Yoga to beat the heat

With the mercury rising and a long summer season staring at us, many of us are already worrying about the heat and how to beat it.

Healthydunia.com tells you how sparing half-an-hour from your busy schedules can help you to maintain your body temperature and tackle other aspects of summer.

We spoke to Yoga Expert Suneel Singh to find out a few yoga postures that can help one counter summer problems.  Practice the following yoga postures in a series daily and see the results on your health. They are beneficial in summers to counter heat, dehydration, constipation, high blood pressure & skin diseases.

1.  Om Mantra Dhyana: One of the most advocated mudras of Yoga. Chanting “OM” or “SOHAM” for 5 minutes while sitting in Padmasana or Sukhasana, can help you tackle anxiety, stress and depression. It also indirectly stimulates thyroid and parathyroid gland. This simple exercise can be easily performed anytime before and after meal to release your stress. People from other religions can chant their respective mantras, or names of gurus or gods. 

2.  Vajrasana: It is the only asana that can be performed after having your meal. This involves sitting erectly on the heels with the calves beneath the thighs. Performing Vajrasana’ for 5 minutes a day helps in fighting problems of digestion, dehydration and fatigue. Those suffering from knee-pain are advised not to do it.

  

3. Paschimottanasana: An easy to perform asana, that involves touching your toes with your fingers while sitting on the ground, it will relieve you of in-digestion, and will help keep your heart, lung, liver, pancreas and spleen healthy.

People suffering from diabetes feel fatigued and tired in the summer season and this asana can be of much relief. It helps improve the functioning of pancreas, augments blood-flow to the face which is good for burning eyes, acne, pimples and for the brain. Those suffering from any lower back disorder are not advised to perform this asana. People suffering from high blood-pressure, pregnant women and heart patients should perform under the guidance of an expert.

4.  Bhujangasana: A must-perform asana after Paschimottanasana, Bhujangasana involves sitting upright, bending the knees and holding your toes. It is a must-do after Paschimottanasana as it is a counter asana to it which your body would require. This asana is good for dealing with problems related to spine, lungs, heart, shoulder, neck and for all internal organs such as kidney, liver, and pancreas.

5.  Sheetkari Pranayama: In this pranayam, you have to use your mouth instead of nose to take deep breaths. As we breathe from our nose, the air that we take in goes through a series of filters and by the time it reaches the lungs it turns into warm air. When you breathe in through your mouth with clenched teeth, the air reaches the lungs directly and is cooler. Hence it is named as ‘sheetali’.

This asana comes in the end of this five-posture series and cools off the body. It can be easily performed, sitting in Padmasana or Sukhasana. At least 10-15 chakras or rounds of breathing through the mouth are recommended. It is very beneficial for persons suffering from high blood-pressure, heart problems, anxiety, stress and is also good for skin diseases.