Summer Yoga Challenge
Jul 23, 2021
Summer Yoga Challenge: find pure relaxation despite the heat
Yoga in the heat? Doesn't sound like a good idea at first. Experience shows that summer temperatures and sport do not make a good combination. However, we plead for a more differentiated view of the whole matter.
Because yoga can work wonders in the heat: With the right asanas, your body will be able to compensate for the heat and feel less stressed. Of course, you also benefit from the other positive effects of yoga exercises: Balance and strengthening.
That sounds much more appealing, doesn't it? So how about an extensive summer yoga challenge? We show you how to make the most of this summer with the right asanas.
What do I get out of a Yoga Challenge?
Experienced yogis agree: doing yoga every day is a good thing. It's the easiest way to stick with it and notice the positive effects on body and mind in the long term. The Summer Yoga Challenge is the perfect way to get started.
Set yourself a time frame in which you do yoga every day. For example, a 21-day yoga challenge is a good idea. During this time you will get used to the regular exercises, which will become a routine.
That sounds exhausting? Don't worry, it doesn't have to be. Because around 15 minutes of yoga a day is quite enough. Look at it this way: we all have no time - or so we think. But this quarter of an hour a day doesn't matter. There are enough reasons why you should definitely treat yourself to this short break from everyday life:
- With daily yoga sessions you promote your flexibility and stay in balance.
- Through your breathing, which gradually becomes deeper and more even, you stimulate your organs and support their function. As a bonus, you get relaxation and serenity. The trained breathing of a yogi is, so to speak, an anti-stress agent.
- Through the various exercises, you not only increase your well-being in the long term, but can also say goodbye to tension thanks to improved stretching. In addition, the oxygen supply is increased through breathing, while the strain on the muscles leads to an upright posture and a lot of self-confidence.
When is the best time for yoga?
Yoga is often recommended for the evening hours in summer. For one thing, it tends to be cooler then than during the day. For another, it's simply good to leave a long and stressful day behind with some relaxing time out. However, we think it will do you good to establish yoga as your morning routine. This way you start the day balanced and yet full of energy. And there are no more excuses once the routine has settled in.
We guarantee you: You'll wish the summer would never end. You're not an early riser? The benefits of the Summer Yoga Challenge will surely change your mind:
- In the morning it is usually not too hot. So you can make the most of the cool morning hours to get into your exercise flow.
- You haven't had a long, tiring day yet, but are still freshly recovered from the previous night. You can invest this energy in your yoga session.
- You are certainly one of the many people who do not always sleep well. Frequent tossing and turning and acute overheating can cause annoying tension. You can relieve this tension in the morning with a few exercises and start your day with a better body feeling.
- Yoga has been proven to put you in a good mood and prevent mood swings. So you put yourself in a positive mood for the challenges of the day ahead.
- Especially in summer, the cardiovascular system is often under severe strain because we are simply not used to the heat. With the right asanas, you can prepare your body for the expected heat wave.
- The perfect time for your yoga exercises is directly after getting up. This is because an empty belly is better suited for some of the cooling exercises, as they are performed upside down.
How can I prepare my Yoga Challenge?
To make your personal summer yoga challenge as varied as possible, you can, for example, rotate your asanas. Make a plan for seven days and pick up a new yoga exercise every day. In the following two weeks, deepen your yoga routine by repeating this 7-day plan.
To keep the yoga challenge as uncomplicated as possible, it's best to prepare everything for your morning asanas the night before. Prepare your mat and tools, fill a bottle with water or a cooling iced tea and place it within reach of your equipment. This will help you to overcome any inhibitions you may have. In the morning, all you have to do is plop down on your mat before you start.
Which yoga exercises are best for summertime? We have compiled the most popular yoga asanas against heat to give you a little inspiration along the way.
Yoga in summer: exercises against heat
Numerous asanas can be performed at different levels of difficulty. Thus, these yoga exercises are suitable for advanced practitioners and beginners.
Especially for your summer yoga challenge, there is another advantage: If you improve your flexibility and balance during your 21-day challenge, you can easily vary the difficulty of your selected exercises in the second or third week.
Decide according to your form on the day, as this can vary greatly in the summer heat. What is the best way to start? With the following exercises you can give the starting signal for your personal yoga challenge.
The child: Get down and stabilise circulation
Especially when the outside temperature is high, the circulation is under a lot of strain. So if you notice that you are physically declining or that the heat is generally getting to you, the child posture has a stabilising effect.
For this exercise, get into the quadruped position and then rest your buttocks on your heels. Push your forehead forward and rest it on the floor. You can rest your arms loosely beside your buttocks. If you cannot bend forward that far, use your fists to form a cushion on which to rest your forehead.
With this exercise you can counteract dizziness and stabilise your circulation. This simple exercise works wonders for acute temperature overload.
The standing forward bend: Make sure you cool down
It's early in the morning and the temperature on the thermometer has already soared? This is extremely uncomfortable for your well-being, but the good news is: with the right asana you can easily make yourself feel better.
Stand upright. With an exhalation slowly bend forward. Depending on how flexible you are, you can place your hands on the floor or enclose your legs with your arms.
You can bend your legs slightly if necessary. Perform this exercise in a way that feels comfortable for you. Finally, slowly roll yourself back up until you are standing upright again. Let your circulation slowly catch up and finally raise your head.
As this exercise has a calming effect on the entire nervous system, it is perceived as cooling. You become more balanced and feel less stressed by the high temperatures.
Half Moon Pose: For more concentration despite summer temperatures
For the starting position, stand up straight and position your legs hip-width apart. Tilt your tailbone slightly forward and gently pull your sternum upwards. Now shift your weight to the standing leg and stretch the other leg backwards. Push the heel away from you. The upper body remains upright.
Then stretch the arm on the side of your standing leg upwards while stretching the other arm backwards at shoulder height. The palm should be facing the sky. Both thumbs should pull slightly backwards to achieve a stretching of the chest. Hold this overall position for a few seconds. Then slowly return to the starting position and switch sides for another pass.
If you have problems with the arm movements, simply stretch them as far as possible into the indicated position. The more often you do this exercise, the more you will get out of it.
The light backbend strengthens your lumbar muscles, improves your balance, opens your chest and improves your breathing and concentration. This exercise is perfect for the start of the day, for example, when you are sitting in the office in the heat or have a marathon lecture at university ahead of you.
Make the warm months your yoga summer
You will benefit in every way from a summer yoga challenge. In addition to more resistance to the summer heat, you will gain many other positive effects from regular training.
If you manage to incorporate this routine into your daily routine every now and then or even stick to it permanently, you will notice a lasting change in your well-being. And not only in summer.
