In the yogic tradition we have the amazingly wonderful breathing exercises known as pranayama. The Sanskrit word literally means to lengthen, control or direct the prana. Prana is our enduring life force. And we want to keep it healthy and strong!

Different types of pranayama are used to rev up the body or calm it down, heat it or cool it. This hot weather calls for a cooling pranayama known as Shitali (shee-tah-lee), or cooling breath. This exercise will cool the body in hot weather, cool the mind, and is also said to chase away hunger and thirst. 

Practice this pranayama every day for several minutes so you can learn it, then you can recall it easily when you need it when the days and nights are so hot.

Find a place where you won’t be disturbed and sit up tall on your sitting bones. Relax your hands onto your lap. Lower your eyes or close them so you can concentrate. Curl your tongue into a tube if you can and stick it out between your lips. If you can’t curl your tongue, make a circular shape with your lips. (Fun fact: this is called a “crow’s beak”) Sip breath into the mouth like you’re sucking on a straw. At the end of the inhalation, retain the breath in your lungs for several beats. While retaining the breath, close your mouth and gently place your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind the teeth. Breathe out through your nose. Practice 10-20 times, or about 1-2 minutes. 

FAQs
How long should I retain the breath? As long as it feels comfortable. You should not get dizzy or anxious when you practice. 

Why should I put the tongue on the roof of the mouth? The upper palate is a powerful energy point that links directly to the brain. This is why the exercise calms your mood.

Why can’t I curl my tongue?! No one really knows why. Depending on the country, 65-81% of the population can roll their tongue while the rest cannot. It’s more common among women than men. It could possibly be something that is learned in childhood. Contrary to popular belief, however, recent research suggests it is probably not genetic. 

This post is about the best yoga and other forms of physical exercise for summer. It’s the seventh installment of our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” We’re especially interested in the qualities of pitta dosha, described by Ayurveda as that which is hot, spreading, damp, strong-smelling and sharp. The purpose of our practice should be to bring balance to the body and mind. We do this by avoiding activities that will increase these qualities and doing more of the activities that will diminish these qualities.

Therefore, the summer exercise routine should stress moderation. Exercising outside is great but avoid the hottest parts of the day; dawn and dusk are the best times to exercise outside. Since we get so hot and sweaty this time of year we might not realize we’re not hydrating enough; drink water to ½ your weight in ounces (e.g., 150 lbs = 75 oz or 9.5 cups of water). If you need more hydration because of heavy sweating, turn to electrolyte drinks. Coconut water, cucumber water and CCF tea are natural options. (CCF tea is equal parts Cumin, Coriander and Fennel seeds steeped in hot water for 5-7 minutes. Strain and drink hot, warm or room temperature, never cold. Add honey or maple syrup as natural sweeteners.)

Ayurveda teaches that summer yoga reduces pitta dosha by releasing heat from the small intestine and central abdomen, cooling the blood and liver.  Yoga practice should be cooling, relaxing, surrendering and forgiving. Two styles of yoga that are perfect for the summer are restorative yoga and yin yoga. But traditional yoga postures fit in really well too:

• Choose Moon Salutations and save the Sun Salutations for cooler weather.
 
• All standing hip opening poses will release heat from the hips, e.g., Tree, Half Moon, Warriors, Triangle, Crescent Lunge. Hold them for 3-5 breaths and avoid moving too quickly from one pose to the next.
 
• All twisting poses, standing, seated and lying down, e.g., Revolved Triangle, Shiva Twist, Half Lord of the Fishes, Sage’s twist, Lying spinal twist. Hold them until you feel the heat rising out of the abdomen.
 
• All forward bending poses, standing, seated and lying down, e.g., Standing forward bend leaning against the wall, Head to knee pose, Child pose, Wind-relieving pose. Hold them for as long as you like.
 
• Inversions like headstand, shoulder stand and legs up the wall will stop the heat from rising into the head. This will calm the mind.
 
• Savasana and other restorative poses for 20 minutes every day.
 
When we balance effort with rest, we discover that while it’s awesome to work hard, it’s beneficial to make time for quiet and stillness too.

​What does the liver have to do with the eyes?, you may ask. Well, these are two of the hot organs in the body, so they are greatly affected by hot weather this time of year. As part of our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series,” the fourth installment so far, we’re enquiring into the nature of these hot organs.

Ayurveda classifies the hot season as Pitta dominant with qualities hot, wet, sharp, mobile, oily and smelly. This same heat and humidity exists inside of our body too, primarily in the digestive organs and body temperature, as well as our ability to think and comprehend. When we get overly hot in the summer we can have challenging symptoms like sunburns, rashes, bug bites, acid indigestion, diarrhea, frustration and anger. 

Certain organs of the body are especially susceptible to the fluctuations of pitta dosha, such as the liver and the eyes. 

The liver is situated on the right side of the body just under the diaphragm. In the Yoga tradition the liver is the physical and energetic location of anger in the body. Here are a couple of ways to take care of your liver this summer:

1) Drink a cup of water—warm or room temperature—with the juice of ¼ - ½ fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning. Yes, before you drink anything else. This special drink jump starts the whole digestive tract preparing it for a day of healthy eating and assimilation of nutrients. And the lemon is especially helpful for detoxifying the liver.

2) Practice twisting poses standing, sitting or lying down. In a twist we take our upper body and lower body in opposite directions, turning from the navel. All of the digestive organs are affected, but we can really address the liver by twisting the upper body to the right side.

The eyes are also a pitta dominant organ. When we have a pitta-oriented disease, the eyes often show it first through inflammation, dryness or weariness. The hot summer sun can be especially hard on the eyes. Here are a couple of ways to take care of your eyes this summer:

1) Refresh the eyes with rosewater. Look for organic, edible rosewater, the type that is used for cooking. Saturate two cotton rounds with the rosewater and place one round over each eye. Lie down and rest for 10-15 minutes. It’s better than eye drops!

2) Look at the sun early in the morning. This is the only time of the day when the sun emits red rays. Significant research has been done on how our body utilizes the red rays of the early morning sun. Not only do these rays have a healing effect on the body, but they also reset our circadian rhythm making it possible for us to sleep better at night. Gazing at the sun is only safe right after sunrise. Never look at the sun as it gets higher in the sky as this can severely injure the eyes. Instead, wear a pair of sunglasses with 100% UV-A and UV-B protection. 

If you like, join me tomorrow morning, drinking some lemon water and gazing at the rising sun. Your liver and your eyes with thank you.

This is the third in our “Yoga and Ayurveda for Summer Series.” Why did we wait so long to talk about food?! It’s one of the best parts about summer, all the fresh easy-to-eat foods available to us this time of year. We are looking at food through the lens of Ayurveda, India’s science of diet and lifestyle medicine. Ayurveda teaches that we are part of Nature, and so we are happiest and healthiest when we honor the cycles of Nature. And that includes what we eat.

Because summer is hot and humid here in Oklahoma, Ayurveda recommends eating to balance these qualities. The best tastes for the season are sweet, bitter and astringent. Here are some great summer choices:

Sweet foods: sweet fruits, especially berries; sweet vegetables; whole wheat bread and pasta; rice; organic whole milk and dairy products; if you need a sweetener, use honey, maple syrup or stevia. Avoid white flour and sugar. 

Ice cream: I know it’s not a food group, but it should be! Summer is the only season where Ayurveda recommends ice cream, so eat it. That’s an order!

Bitter foods: Green leafy vegetables, green and yellow vegetables, kale, celery, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, beets

Astringent foods: Lentils, beans, green apples, pears, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, pomegranates, tea

Hydrate: Drink plenty of water or herbal teas every day, at least one-half of your body weight in ounces (e.g., 150 lbs = 75 oz or 9.5 cups). All drinks should be cool, room temperature or warmer because ice interferes with digestion. 

Our digestion is weakest in the summer, so eating the freshest produce lightly cooked with cooling spices (fennel, coriander, cumin, saffron, mint) will keep us happy and healthy all summer long.

This is the second installment of “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series,” with a focus on first aid for summer ailments, all of which are either available in your own home or easy to obtain. All natural without using chemicals and medications! My Ayurveda teacher Dr. Vasant Lad calls this your “kitchen pharmacy.”

Here are home remedies for common summer conditions:

Bug bites: While there is a strict rule that we should never use essential oils straight from the bottle because they are so concentrated, there is an exception. And this exception is amazing! Place one drop of these three essential oils—peppermint, tea tree and lavender—in the palm of your hand. Dab the mixture on each bug bite. The itch will stop immediately and, in many cases, the redness will disappear in a few hours. Please wash your hands with an oil-based cleanser to avoid getting the oils in your eyes.

Heartburn: Into 1 cup of water add 10 drops of lime juice, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Add the baking soda last for an effervescent effect. Drink immediately. Works every time!

Diarrhea: Peel an apple. Cook the pulp with 1 teaspoon of ghee, pinch of nutmeg and pinch of sugar. Eat this 2-3 times during the day.

Pitta type headaches start in the temples and radiate into the center of the head. They are characterized by shooting, burning, piercing pain that is made worse by bright lights, high temperatures and eating sour or spicy foods. Often accompanied by nausea and irritability. Take 2 Tablespoons of aloe vera gel three times a day. OR Eat something sweet like a piece of fruit or ice cream.

Fatigue: Rest. There’s a reason why every image we have of summer includes having your feet up with a cool drink in one hand and a book in the other. Oh yeah, and sunglasses to complete the look.

​This is the first week of my new “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” 

Most of us are familiar with Yoga, but Ayurveda may be unfamiliar and mysterious. Yoga and Ayurveda grew together in India and have both been around for at least 8000 years, maybe more. Yoga focuses on physical movement, breathing and meditation while Ayurveda is concerned with diet, plant-based medicine and overall healthy lifestyle. Each week we’ll cover a different topic related to this season that Yoga and Ayurveda calls “pitta.”

In Ayurveda, Pitta is made up of water and fire elements, so its qualities are hot, oily, spreading and smelly. Sounds like a hot, humid Oklahoma day to me! Summer is here and we’re all feeling the heat.

Pitta affects us physically and mentally. Physically, we feel hot and sweaty, ready to hop in a pool or enjoy cool watermelon. Due to the heat of pitta, though, we may also have skin inflammations, sensitive eyes and loose stools.  Mentally, we can become very focused and determined, as when we’re having a sports competition with friends. The overheating of pitta, however, can lead to frustration, even anger, making it difficult to keep a lid on our emotions.

Ayurveda teaches that like increases like and opposites heal. We can INCREASE Pitta and its unpleasant symptoms by eating spicy food, getting overheated, and bottling up our negative emotions until they boil over. We can DECREASE Pitta by eating cooling foods, slowing down a little bit, being outside in Nature at dusk and dawn, and facing our emotions with maturity and clarity.

By far, the best lesson Pitta teaches us is to LET GO. 

Let go of one thing on your schedule this week so you can sit under a tree.

Let go of hard workouts so you can balance heat and cool in your body.

Let go of regrets from the past and fears about the future so you can be fully alive in the present moment.

Let go of repeating thoughts and emotions so you are free to act skillfully and with wisdom.

​As we continue our exploration of the endocrine system (hormones) through the chakras, we reach the third eye chakra, called Ajña Chakra in Sanskrit. It is located between and slightly above the eyebrows, and it physically lines up with the pineal gland, an endocrine gland located in the brain. Now this is interesting: the pineal gland secretes melatonin which helps regulate sleep cycles and one of the spiritual functions of the third eye chakra is to help us wake up from our mental sleep. It’s fun to consider how they work together!

People can really get stuck in third eye energy. Sometimes there is too much energy here which can result in being too much in the head, too intellectual and even impractical. For others, there is not enough energy here which makes it hard to see the big picture, hard to concentrate and lacking imagination of what is possible.

Fortunately, there are some powerful yoga practices that can help us balance this energy so that we benefit from healthy concentration and intuition as well as regulated sleep cycles.

• Alternate nostril breathing is effective because two powerful energy lines meet at the third eye. By breathing in through one nostril and breathing out through the other, alternating side-to-side, you encourage these two energy lines to work together to clear the mind and calm the body. It’s easy to do: 
-Sit with a lengthened spine, either on the floor or in a chair with feet on the floor. 
-In both hands, fold in the ring and pinky fingers and hold them down with the thumbs. 
-Use the extended index and middle fingers to gently close the nostrils one at a time. 
-To begin, inhale through both nostrils, close the right nostril with the right fingers, breathe out through the left nostril. Breathe in through the left nostril. 
-Change the hands so that now you are closing the left nostril with the left fingers to breathe out through the right nostril. Breathe in through the right nostril. 
-Continue to breathe this way for 5-10 minutes. As you become more adept at the practice, you can turn your eyes slightly upward to gaze at your third eye.

• Poses that place your forehead on or near the floor or a block, such as child pose or resting crocodile pose.

• Keeping the hands near the level of the forehead in standing poses like Tree, Eagle, Warrior 1, Warrior 2 and Triangle.

• Meditation on the third eye, either by visualizing the OM symbol at the forehead or imagining you could breathe in through the top of the head and breathe out through the third eye.

• Chant the mantra OM for 10 minutes. Sit in the silence and feel its vibration for another few minutes.

​The throat chakra gets a lot of attention these days because everyone is talking about something! Located directly in the throat, Vishuddha Chakra also includes the mouth, tongue and ears. This reminds me of something my mother liked to say when we were kids: “We have one mouth and two ears so we can listen more and talk less.” Wouldn’t that be nice?!

The throat chakra assists us with communication of all kinds, more than just talking, but singing, creating, making art, disseminating information, etc. We can ask ourselves these questions: What information are we sharing? What information are we consuming? Is it helpful or harmful? Truthful or duplicitous? Are we using the best means possible to communicate with others?

The endocrine gland associated with the throat is the thyroid. Its main role in the body is to regulate metabolism by monitoring how quickly or slowly the body converts food into energy. A slow metabolism can cause one to gain weight and feel lethargic, while a fast metabolism makes it difficult to put on weight while feeling anxious and cold. 

Fortunately, there is evidence that yoga postures—like all forms of exercise—help to balance the metabolism. A balanced metabolism is able to speed up or slow down appropriately according to what is eaten, the activities undertaken and the time of day. Here are some yoga practices to consider when working with the throat chakra:

√ Breathing that emphasizes the throat, such as humming and victorious breath. To practice humming, simply take in a deep breath through the nose and breathe out with a long, closed-mouth hum. Do this 7-10 times. For victorious breath, take in a deep breath through the nose and breathe out through the nose while moving the breath over the back of the throat. The sound will be like a breathy “haaaaa.” Do this 7-10 times, take a short break and do 7-10 more.

√ Movement that stimulates the metabolism, like Sun Salutations, flowing Cow/Cat/Child pose repetitions, or flowing Plank/Upward-Facing Dog/Downward-Facing Dog repetitions.

√ Postures that move the throat, such as neck stretches and rotations, tilting the head up in Warrior 1, Camel pose and Fish pose, turning the head to the side in Warrior 2, Triangle, Side Angle and Balancing Half Moon. Tucking the chin in Bridge pose, Shoulderstand and Child pose.

√ Calming the nervous system in a restorative pose such as Savasana, supported Bridge pose or Legs-up-the-wall.

​We’re continuing our journey through the chakras and the endocrine system, the network of glands that secrete hormones to regulate all the activities of the body. It’s amazing how the yoga practitioners in ancient days were intuitively aware of these powerful connections, even before science could describe concepts like “glands” and “hormones.” These connections endure even today since we get the benefits through our yoga practices.

With this post we reach the fourth chakra, usually called the heart chakra. Its Sanskrit name is Anahata. Its location tells us a lot about what it controls: the heart and lungs, circulatory system, chest and breasts, upper back, skin, lymphatic system, arms and hands. The heart chakra covers a lot of territory because of the energy that flows from the heart to the hands.

The heart chakra is also quite emotional since it is linked to our feelings of love, goodwill, empathy and compassion. It ties us together in friendship, marriage and partnership. It draws us to the work we want to do to make our mark on the world. 

The endocrine gland that sits just behind the sternum (breast bone) is the thymus, a small gland that supports the immune system. It produces special white blood cells called T-cells, and like all white blood cells, they fight infection and disease. Three interesting facts about the thymus: 1) Most T-cells are produced in childhood thereby providing us with immune protection our whole life. 2) The thymus is very large when we’re a baby, then shrinks throughout the rest of our life. 3) Thymus means “soul” in Greek, as the ancient Greeks believed that our soul is located in this special space behind the sternum. 

Here are some ways we can support the thymus and heart chakra through our practice of Yoga:

• Heart opening poses like Cat/Cow, Sphinx, Cobra, Bow, Wheel

• Poses with arms extended like Warrior variations, Triangle variations, Tree, Crane

• Twisting poses like Shiva twist, Half Lord of the Fishes, Lying down spinal twist

• Heart breathing: Sit in a meditation pose with spine extended but relaxed, or lie down in Savasana. For the first minute breathe naturally and feel your connection to the earth. To begin the practice, imagine that you could breathe in through the top of the head. The breath passes through the crown chakra, third eye chakra, throat chakra until it reaches the heart chakra. Imagine you could breathe out through the heart chakra, sending the breath into the space in front of the body. If you like, you can link the breath to heart-felt emotions such as love, empathy or compassion. Practice for 5-10 minutes. To finish, return to natural breathing. Notice how you feel in body, mind and emotions. Slowly get up to return to daily activities. 

We’re continuing our series on yoga and the systems of the body, a series I’ve been calling “Your Body on Yoga.” We’ve discussed many systems already, focusing on how yoga is so good for us. We’re getting close to the end of the series with just two more systems to go. This week we explore the endocrine system and how it relates to the chakras. Let’s get started!

The endocrine system is made up of many different glands in the body that release various hormones to regulate the systems of the body. We’ve already looked at all of these systems individually, but not as one overall system related to hormonal balance. This is a big topic in our modern world since hormones are constantly being disrupted by toxins in our food, water and environment. 

In Vedic philosophy and Ayurvedic medical practice, the chakra system was used to describe the function of the endocrine glands long before scientists even had terms like “endocrine” and “hormone.” The chakras have always been understood as subtle energy, meaning that they cannot be seen with the eyes but that their energy could be experienced through their effect on the body.

Here are the connections between the endocrine glands and their related chakras:

Root chakra at the base of the spine (muladhara chakra) is related to the adrenal glands which release the fight or flight hormone adrenaline.

Pelvic/sacral chakra (svadisthana chakra) is related to the ovaries and testicles which release the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. 

Navel/solar plexus chakra (manipura chakra) is related to the pancreas which release insulin and glucagon. This is the chakra of the digestive system.

Heart chakra (anahata chakra) is related to the thymus, a small gland located just behind the sternum. It is responsible for T cell production necessary for a healthy lymphatic system. When it is weak a person is more susceptible to autoimmune disorders.

Throat chakra (vishuddha chakra) is related to the thyroid and parathyroid which release hormones to control metabolism, physical growth and nervous system activity.

Third eye chakra (ajna chakra) is related to the pineal gland which secretes melatonin to regulate sleep.

The crown chakra (sahasrara chakra) is related to the master gland pituitary. It secretes a variety of hormones to bring the whole endocrine system into harmony.

Note: Some yoga teachings relate the glands and chakras a little differently. Specifically, the sex organs can be associated with the root chakra while the adrenals are associated with the pelvic chakra. Additionally, the pituitary gland can be associated with the third eye while the pineal gland can be assigned to the crown chakra. 

Here is a practical application from Yoga:
For someone who is dealing with anxiety and worry, Yoga can offer guidance by recognizing the relationship between the adrenal glands—the physical mechanism for releasing hormones that ramp up the fight or flight response—and the root chakra which can ground this energy. When the root chakra is in balance a person feels stable, calm, rooted and steady. Try these practices to balance the root chakra:

Sitting or lying down on the floor and feeling all the places where the body is touching the earth. Chant the mantra LAM (LUHM), the seed syllable for the root chakra.

Breathe in through the nose and feel the air filling the lungs and belly. Breathe out through the nose while visualizing the breath moving down the center of the body to the base of the spine, down the legs and into the earth. Practice for at least 5-10 minutes.

Helpful yoga poses: Mountain pose, Tree pose, Goddess pose, Triangle pose, All seated poses especially meditation postures, Squatting, Knees to chest, Corpse pose