BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT WITH THESE FOUR COOLING YOGA POSES

The season we’ve waited for all year is coming with a vengeance this time around. With record-breaking heat giving us the other extreme end of the spectrum, it’s sometimes hard to keep our cool – literally and figuratively. The rise in temperature creates an imbalance of your pitta dosha, the fiery energy that according to Ayurveda regulates our heat and metabolism. A solution to this by exploring movement to your agni (internal fire), which will restore energy and patience. To keep the internal heat at a minimum, avoid intense postures like backbends, twists or binds that demand physical effort. Opting for forward bends to soothe the mind and bring the breath to calm rhythm; while exploring hip openers allow you to release stagnant energy stored within this space and promote the movement of positive energy within you. Grab your mat and flow into your most calm, cool and collected self:

Tadasana - Mountain Pose with Block

How to get into it:

• Stand with your feet hip distance apart, placing the block at the narrowest width between the thighs.

• Feel your feet, lift and spread the toes then lower them back down and connect with the ground.

• Lift knee caps, keeping a slight micro-bend refaining from locking the kneed.

• Lift the thigh muscles up and back. Inner thighs slightly turn in.

• Imagine softening the skin of the lower back and the flesh of buttocks down (dropping the tailbone rather than tucking it under) so the pelvis is in a neutral position.

• Squeeze the block with the inner thighs and feel the pelvic floor muscles draw together; draw your navel slightly in and up to engage Mula Bandha (the pelvic floor muscles) and Uddiyana Bandha (the abdominals up to the diaphragm).

• Draw the sternum, the big bone in the middle of your chest, up so it rises towards the ceiling

• Allow the shoulders to draw back and down, with ears over the shoulders to create equal length in the neck

• Imagine a string pulling you up the crown of the head to elongate the spine.

• Soften the face, especially the eyes and the jaw.

• Hold for 8-10 Breaths

Cooling Benefits: Relaxes the nervous system with optimum stretching to the nerves and muscles thus helpful in functioning of various system of the body; increases awareness, steadies breathing, leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Prasarita Padottanasana

- Wide Legged Forward Fold with Block

How to get into it:

• From Tadasana, step the feet wide apart, feet as close to parallel as feels comfortable. You are looking for stability and grounding.

• Lift your inner arches by drawing the inner ankles up. Firm the outer edges of your feet and big toes into the floor. Slight angle the toes inward about 20 degrees towards the midline of the body.

• Engage your thighs by drawing them up. Place your hands on your hips.

• Lengthen your spine and open your chest as you inhale.

• Fold forward from the hips, keeping your back long and your chest open, as you exhale. Go half-way down with a straight back and place your hands underneath your shoulders onto the floor, or on blocks. Take a few breaths here.

• If you feel you can still go further without rounding the back, walk your hands back as you fold deeper from the hips, keeping your hands underneath your elbows, elbows pointing back, with your forearms perpendicular to the floor and your upper arms parallel to the floor.

• Shift the weight slightly forward into the balls of the feet. Maintain a slight micro bend and buoyancy through both knees to avoid locking them.

• In the full forward bend release your head down. If it’s available to you, with a long neck place the crown of your head on the floor. You can use a block to rest the crown of the head for more support.

• Stay in this pose anywhere between 5 and 10 breaths.

• To come out of this pose, walk your hands forwards to position them under your shoulders as you inhale, still with a long spine and straight arms. Place your hands on your hips as you exhale and come back up with a straight back, as you inhale. Walk your feet back into Mountain pose.

Cooling Benefits: Stretches the back and inside of the legs for circulation in the lower body, opens the hips, stretches the spine, shoulders and chest to maximize breath regulation in the heat, calms the mind, and eases tension in the upper back.

Anjaneyasana - Low Lunge with Bolster

How to get into it:

Begin in Down Dog position.

Inhale, shifting your weight to your left foot.

Exhale, stepping your right foot forward.

Plant your right foot inside or slightly behind your right hand. Shift your seat forward, stacking your right knee over your right ankle.

Lower your left knee to the ground, using a bolster under the knee and shin to feel more support as you hold the pose.

Inhale, lifting your hands to rest on top of your right thigh.

Gently press both feet into the ground for stability as you elongate your spine and lift the crown (top) of your head to the sky.

Extend your arms overhead with palms facing each other. Lower your shoulders down and away from your ears.

For tight, restrictive or injured shoulders, anterior pelvic tilt (excessive arching in the low back), or spinal injury: rest hands on blocks placed on the ground beneath the shoulders to alleviate strain.

Engage your glutes and your abdominals to increase balance and stability.

Stay in this pose anywhere between 5 and 10 breaths. To come out, slowly bring your front foot back to meet the other, coming back to your tabletop position.

Repeat on the other side.

Cooling Benefits: helps relieve tight muscles in the hips and legs - a great way to cool down and stretch the body after exercise, especially running and biking.

Parighasana - Gate Pose

How to get into it:

• Come into an upright kneeling position with your thighs perpendicular to the floor and your hips over the knees. Place a bolster under your knees to avoid strain as you bear weight on it.

• Straighten your right leg as you extend it out to the right side, keeping the knee and ankle in line with your right hip.

• Turn your right toes forward so that the right foot is parallel to the side of your mat.

• Inhale and reach your left arm up next to your left ear.

• Let your right arm slide down the side of the right leg. Exhale and lean your torso to the right, either keeping the left hand on the left hip or extending left arm over your head.

• Bring your gaze up towards the ceiling over the left shoulder or up towards the fingertips of your extended left arm.

• Stay for 5-10 breaths, extending your spine on your inhales and deepening the side stretch on your exhales.

• Bring your torso upright back to centre and return your right knee next to the left one.

• Repeat the stretch on your other side.

Cooling Benefits: helps increase the functioning of the respiratory system, relieves tension in low body, balances the pitta dosha

Come home to yourself at The Aura House

If you’re looking to slow down and find your cool, check out the meditation and restorative yoga offerings we have at the studio here. We look forward to seeing you soon!