Cooling From the Inside Out: Yoga Poses to Ease Summer Tension

It’s been a scorcher this week, and when temperatures rise, our bodies tend to hold onto stress and fatigue more tightly. Yoga offers a powerful antidote to the overstimulation and overheating that comes with the summer heat. This week, we’re focusing on three long-hold postures that invite your body into a state of deep release, calm your nervous system, and help cool you from the inside out.

Roll out your mat, turn on a fan or open a window, and ease into these grounding, cooling poses.

1. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana B – Traditional Entry)
This variation of the classic Seated Forward Fold invites you into a deeper internal experience while actively engaging the legs and calming the nervous system.

How to:

• Begin seated with your knees bent and feet together, close to the sitting bones.

• Reach forward and take hold of the outer edges of your feet.

• Keeping a firm grip, begin to extend your legs forward slowly, straightening them as much as your flexibility allows.

• With each inhale, lengthen the spine; with each exhale, gently draw yourself deeper into the fold.

• Allow your back to round naturally once you've reached your edge, keeping your head soft and your breath steady.

• Hold for 3–5 minutes, maintaining gentle engagement through the calves and quadriceps.
  
  

Lineage Note:
This specific entry method—starting by holding the feet and extending the legs from a bent-knee position—is often referred to as Paschimottanasana B in Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga systems. In Iyengar Yoga, it is used to support muscular engagement and alignment, particularly through the calves and thighs, which helps protect the lower back and deepen the stretch safely.

Why it's cooling:
By folding inward and elongating the spine, this pose draws your attention away from external heat and stimulation. It encourages introspection, slows the breath, and helps regulate the body's internal temperature—making it an ideal posture during hot, overstimulating days.

2. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani – Restorative Inversion)
A deeply soothing inversion that encourages passive release, quiets the mind, and supports circulation without exertion.

How to:

• Sit sideways with one hip close to a wall.

• Gently swing your legs up the wall as you lower your back to the floor.

• Adjust so your sit bones are a few inches from the wall—or closer, depending on hamstring flexibility.

• Optionally, place a folded blanket or bolster under your sacrum to slightly elevate the hips for added support and lymphatic drainage.

• Rest your arms beside you, palms facing up, or place your hands on your belly or heart.

• Close your eyes and let your breath slow naturally.

• Hold for 5–10 minutes, or longer if comfortable.
  

Breath Awareness:
Use soft, unforced breathing—lengthening the exhale slightly can deepen the cooling and calming effects. Try counting your breath in for 4 and out for 6 to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.

Lineage + Energetics:
Though not a strict part of the classical Hatha or Ashtanga sequences, Viparita Karani is often considered a gentle alternative to more vigorous inversions like Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana). It is frequently taught in Iyengar and Restorative Yoga traditions for its regenerative effects and its ability to reverse the downward flow of energy (apana vayu), restoring pranic balance in the body.

Why it’s Cooling:
The inversion of the legs allows gravity to assist venous return and ease lower body fatigue, while the stillness of the posture soothes the nervous system and reduces sensory overload. When held for several minutes, it fosters a meditative state—ideal for days when heat, overstimulation, or stress leave you feeling scattered.

Optional Add-Ons:

• Eye pillow or a folded cloth over the eyes

• Cooling essential oil (like peppermint or lavender) at the temples or wrists

• Soft music or silence to deepen rest
  
  
  
  

3. Reclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana – Supported Hip and Heart Opener)
A deeply nourishing and receptive pose, Supta Baddha Konasana gently opens the hips, softens the belly, and encourages the breath to deepen without effort—offering a perfect refuge during hot, overstimulating days.

How to:

• Begin seated with the soles of your feet together and knees falling out wide into Baddha Konasana.

• Slowly recline onto your back, using your hands to support yourself as you lower down.

• Support the knees with blocks, bolsters, or folded blankets so the hips and inner thighs can release without strain as needed.

• Optional: Place a bolster or long cushion along the spine for gentle chest expansion, allowing the heart to open and the shoulders to relax back.

• Rest your arms either beside you, palms up, or one hand on your belly and one on your heart.

• Close the eyes and settle into 5–10 minutes of restorative stillness.
  
  

Breath Awareness:
Let the breath flow effortlessly into the belly and lower ribs. You may observe a natural cooling as the breath slows and deepens. Try a subtle breath pattern like:
Inhale 4 / Pause 2 / Exhale 6
…to release tension and activate the body's natural cooling mechanisms.

Lineage + Energetics:
In Restorative Yoga and Ayurveda, Supta Baddha Konasana is considered a pitta-balancing pose—helpful for releasing heat and calming fiery emotions like irritation, anger, and impatience. While not part of classical Hatha or Ashtanga sequencing, it is frequently used in Iyengar, Yin, and therapeutic yoga for its deeply pacifying effects on the nervous system and its support of digestive and reproductive health.

Why it’s Cooling:
The supported openness of this pose encourages the belly and diaphragm to soften, allowing the breath to slow and deepen. This not only enhances oxygen exchange and parasympathetic activation, but also provides space for emotional release—especially helpful during times of heat-induced stress or burnout.

Cooling the Body, Quieting the Mind

In the heat of summer or any time life feels overstimulating, it’s essential for us to slow down and honor the quieter rhythms of our body. Long-hold postures like Paschimottanasana B, Viparita Karani, and Supta Baddha Konasana help us shift from output to restoration. Each one invites you to pause, soften, and reconnect with your breath—your most powerful tool for cooling the body and calming the nervous system.

As you move through these poses, resist the urge to "do" and lean instead into simply being. Let gravity do the work. Let your breath guide the release. Let stillness feel productive. This kind of practice is not only nourishing—it's necessary.

If time allows, end your practice with a brief Savasana or 5 minutes of quiet reflection, noticing how your body feels after each posture. Or journal a few lines about how these long-held shapes affected your mind, breath, or energy.

This week, let cooling be your cue—not just in yoga, but in your daily life. Slow your pace. Seek shade. Sip water mindfully. And give yourself permission to rest.