Last night, it was HOT yoga even though we weren’t trying to do HOT yoga. Wow. Here in the desert, we’ve had record high temps and by August, it’s getting old. With no cooler temps in sight and no trip planned for San Diego, this cooling breath is getting me through.
Often in yoga class, you’ll hear us tell you to breathe in and out through your nose. For class, that’s the best way to breathe because we want to maintain warmth within your body to keep your muscles warm and to avoid injury.
When we’re too warm, we can breathe in through the mouth and out through the nose to help cool us down. Here’s how to do it:
- Find a comfortable seated position. If seated on the floor, you may want to lift your hips by sitting on a rolled yoga mat or pillow.
- Either pucker your lips like you’re about to sip on a straw or curl the outer edges of your tongue and stick your tongue out slightly (rolled or taco tongue). Either position is fine. Inhale through your mouth. This may create a whisper sound – that’s fine. (Note – I wouldn’t recommend this breath when you’re out in the 115 degree heat…try it indoors instead)
- At the top of your inhale, pause just long enough to close your mouth and exhale through your nose, releasing the warmer air. Close your eyes and imagine that you’re sitting on the beach, enjoying the ocean breeze (I’m willing to try ANYTHING at this point)
- Repeat 8-10 times and then check in with how you feel, breathing a few slow steady breaths.
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