Natural Ways to Combat Summer Meltdown
Summer is the season most of us look forward to all year. It means having the freedom to romp, bond with nature, and dress way down. Yet when it finally arrives, we're quickly reminded that although the grass may be greener, it's also wilted and sticky. Fortunately, cooling off doesn't have to mean just sitting under the air conditioner. Here are natural ways to beat the heat - with almost no fossil fuels required.
1. GET MISTY
To remind yourself of the ocean's calming spray, whip up a batch of this cooling potion. If you are pregnant, diabetic or have allergies, check with your Physician before doing this. You'll need pure essential oils (which you can find at a health food store), a 4-ounce spray bottle, and water. Pour water into the bottle until it's about half full. Add the following oils: eleven drops of orange, eight drops of bergamot, five drops of rosemary, and two drops of lavender. Then, fill the rest of the bottle with more water. Keep the mixture in a cool, dry place and shake it before using. Spritz it on your body anytime throughout the day except before bed; it's an energizing blend.
2. ROCK ON
Try a cold stone treatment when the weather heats up. Select some smooth rocks that are palm size and smaller. Rinse them and lay them in your freezer on top of a bandana or piece of fabric. After about an hour, rest on your wrists, neck and other pulse points for maximum coolage. After this, you'll feel like a human being for an hour or so instead of human black top.
3. EAT FOR THE SEASON
In Ayurveda, India's science of life and medicine, beating the heat is all about balancing the dominant element of summer - pitta, or fire. Like increases like, so we have to have a diet and lifestyle that is opposite to the qualities of pitta In blazing summer, avoid spicy, heavy foods and eat watery fruits and vegetables (melons, grapes, plums, apples, cucumber).
4. BREATHE LIKE A YOGI
When yoga practitioners want to lower their temperatures, they stick out their tongues to take a "cooling breath." This exercise brings colder air into the body, but it also offers other benefits: When we're paying attention to the breath, we're paying attention to the present moment. Often we're hot because we're in a hurry. Coming into the present is a good way to cool down. To practice: stick out your tongue halfway and curl it into a tube. Now, if no one's looking at you funny, inhale evenly through it for about five seconds. Then, hold your breath while gently drawing your chin toward your chest. Hold for five seconds. Exhale through your nose. Do four to five rounds, repeating as needed throughout the day.
6. SOOTHE YOURSELF
Sunscreen will protect your skin, but there's nothing like a foot soak to refresh your spirit in the heat of summer. Prepare a bowl of cool water with a combination of salts, teas, and mint leaves. Then rest your feet in the bowl for about 10 minutes. You will feel pampered and refreshed.
7. IMAGINE YOURSELF COOL
Close your eyes, sit comfortably, or lie down. Visualize yourself lying in a soft, shaded, grassy spot; you are totally enveloped by a cool breeze. Now feel the sweetest, mistiest summer rain dusting over you, cooling you down completely. Open your eyes and wake up to a calmer, balmier you.
8. SINK INTO A SUMMERY MOMENT
- Unplug the television
- Think happy thoughts
- Gaze at the night sky
- Watch butterflies
- Walk barefoot in water or wet grass
- Sit under a great tree
- Consider where you are burning out
- Know that you are eternally beautiful. Amen.
