International Day of Yoga 2024: With multiple cities in India having heatwave alerts, the summer season is getting more challenging with time. Heatwaves can be disastrous for health – they can lead to dizziness, heavy sweating, cardiovascular issues, asthma attacks, and transmission of many infectious diseases. Heatstroke is one of the intense impacts of being heavily exposed to scorching heat or the heatwave. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Manisha Pareek, Yoga Teacher and Certified Nutritionist said, ” Protecting yourself from heatstroke is crucial as it can lead to serious health issues, including dehydration, organ damage, paralysis, and even death. Heatstroke occurs when your body loses its ability to cool down, causing your temperature to rise dangerously due to prolonged exposure to the sun, high temperatures, or dehydration.”
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“Practicing yoga can help you manage and mitigate the risks of heatstroke during the hot summer months by elevating the cooling and calming ability of the body and mind,” added Dr Rajeev Rajesh, Chief Yoga Officer, at Jindal Naturecure Institute.
The yoga experts further shared a few yoga practices that can help in alleviating the risk of heatstroke:
Yoga asanas:
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose):
The Bridge Pose helps in improving blood circulation and calming the nervous system, further enhancing cardiovascular health.
Shavasana (Corpse Pose):
Shavasana, one of the most relaxing yoga techniques, can help in reducing body temperature. It also uses gravity to bring blood back to the heart.
Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose):
This yoga pose helps in calming the nervous system, reducing stress and cooling the body effectively.
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose):
One of the variations of the Butterfly Pose, Supta Baddha Konasana helps in opening the hips and enhancing hip flexibility. It also helps in cooling down the body.
Breathing techniques:
Sheetali Pranayama (Cooling Breath Technique):
This pranayama helps to cool down the body and affects the brain centers responsible for temperature control. It also helps in reducing excitement and anxiety.
Sheetkari Pranayama (Hissing Breath Technique):
This technique cools the body and calms the mind, making it an excellent practice during hot weather.
Kaki Mudra:
A mudra is a gesture, and in this case, the gesture involves puckering the mouth like the beak of a crow and holding the gaze at the nose tip. This practice cools the body and calms the mind while also doing wonders for the skin and complexion, removing wrinkles, and offering anti-aging benefits.
Chandra Bhedana Pranayama (Left Nostril Breathing):
Chandra Bhedana activates the cooling energy and helps reduce body heat.