In July with heat blazing all around the world, it is best to do practice that keeps you cool. But since Hot Yoga was popularized 50 years ago, sweaty, stinky, mat-drenching yoga has been the standard. But today with outside temps like an oven and global warming upon us, it is best to do chill yoga. While tapas (heat, austerity) is a long standing part of yogic transformation, yogis carefully avoid anything which causes irritation, inflammation, flare-up or fury. The tenets of  non-reactivity, non-aggression and peacefulness are meant to insure a cool head space. All of this is of particular importance for the brain. Do everything in your powers to keep your brain cool. This includes reducing anxiety and stress (to avoid what one of my meditation teachers called, “brain squeeze”) and generating mental attitudes that are both auspicious and positive.
The brain comes equipped with its own special temperature sensors. This is true primarily in the hypothalamus and the tiny pituitary (the “master gland”) that remains cool by suspending from the brain like a testicle. To avoid accumulating heat in practice (referred to in Chinese medicine as “heat rising”) we move slowly, breathe deeply and turn yourself upside-down. Staying hydrated through movement is essential. That is, do practice that pumps, rinses and irrigates your tissues. For regulating the internal thermostat, my favorite is wild swimming in oceans, rivers, lakes or ponds. A daily cold plunge invigorates while cooling, reduces inflammation and elevates mood. If you cannot get to water then a cold bath or shower should do the trick. Keep your bloodstream cool in meditation by visualizing waves, ripples, shimmers, pools and tidal flow.
We live in an era of rising temps. The last decade has been the hottest on record with global temps increasing  1.1° C/1.9° F. Cooling the global body begins at home by keeping your nerves, blood and brain cool. More than anything, move slowly, keep an even keel and nourish deeply. In the midst of scorching and burning temperatures now is the time to practice chill yoga.
