Mindfulness and Meditation in the heat: How to Keep cool in the summer

The summer heat is at its peak just now and it’s glorious but has its disadvantages!

It's hard to keep cool and calm when the weather is so hot and humid. In this post, we will discuss some ways that you can use mindfulness and meditation to help you stay cool and calm in the heat. We will also talk about some breathing exercises that you can do to energise yourself during the day. And finally, we will give you some tips on how to get a good night's sleep during the summer months.

Breathing exercises

There are a few different breathing exercises that you can do to keep cool during the day. Some are energising and so better for daytime use and others will also help you relax and get to sleep. The thing they all have in common is that they help you to de-stress.

Sitali

This is a yoga breathing practice that translates as cooling breath and is a relaxing practice so good for at night.

Form an O with your mouth, curl your tongue to create a funnel and then breathe in through your mouth. At the end of the inhale close the mouth and breath out through the nose. Repeat for 2 – 3 minutes, stopping at any time if it gets uncomfortable.

Sitari

This translates as hissing breath and is like Sitali.

Start by clenching the jaw slightly and parting the lips.  Inhale through the teeth making a hissing sound and then close the mouth and breathe out through the nose.  You know you’re doing this right if there are slurping, hissing sounds.

4 7 8 breathing

Another calming practice that is fast becoming my favourite breathing exercise for fast results.

Breathe in through your nose for a count of four. Then, hold your breath for a count of seven. Finally, breathe out through your mouth for a count of eight.

Extending the out breath

Another breathing exercise that you can do is to breathe in through your nose for a count of four. Then, Breathe out through your mouth for a count of eight. This exercise will also help to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system so helps promote sleep.

Meditation

You can also do a meditation to help you cool the body. To do this, sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Focus on your breath and on the sensation of the air moving in and out of your body. As you breathe, imagine that you are surrounded by a cool, refreshing energy. Breathe in this cool energy and let it fill your entire body. Breathe out any hot, sticky energy that is in your body. Continue to breathe in and out slowly and deeply and focus on the sensation of the cool energy surrounding you.

Yoga Nidre meditations and body scans are great for helping to sleep at night. They help to take away some of the restlessness we feel when it’s hot and stop us getting too frustrated when we can’t fall asleep. If we are trying too hard to sleep, we often push it further away from us.  Falling asleep is more about letting go than striving.

Tips to help with sleep

It is important to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine and alcohol. These substances can actually make you more dehydrated and can also disturb your sleep. It is also a good idea to eat light meals during the day. Heavy meals can make you feel sluggish and can also disturb your sleep.

Our circadian rhythm naturally cools the body down at the end of the day to help us sleep however when we are hot, and when it's still light outside, these signals can be weakened leaving us feeling too hot and alert to sleep. If you are struggling to sleep due to the heat, here are some other things that may help:

Firstly, it is important to create a cool, comfortable environment in your bedroom. This means keeping the windows open and using a fan or air conditioner if necessary. It is also a good idea to wear light, loose-fitting clothing to bed.

Make sure to give yourself some time to relax before you go to bed. Maybe read a book or take a bath. And then when you are ready, drift off into a deep and restful sleep.

And finally, it is important to disconnect from electronics before you go to sleep. So turn off your computer, your phone, and anything else that might disturb your sleep.