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The other way to cool the body is we enter the second year of through breathing. The yogis observed the pandemic, it’s vital that the effect of breath on the body. If you we must continue to build place your hand right under your nose our immunity and take care and breathe out, you’ll see that the flow of ourselves. This is especially true now of breath in one nostril is more than as we shift into the heat of summer. the other. The left nostril (ida nadi) is As temperatures climb, the thermal the lunar, cooling, calming channel energy from our body’s metabolic Bharat Thakur while the right nostril (pingala nadi) is activities makes our body temperature is a yoga guru the solar, warming, more active rise. Our hearts beat faster and our and founder of channel. If you balance the breath in nervous system works harder. Too Artistic Yoga both nostrils, the body cools down. much sun can dehydrate us, burn the This can be done through skin and make the feet swell. We feel The ancient physically drained and are easily science can make techniques like Chandrabheda (left-nostril breathing) and Anuloma irritable. If we’re not drinking enough you cooler, Vilom (alternate nostril breathing). water, we can get headaches, feel calmer and Another technique, Sheetali, is done by nauseous, dizzy, and, in extreme cases, sucking in air through a tunnel created suffer a sunstroke. better able to by your tongue. This cools the air you The ancient yogis researched and cope with the inhale. When cooler air is delivered to observed both nature as well as heat your lungs through this technique, the themselves. They were dedicated to vagus nerve signals the brain, which experimenting and analysing the releases relaxing hormones. This improves effects on their bodies and minds. Based on this, homeostasis and induces the muscles to relax. they devised yoga techniques that directly impact Both the body and mind become tranquil and cool the brain centres that regulate our body Relaxation practises like Savasana (corpse temperatures. They gave us two methods that can posture) or Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) are benefit us in the summer. restorative practices for body, mind and This gentle exercise regime spirit. Practising either for 10 -15 can be done easily even in hot minutes. will relax the body and weather. Postures, particularly lower its temperature. forwards bends, done in sync So, find a quiet space and try with breathing, can cool these exercises. There are also down the body. Some many online classes. Yoga will examples are Balasana or help you stay fit through the Sarnagat Mudra (child summer and make you pose), Prasarita cooler, calmer and Padmattonasana better able to (wide-legged naturally cope forward with the heat. bend).
