The Ridiculous Looking Yet Highly Effective Breathing Practice to Keep You Cool This Summer

While it might look a little silly, Sitali breath can be a powerful breath for use in the summer when we might be overwhelmed by the hot and humid conditions that tend to pop up here in NH. I used to use this breath a lot when I was working in NYC in the summertime. As the 90+ degree heat radiated off the buildings and the streets I was often passed by buses and cars spewing hot exhaust while I briskly walked (near ran sometimes) the 10 blocks from my office to Penn Station to catch the train home. When I remembered to use this breath, I didn’t even break a sweat! If it can work under those conditions, with a little practice, I’m sure it can help you!

Here’s how to do it:

Sit comfortably, allow your mouth to open, stick out your tongue a bit and curl it into a straw that you’ll sip your breath through. This is an ability ruled by genetics, so if you can’t do this, just let your tongue lay low in your mouth broadly and relaxed.

Slowly inhale through your curled tongue or over the surface of your relaxed tongue.

At the end of your inhale, retract your tongue back into your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose.

That’s one round.

Repeat this process 3-6 times. When finished, breathe normally and notice how much cooler you feel. You may even get goosebumps when you’re doing this!

You can use this breath during a yoga practice if the heat catches up to you, on a hike, or any time you’re feeling overheated. If you’re experiencing some of the signs that the summer heat has settled into your tissues like a red rash, irritability or digestive issues like indigestion, you might add this breath to your regular practices. If you’re having the hot flashes associated with menopause, this can be a great breath to have in your tool kit as well.

I hope this helps you stay cool this summer! Let me know if you have any questions!

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End of Summer Smoothie!

With kids and teachers going back to school and leaves already starting to turn (!) it appears that summer is winding down. Many of us find ourselves getting back to routines and rushing out the door without a good breakfast (or maybe that's just your constant state of affairs!). With the end of summer also comes the fall harvest and you may be wondering what to do with that vegetable that always seems to be in abundance this time of year - zucchini! I've got a simple solution for you that will solve your morning rush problem, help you get some more vegetables into your diet, use up that surplus and fuel your morning activities while still tasting great.

A zucchini smoothie!

No really. Stay with me. It's good! 

Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, teaches us that we should eat in accordance with the seasons. That can be a challenging idea in the northeast given our long winters, but this time of year mother nature's abundance is overflowing. Zucchini always seems to be one of those things that people are trying to give away because they have too much of it from their home gardens. (By the way, you can give it to me if you have it, but after you try this recipe you may not want to! ;-) ) Why not use that abundance to solve the problem of getting a healthy breakfast in before you rush out the door?

The other Ayurvedic key in this recipe is that it does NOT include ice or frozen fruit. One of the key elements in good eating according to Ayurveda is that we should help ignite and stimulate our digestive fire in the morning. By eating cold smoothies first thing in the morning we effectively put a cold wet blanket on that fire. If you've ever noticed that morning smoothie sitting heavily on your stomach, this might be why. This smoothie does use cold ingredients, but they aren't frozen. It also includes some ideas for stimulating spices that can aid digestion. As we start to transition to fall and the colder months when digestive fire can tend to slow down, this becomes even more important.

So without further ado, here's the recipe with some notes on the ingredients:

1 cup milk of your choice - I use almond milk, add more if you like a thinner smoothie

1/2 cup cashews - raw and unsalted if you can. You could probably use almonds instead.

1/2 a small to medium zucchini - you really won't taste it when we're done here and it adds a great creaminess!

1-3 dates - for sweetness, you could also use a bit of maple syrup instead

1 tablespoon raw cacao - this type of chocolate gives you beneficial minerals like magnesium and well... it's chocolate!! 

1 tablespoon chia seeds - great for adding protein and good fats as well as vitamins and minerals

Cinnamon - to taste, a great spice for regulating blood sugar and firing up digestion. I've also been known to throw in a pumpkin pie spice blend like this one instead.

Throw this all into a high speed blender until smooth and enjoy!

Let me know if you enjoyed this recipe in the comments below. And feel free to bring me any of your zucchini you can't use. Or tomatoes. Or corn. Or...

Tools to keep you cool during the summer

Seemingly overnight we've gone from the depths of winter to summer heat and humidity here in southern NH. While some may love this time of year, it's important to consider that the heat and humidity can take its toll on our bodies just has much as the cold of winter. As always, yoga has an answer for managing these changes but we should also consider science as well. Here are a couple of things I've learned from yoga and hiking that can help you manage how you feel this summer!

As many of you know, I've been doing a lot more hiking this year than I have in the past. I've always had a love for the outdoors but for a variety of reasons I've been limited in what I could do. With some new knowledge and new equipment I've been able to get out more and really enjoy being out there. But with the heat of summer comes one big challenge that we have to consider - hydration.

People talk about staying hydrated all the time, but did you know it isn't just about drinking water? And did you know that you can actually drink TOO MUCH water? While drinking water is very important and increasing your intake is necessary, especially if you are engaging in any challenging physical activity like your fast sweaty vinyasa yoga class or hiking a mountain, it isn't the only thing to consider. We also need electrolytes or we run the risk of potentially experiencing a condition known as hyponatremia. Hyponatremia occurs when the level of sodium in your bloodstream is too low. In rare cases it can be fatal. Many factors can be involved including medications you may be taking, but drinking too much water can also be a factor. Consider following this advice from the Mayo Clinic (full article linked above):

““Drinking water is vital for your health, so make sure you drink enough fluids. But don’t overdo it. Thirst and the color of your urine are usually the best indications of how much water you need. If you’re not thirsty and your urine is pale yellow, you are likely getting enough water.””

— https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373711

I've also had good luck with adding these tablets to my water recently. They have less sugar than typical "sports drinks" and fit into my yogic diet requirements. They're pretty tasty too! And just for the record I don't receive any money from these guys for an endorsement. ;-)

Yoga of course helps us manage something like the potential for Hyponatremia by being more aware of our bodies and recognizing more quickly what we need. But it also has a breathing practice that can help - Sitali!

To do Sitali breath you'll start by curling your tongue into an O shape like this:

If you're going to put a ridiculous selfie on the internet, at least include Ganesha!

If you can't do that don't worry! It's totally genetic. Either you can or your can't. If you can't, just let your tongue rest low and flat in your mouth instead.

Once you've got the position of the mouth you simply INHALE through the O shaped tongue or the open mouth over your flattened tongue and EXHALE by closing your mouth and breathing out through your nose. Do this several times and you will start to feel the cooling effect! I used to use this breath when I worked in NYC and had a 10 block run/walk to the train station in 90+degree weather like we're having now and didn't even break a sweat!

Give it a try and let me know in the comments if it works for you!