By Kewal Kaur Khalsa on July 7, 2010
Cold Showers
Hydrotherapy is of year round benefit and summer is great time to get into the cold shower habit, if you’re not already. Starting your day with a cold shower opens the capillaries to clean out toxins and strengthens the nervous system. Read more about how to take a cold shower in Karan’s post: The Amazing Cold Shower!
Sitali Pranayam
This cooling breath soothes heated emotions such as anger and frustration. Additionally, it can actually help cool the temperature of the body. It is reported to lower fevers and aid digestion as well as increase alertness.
Round the lips into an “O” formation. Roll the tongue into a “U”, with just the tip of the tongue sticking out of the rounded lips. (Some people are unable to roll the tongue in this way due to genetic disposition. If you can’t roll the tongue, do this breath just with the lips rounded.) Inhale through the mouth, drawing the breath through the tongue (as if the tongue were a straw.) Exhale smoothly through the nose. Close your eyes and focus on the breath, continuing the cycle of inhaling through the tongue and exhaling through the nose.
Iced Yogi Tea
Yogi tea is a healing beverage that is traditionally served hot, but in the summer, it can be a refreshing iced drink. (For an extra treat, some even add in a scoop of vanilla ice cream!) Another option, though less tasty, is to drink 8 ounces of cold yogi tea, without any milk or sweetener, in the morning specifically as a liver tonic.
The spices in Yogi Tea benefit the nervous system, aid digestion, blood purification, and bone strength and can be effective in healing from colds and flus.
Follow the standard recipe for making yogi tea with loose spices at home or check this video for how to make it with the pre-packaged spices.
Happy Summer!
