Chill Out with Yoga: Your Summer Wellness Toolkit
Brutally hot Indian summers leave us drained, sweaty, and sluggish. Even in this weather, yoga offers the perfect solution to stay fit. There are several yoga asanas or postures and breathing techniques to calm the body, reduce internal heat, and boost overall wellness.
Let’s explore those simple, effective, and cooling yoga asanas you can try this summer!
The literal meaning of this breathing technique is “cooling breath.” You just need to roll your tongue like a tube, inhale through it, then close your mouth and exhale through your nose. Within minutes, you’ll feel the difference and body temperature will drop.
(Credit: Instagram/@trividyoga)
Sheetali swiftly calms the nervous system, reduces stress, and cools you down naturally, an ideal technique required for peak summer afternoons.
Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall outward. This gentle and restorative pose relaxes the body and opens up the hips.
This pose slows down your heart rate, reduces summer fatigue, and helps the body release heat. Reclining butterfly pose is helpful after a long and sweaty day at the office.
Begin this easy inversion pose by lying on your back with your legs resting vertically against a wall.
Viparita Karani improves blood circulation, reduces swelling in the feet (a common irritating problem in summers), and promotes a deep sense of calmness.
This is a gentle flow between arching and rounding your back, perfect for stretching out stiffness without overheating in summer.
This pose boosts flexibility, improves spine mobility, while keeping your core engaged — without even increasing your body temperature too much.
After all these poses, don’t skip Shavasana. Simply, lie down flat on your back, close your eyes, and focus on your deep and slow breathing.
Shavasana relaxes your mind and muscles.
Bring your big toes to touch and widening your legs. Start exhalation and sit on your hips back toward your heels. You must keep your arms extended in the forward direction. Place your outer ribs on your inner thighs comfortably. Start lengthening your sacrum portion toward your heels while elongating your spine. Keep your forehead on the floor and stay comfortable. Stay in this position for at least 1–3 minutes.
It slows your breath, relaxes the nervous system, and cools your body. It is ideal for professionals as a post-work stress reliever.
This gentle seated twist boosts digestion and flexibility.
Twisting the upper part helps release internal heat and tension on summer days.
This is considered as sister technique to Sheetali. Sheetkari involves clenching your teeth gently and inhaling through them with a soft hissing sound, then exhaling through your nose.
(Credit: Instagram/@theelevateyoga)
Sheetkari cools the body, reduces blood pressure, and calms the mind.
Sit with your legs stretched forward and gently fold over them.
This forward bend pose calms your mind, stretches the spine, and helps reduce summer fatigue.
The best time to perform yoga during summer is either early in the morning or post-sunset. Always stay hydrated before, during and after the practice. Yoga poses should be performed in a cool and ventilated space. If you don't have ACs or coolers, choose a shaded balcony or rooftop.
Yoga offers a safe, sustainable, and natural way to reduce body temcool down while keeping your body strong and flexible.
So, roll out your mat, take a deep breath, and feel the heat melt away — one pose at a time.
