Keeping Cool When Things Get Heated

Yoga and Ayurveda offer us a vast array of tools and trick for our health and wellbeing no matter what the situation. Here are some of my favourite practices to help keep cool when things get heated. As we have all experienced a heat wave this Summer Solstice, now is a perfect time to revisit and learn some new cooling wellbeing tricks. Not only are these great when it is hot and sweaty but consider other kind of situations when things get "heated" - fever, relationships and coversations, intense situations or mentally hot headed. These are all qualities of FIRE and what I offer you here are rememdies for fire of any sort....not just the glorious sunshine.

1. Cooling Breath, Shitali Pranayama is something I have shared in most classes this week. The simple version, breath slowly through pursed lips and out through the nose. If you can make a straw shape with your tongue, breath through your tongue. Feel the cool air come into the mouth and imagine breathing out the excess heat in your mind and body.

2. Hydrate, water alone is not enough some times. We need electrolytes and cooling goodness in our water to help bolster our hydration levels. Some Ayurvedic recommendation would be added a pinch of coarse rock sea salt, himlayan pink salt or grey celtic salt to your water- NEVER table salt. Other additions to your water: mint leafs, cucumber and lime.

3. Lye on the ground like a starfish with your palms up. Being close to the ground is cooling in nature, giving you a much needed pause. On the grass or outside in nature is even better, but I know this is not for every, although I highly encourage it!

4. Wear cooling colours, black absorbs more light/ heat and some colours are firey and hot in energy such as shades of red. Think blue, green, white and pale shades.

5. Avoid midday heat and intense exercise. Give yourself some grace, we are so use to going full steam ahead in our modern lifes but this is simply not how nature works and we are a part of nature, lets not forget. Adjust your usual activivty when life is heated, created some space to slow down and look after yourself.

6. Consume coolings foods, we naturally gravitate towards salads, cold meals, fresh fruit when it is hot outside but some additional ingredients to your meal which will help cool you down energtically are : coridaner, fennel seeds, coconut oil, any dark leafy greens and a squeeze of lemon on veritually any of your meals.

7. Not strictly Ayurvedic or Yogic but very helpful and practical, keep curtains closed and windows open to help the breeze get into your home without the sun heating things up even more.

8. Again not strictly Ayurvedic or Yogic, if hot at night and struggling to sleep, try using ice cubes on your pulse points, use freezer blocks wrapped in pillow case for your feet (like a reverse hot water bottle) and try placing a sheet or pillow case in the freezer throughout the day to place underneith you as you go to bed.

9. Spend sometime by a body of water: the sea, canal, river, stream, a lake, pond, garden sprinklers, paddling pool, your bath, shower.

10. Visualise or meditate on the cooling light of the moon.

I hope these tips have given you some inspiration to find more more comfort in your mind and body when things get heated. Let me know your thoughts and feedback and if you have any other tips or tricks up your sleeve!