HOT FLASH HAVEN
Hot Flash Haven
Beat the Heat with these Yoga and Ayurveda Tips!
- Pranayama simply means “breath control”, and refers to breathing exercises that use breath, our prana, or life-force, to affect our mental, physical and emotional state.
- Sitali pranayama is a cooling breath. Here’s how to do it:
- Sit in a comfortable meditative posture with the spine straight.
- Curl the tongue and protrude it slightly past the lips. If you can’t curl the tongue, try to bring the edges of your tongue up with your lips.
- Inhale deeply and smoothly through the tongue and mouth. Exhale through the nose.
- Continue for 5 minutes.
- Then inhale — hold. Pull in the tongue. Exhale and relax.
- Repeat as needed for up to two more 5-minute periods.
- Sit in a comfortable meditative posture with the spine straight.
RICE WATER RELIEF FOR HOT FLASHES So many women ask for relief from hot flashes. Curing or managing hot flashes is not just about a simple remedy (see below for more info) but this simple remedy may help to alleviate symptoms while you work with the source of the issue. One of my teachers in India, Indra Mohan (one of the sweetest, most calm and healthy women you will ever meet) offered this recipe.It’s worth trying out.
- Place a half cup of cooked rice in a glass.
- Fill cup to cover rice with twice as much water.
- Let sit, (covered) overnight at room temperature.
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First thing in the morning, strain liquid from rice and drink just the liquid.
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Ever feel like you’re eating fire?
Man or Woman, young or old, we all get overheated sometimes, especially in the summer months. Ayurveda recommends adjusting your summer diet and lifestyle to include more cooling foods and calming activity to balance the Pitta dosha, which corresponds to fire and is often activated in this season.
Often we gravitate toward such choices naturally, such as selecting raw veggies and fruits over heavy foods, or deciding against going for jog in the middle of a warm day. Other smart tips include:
- Avoid adding spice to your meals (for example, reduce garlic, peppers, mustard and dried ginger). Choose cooling herbs instead, like cilantro, fennel, dill, and mint.
- Enjoy cool teas made with hibiscus, rose petals, mint and stevia, these all have cooling properties. If you’re not a tea person, try young coconut water, it’s chock full of minerals and is great for re-hydrating.
- You may have a tendency to reach for ice-cold drinks – DON’T! This actually destroys your digestive ‘fire’ and disrupts your body’s natural ability to regulate and digest. Reach for cool or room temperature foods and drinks instead.
- Avoid heavy exercise in the middle of the day or in heat. Practice calming yoga and breathing exercises. See above for instructions on Sitali pranayama, a cooling breathing technique.
Menopause and Ayurveda
If you’re a woman (or know one!) who is experiencing menopause, the above recommendations are applicable. In addition:
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- You should also know that difficult symptoms of menopause are often attributed to excess ama, or toxins, in the body. Understanding how to clear these toxins, and cleaning your diet, will help your body to release excess heat more easily.
- Avoid skipping meals. Eating irregularly and skipping meals disturbs your digestive fire and actually will increase heat in the body. Try to eat meals regularly and if possible, keep your heaviest meal toward mid-day.
Posted by By: admin | 
2010/08/05 | Uncategorized