·        Find a comfortable seat where you can sit with as tall a spine as possible.

·        Take 2-3 full normal breaths.

·        Bring your upper and lower front teeth together gently and place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth.

·        Open your lips with a slight pucker.

·        Draw in a cool breath, inhaling slowly through your teeth and puckered lips.

·        Close your mouth.

·        Exhale through your nose.

·        Repeat – you can try this breath for 5-6 cycles and see how you feel, then work to increase the number of repetitions, perhaps increasing to 2-5 minutes.  Feel free to pause and resume your normal breath as needed and then return to Sheetali breath.

Finding ways to stay cool in the heat is essential!  Not only does it make life more comfortable, but it can be all too easy to overdo it and push the body too far when the weather is hot, and hyperthermia is a very real issue!  You may have heard of hypothermia, when the body gets too cold and starts to shut down; hyperthermia is the opposite, when the body becomes too hot and cannot effectively release the excess heat.  Signs of hyperthermia: excessive sweating, your skin may feel cold or clammy, headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea.  Over-exertion in the heat can lead to heat exhaustion, or worse, heat stroke and fainting, so know when enough is enough, take refuge somewhere cooler, get out of the heat (even finding shade vs. full sun helps), rest, increase your water intake, try a cool shower, and seek medical attention if needed.  If you’ve reached any of these levels, while Sheetali and Sheetkari are effectively cooling breaths, you need more immediate interventions to support your health and body.

Something that I adore about Yoga is that there’s nearly a practice to support almost anything you’re facing.  Prevention is the best medicine, and using your Yoga can help you get ahead of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual distress before you find you need to manage it.  I wish you space to lean into cool, calm and refreshing practices as you navigate the heat of the summer, and the sticky bits of life that come your way.  May you find peace on all levels and stay cool!!  Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!

By Jennifer Rizza, Founder of Newtown Wellness Collective, RYT Yoga teacher, Reiki Master Teacher, Wellness & Healthy-Living Coach