When it’s hot and humid, it can be difficult to get motivated to do anything that requires movement. But yoga can actually help you cool down! Try taking long, smooth, slow breaths without force or tension as you move slowly in coordination with your breath. Try to initiate the movement from the breath rather than tensing the muscles – muscle movement requires more energy. And try using a breath technique called sitali – curled tongue breathing. To do this technique, as you inhale, curl your tongue and stick it slightly out of your mouth as you lift the chin and pull the air in. Then as you exhale, close your mouth and drop your chin. The movement of air against your tongue helps you cool down. If you can’t curl your tongue (and apparently the ability to curl the tongue is an inherited trait!), simply stick your tongue out – you’ll still get the cooling effect of air against your tongue (this version, for all of you Sanskrit aficionados, is called sitkari).
Here’s a short practice to try in the hot weather:
