The warmth and brightness of summer filled with long days, picnics, ice cream, and good reads is a refreshing reward after a chilly winter and spring. But summer also can mean skin eruptions, sweat, and dehydration in hot, humid weather. No wonder it's so easy to get off-balance. Focusing on solutions like Ayurveda to retain balance in your mind and body during the summer months can keep you at your healthiest and happiest throughout the season. Try these 5 Ayurvedic tips to keep cool and comfortable during the dog days of summer. Then join Yoga Anytime’s challenge as we all come together in a live practice, guided by Melina Meza.
1. Offset the heat of summer by indulging in more "cooling" foods and limiting "heating" foods. Eating water-rich foods such as watermelon, pears, apples, berries, asparagus, broccoli and cucumber not only rehydrates your body, but loads you up with antioxidants.
Avoid or limit garlic, fried foods, chili, salted cheese, alcohol, red meats, and sour citrus fruits, which tend to add heat. Try Melina Meza’s Arugula and Watermelon Salad for a light and easy summer treat:
Ingredients (organic if possible):
· 3 Cups Arugula
· 2 Cups Watermelon chunks
· 2 Tablespoons Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
· 1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Dressing:
· 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
· 1 Teaspoon White Balsamic Vinegar
· Pinch of Sea Salt
· Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
Prepare all the salad ingredients and place in a large bowl.
Stir dressing ingredients together in a small container until blended.
Drizzle dressing onto salad and toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing.
Enjoy!
2. Spend time outdoors in morning or evening. Take advantage of the long days of summer to enjoy nature, but avoid the hottest time of the day. Hiking on a trail or spending time near water (beach, lake, riverbank) can bring calmness to a hectic and irritating day. Simple sounds of nature (ocean waves, chirping birds, rainfall, crickets) can be refreshing and soothing. Try an evening walk under the cool summer night sky for peacefulness before sleep.
3. Add cooling colors such as blues, pastels, and whites into your wardrobe and home. Choose lighter shades when getting dressed, even paying attention to accessories. Wear loose, breathable, light, and natural fabrics like linen, cotton, and hemp to stay cool. Pillows and throw rugs in colors of nature are simple ways to bring lightness into your space. Household plants with their green hues are especially pleasing to sun-irritated eyes.
4. Practice patience to keep anxiety at bay and enjoy each moment. Impatience is stressful and increases your heart rate, which can add to feeling overheated. Picking the long line at the grocery store, visiting the inside of the bank rather than the drive-thru, and adding a few extra blocks to your dog-walking routine are all ways to cultivate patience in your everyday life.
5. Make use of aromatherapy and essential oils. Bring bouquets of fresh-cut jasmine, lavender, peony, rose, and honeysuckle in your home for a sweet scent. Take a soothing bath by adding a few drops of chamomile, honeysuckle, geranium, lavender, or sandalwood in the water. Rub coconut or sunflower oil on your body before taking a bath to soothe your skin. Try a spritz of rose hydrosol on your face, neck, or feet for a quick cool-down.
KEEP YOUR COOL WITH SUMMER AYURVEDA
Along with these tips to use throughout the season, get a jumpstart on beating the heat with Yoga Anytime as we welcome the Summer Solstice on June 20 and celebrate International Day of Yoga on June 21 with an Ayurveda challenge. This is the perfect time to join others in a LIVE five-day course where you'll build a foundation for keeping cool this summer. Yoga Anytime’s instructor, Melina Meza will guide you each day where you'll gain tips to build into your everyday life for optimal health and wellness.
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CHALLENGE?
Melina will guide you through five 1-hour dynamic and playful practices designed to bring you relief from the summer heat, reduce inflammation, and cool and nourish your whole system. You will get practical advice and strategies to easily incorporate the beneficial practices into your daily routine for maximum efficiency and balance. Melina will weave together asana, loving-kindness meditations, and Ayurvedic self-care routines and rituals to promote a calm, clear, and balanced energy leaving you refreshed and rejuvenated.
Day 1 (June 22): Stay Cool, Be Cool
Day 2 (June 23): Slow and Curious
Day 3 (June 24): Into the Wild
Day 4 (June 25): Surrender to Awaken
Day 5 (June 26): Elemental Dance
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Each day beginning June 22 through June 26, Melina will lead a live Ayurveda yoga practice. The course is a LIVE class where you will enjoy a shared experience with others. The one-hour class begins each day at 10:30 a.m. PDT.
GET STARTED
Sign up at Yoga Anytime for the LIVE 5-Day Ayurveda Summer Challenge with Melina Meza here.
Join YogaAnytime.com free for 30 days (use code SUMMERYOGA) and start the five-day challenge on June 22 at 10:30 a.m. PDT. As a Yoga Anytime member you have unlimited access to thousands of videos whether you seek to play into the subtlest realms of being or fine-tune your handstands. You can fully customize your yoga journey with filters for any duration, level, or special need. Yoga Anytime goes live for yoga practices and meditations every weekday at 10:30 am PDT, so you will always have fresh new videos to try. You can cancel your free trial membership at any time.
ABOUT MELINA MEZA
Melina Meza is a pioneer in the field of yoga, nutrition, and Ayurvedic health, sharing her knowledge with yogis around the world for more than 20 years. She is the creator of Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga, a holistic practice that features lifestyle, diet, and yoga practices tailored to the rhythms of the four seasons to help people stay healthy as they age. Her passion for nature, the five elements, beauty, and humor forge the foundation of her unique approach to well-being. In addition to working with individual clients, Melina facilitates year-round yoga and Ayurveda workshops, leading retreats in extraordinary sanctuaries around the world. She is the author of "Seasonal Health and Wellness" and the "Art of Sequencing" books as well as the creator of the Yoga for the Seasons – Fall Vinyasa DVD.
