When it gets hot outside in the summer, it can be a challenge to stick to a regular yoga practice without overheating the body. If the body begins to overheat, it is possible to use the breath, your intention and certain poses to help the body cool off again. Incorporating a few simple changes to a summer yoga practice can help to keep a consistent practice regardless of the temperature.
Set an Intention to Keep Practice Cool and Light
When practicing yoga, how you practice is just as important as what you practice. The same sequence of poses can be harsh and tight or light and easy. Yoga is a mind and body practice, meaning the state of the mind has an effect on how the body reacts to a practice. For example, if the mind is overactive, it tends to become heated more quickly and the muscles in the body work harder than they need to, making the body even hotter and leading to a feeling of being drained and exhausted. If, however, the attention is kept on the breath and the breathing is smooth and even, the mind has a chance to become calm, allowing the body to flow through a series of poses more easily.
Before beginning practice, take at least two or three minutes to sit or lie down comfortably and listen to the breath. Allow the tasks and check lists of the day to be set aside and just listen to the body. Relax the face and stomach muscles so the breath can flow more freely. Set an intention for the practice to keep the practice easy, not forceful and to keep the body light.
Pranayama (Breathing) Practices to Help Cool the Body
Pranayama is the practice of controlling the breath. Pranayama can be used to wake the body up or calm it, to heat it or to cool it, and all pranayama practices help to calm the mind. One of the most simple pranayama practices, called the wave breath, is an effective way to help the body cool. Start by lying down comfortably and allow the body to relax. Imagine the breath moving up and down the spine with each inhale and exhale. To move into the wave breath, let the first breath move along the spine to the bellybutton, and then exhale. The next inhale moves to the chest and the final breath moves to the collar bones. Return to regular breathing for a few cycles of breath and then repeat the wave breath a few times.
Another effective way to cool the body through pranayama is sithali breath (translates to tongue hissing breath). This is best practiced in a comfortable seated position. To begin, curl the tongue (the ability to curl the tongue is genetic so if it doesn't happen, place the tip of the tongue behind the front teeth for a similar feeling) and inhale while tilting the head back. Think of the breath as cool, calming water as you drink it in. At the top of the inhale with the head tilted back, release the tongue and close the mouth. Bring the chin back down with an exhale through the nose. Practice three to five rounds then a few rounds of natural breathing to complete.
Cooling Yoga Poses
One of the best ways to cool the body off is to relax and slow down. A pose such as Viparita Karani (legs up the wall pose) works to cool the body by allowing it to relax and also is an inversion which has a cooling effect on the body. To move into this pose, lie down and take both legs up a wall. Move the hips in close to the wall so the legs do not have to work to stay up. If the hamstrings are tight move the hips far enough away so as not to strain the hamstrings. Close the eyes and rest here for at least five minutes. To come out of the pose draw the knees into the chest and roll to one side to press up to seated.
Forward folds also have a cooling effect on the body. A supported pachimottanasana or janu sirsasana can be done by folding the torso over a bolster. These are poses that can be held for one or two minutes each and will help the body cool off. Downward facing dog with the forehead resting on a block is also an effective way to slow the mind and cool the body, and balasana is pose that can be rested in whenever the body feels overheated.
Using yoga to help cool the body off in the summer months can be accomplished by setting an intention to keep the body cool and by incorporating a few extra poses and breathing practices to encourage the body to cool off. By incorporating practices to keep the body cool, it is possible to practice without getting overheated so a practice can stay consistent throughout the year.
Kaitlyn McConnell - Hi! I am a yoga teacher, world traveler, artist and cook currently living in Seattle, WA. I keep a regular blog of all things yoga related ...
