The Cool Side of Yoga

I’m sure you’ve all heard about Bikram Yoga (yoga practiced in 108°), Hot Yoga, Sweat and Surrender Yoga and now even Hot Pilates and Barre classes so with all this hot yoga craze we may be missing out on the cooler side of stretching, breathing and relaxing.

There are several styles of yoga that are great to balance out summer activities and warmer climates so you can still get all the benefits of yoga.  The first one is restorative yoga. This therapeutic style of yoga is often called “Active Relaxation” which uses props to support the body while keeping it active with minimal movement in a relaxed, meditative state. These poses are used to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for balancing the body. The postures are specifically designed for when you are feeling fatigued, weak, stressed from daily life or when you just want to experience stillness. They are equally beneficial to alleviate depression, reduce chronic pain, migraines and the symptoms of insomnia, asthma and to help recover from childbirth.  The second style of yoga I recommend during the hot months is Gentle Yoga.  Gentle Yoga consists of a balance between slow repetitive and sustained stretching.  Standing postures are rare in gentle yoga and if they are performed they are to stretch rather than strengthen.  Gentle yoga can be an excellent way to begin a yoga practice and start gaining flexibility in a way that won’t set you up for failure.  The third practice is Yin Yoga.  Yin (soft) yoga, as opposite of Yang (active, strong) offers a slow paced movement and helps press pause on hyperactive life we are living. Yin and Yang are opposites, yet together they create wholeness while complimenting each other. The yoga postures will be held for short periods of time (2-4 min) with intention to create more elasticity in connective tissue, access deeper muscles, release stress from the body and mind and aid in overall relaxation.

With summer comes lots of activities and exuberant energy that needs to be balanced and grounded.  It is just as important to take care of ourselves when we feel good as it is when we do not.  These three yoga styles (Restorative, Gentle and Yin) are the perfect activity to do just that just look for these names of yoga at your closest yoga studio.

L.Justine Fuller

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