Too hot for yoga? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that? With these 5 yoga exercises, you will stay really cool even in the worst heat and keep a cool head. Because it doesn’t always have to be sweaty.
Do you suffer from the hot temperatures and don’t really feel like moving? Is it just too hot even for yoga? These five cooling yoga exercises could make you think differently. They are not strenuous, but help you to keep a cool body even in the heat – we promise.
Sheetali Pranayama – The Cooling Breath
At high temperatures, it is easy to run out of breath. But with the proper breathing technique, you can cool yourself down. The best thing about it is, not only do you effectively cool your body, but you also calm your psyche. Just give it a try! That’s how it works:
- Extend the tongue out of the mouth, shape it into a “roll” and breathe in and out regularly for a few breaths. The best thing to do is to find a quiet place for it. The exercise can be done while sitting or standing.
- Can’t you curl your tongue? No problem! Then take an example from our hairy friends, the dogs: stick your tongue far out of your mouth and take a few breaths through your mouth here too. This is how you feel how the air you breathe cools your tongue.
Tip: Even if you’ve eaten too spicy, this breathing exercise is good for cooling down.
Baddha Konasana – The Butterfly Seat
Heat makes our whole body a little more flexible. The hips are sometimes left out a little. “Baddha Konasana” relaxes the hips and groin and helps you to loosen up all those muscles. That’s how it works:
- Sit up and bring the soles of your feet together – how far they are from your torso doesn’t matter.
- Grasp your feet with your hands and extend your spine towards the ceiling first.
Then inhale, relax your upper body and slowly move forward.
Tip: To loosen up the hips, it can be pleasant to let them bob up and down slightly.
Paschimottanasana – The Seated Forward Bend
You can take advantage of the easier stretch due to the warm temperatures in summer. Sitting forward is ideal for this, as it is not a burden for the heat-plagued circulation, such as standing forward. It has a calming effect and offers you a full-body cooldown, which affects the entire nervous system. That’s how it works:
- Sit on the mat and stretch your legs out in front of you.
- The distance between the feet should be about the width of the mat, pulling the toes a little towards you. If you have back problems, the knees remain slightly bent.
- While inhaling, you stretch your arms in the air, and while exhaling, you bend your stretched upper body forward.
- If possible, rest your stomach on your thighs. It doesn’t matter how far your arms come forward or whether you can stretch your legs, the effect remains the same! Linger for a few breaths.
Viparita Karani – Upside Down: Put Your Legs Up
If it is hot, the legs quickly become heavy, the feet swell, and the proverbial shoe pinches us. This exercise helps the body pump out the blood in the legs more quickly. That’s how it works:
- Lie on the mat and pull your knees towards your chest.
- Then stretch your legs in the air and lift your pelvis so that you can place your sacrum on a block, cushion, or book.
- Put your arms next to you, close your eyes if you like, and lie there for a few minutes if possible.
Savasana – Resting and Cooldown
Most yoga classes are completed with “Savasana.” This exercise is an important part of the yoga practice and should not be left out. But it can also be enjoyed independently. So you can take a break, watch your body and relax. That’s how it works:
- You put yourself in a kind of starfish pose: To do this, simply lie on your back and stretch your legs across the width of the mat.
- You also place your outstretched arms on the floor at a distance from your upper body.
- Relax whatever you can relax and watch your stomach rise and fall as you breathe.
