Yoga for Hotheads (and the perfect summer breath!)

Two days ago I found myself on an unairconditioned subway car during a particularly hot and humid day, and the only thing I could think of was that I was trapped in a moving vat of human soup….just hoping I’d get to my destination stop before I melted. The woman sitting next to me and I were laughing about my choice of words to describe our shared discomfort (because if you can’t laugh in times like these, what else can you do?!)

Summer is starting to show itself and as a person who can get overwhelmed by the heat, this means that I start to change my yoga and breathwork practice so that I can thrive in these fiery months. If you are a fellow fiery person, you may find that the summer takes its toll on your physical and mental environments.

Here are some signs of heat being in excess in your mind and body:
Physical Signs: inflammation, intense hunger, nausea, acid reflux, hives and rashes
Mental Signs: aggression, overly-critical, anger, irritability, impatience

If any of these sound all too familiar to you, I’m here to help you not just survive summer, but thrive! It’s absolutely possible, it just requires a bit of dedication to shifting your routine and awareness.

Meg’s Summer Yoga Tips:

• Include more forward folds, side bends, and gentle twists into your yoga practice
• Restorative and Yin Yoga are amazing practices for this time of year
• Avoid practicing with too much intensity, it’s recommended that in the summer you practice at about 60-70% instead of 100%
• After practice, sip on some of this delicious and cooling hibiscus-lime tea!

If you happen to run into me on a subway train this summer, chances are that you’ll see me practicing this miracle breath, known as Sitali breath in yoga. I think of it as my own personal air conditioning technique. Try it out when you’re feeling the effects of too much heat and watch how fast you cool down!