Keep Your Cool: 5 Ayurvedic Tips for Beating the Heat

I realized recently that about this time every year, I start to wonder if I’m coming down with some kind of summer bug. What else could explain this sudden-onset sluggishness, the difficulty waking up in the mornings, the irritability?

Oh, did someone say it’s been over 100 degrees outside all week? Okay. Right. It’s summer in the desert. It all makes sense now.

Thankfully, there are a number of tricks from the Yoga and Ayurveda Playbook that can help us all keep our cool:

1. ACCEPT THAT SEASONAL CHANGE IS FOR REAL. You don’t live in the same environmental conditions in the summer as you do in the fall. A slower pace in the more extreme months isn’t always a bad thing! Is there one thing you can knock off your to-do list this afternoon, in favor of 10 minutes in legs up the wall pose? Do it!
2. HYDRATE. I know you KNOW this. Do you really DO this? I sure wasn’t, in weeks leading up to this heat wave. I’m doing it now though–water all the time. Water with lime and mint. Coconut water. Plain old water, most of the time. A hydrated body is one where digestion happens with ease, exhaustion is minimized, and muscle and joint repair happens in a timely manner. Like, go drink a glass right now.
3. WAKE UP AND MOVE. I’ve noticed that when I get caught in a rut of less-than-stellar eating and sleeping habits, exercise is the thing that kicks me back into gear. Everything follows from there. Wake up by seven. Get yourself moving: take a brisk walk, or do some yoga. This will be easier to do in the morning than it will be after numerous hours awake in hot temperatures!
4. EAT COOL. Cucumbers. Greens. Watermelon. Lemon. These hydrating and liver-supporting foods are your best bet this time of year.
5. STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES. There’s a reason rosewater is used often in India. It’s sweet, cooling fragrance calms the senses and soothes the skin. Spray some on your face when temperatures (or frustration) are rising.

Wishing you all a safe and happy summer!

Much love and thanks for reading,

Erin H./Grassroots Yoga