Cool Breezes

Cool Breezes

Chilling with your Breath

Have you noticed that maybe you are a little more irritable during the summer? July’s heat can fuel frustration and aggravation.  When the body temperature rises, our tempers sometimes follow.

A committed yoga practice can help bring awareness when these internal temperatures start to rise, as well as providing much needed cool breezes to our souls.  Surprisingly for many novice yogis, this practice begins with controlling our breath or pranayama.  “If the breath is chaotic the mind, emotions and thoughts are chaotic.  When the breath is controlled, still and steady, so is the mind” (Rolf Gates)

Two cooling pranayama techniques to try are sitali and sitkari.  Sitali translate to soothing or cool in Sanskrit.  Think of these styles as your own air conditioning unit!  Practicing sitali (or sitkari) calms the fight or flight response.  It cools the mind, body and spirit as well as blood pressure.  It has a calming effect to the entire nervous system.

Check out Yoga International’s detailed instructions on how to practice both sitali and sitkari.  Simply practicing these breathing techniques for 2-5 minutes a day can make a difference.  Take a breath today for a calmer, gentler you.

Goodnight Moon

Celebrate the Strawberry Moon on June 13

Goodnight Moon

Living in Nature’s Rhythm

A neighbor and fellow gardener suggested I plant my summer vegetable garden in synch with the moon.  Huh?  I had never contemplated such an idea, but as I digested the information, it made sense.  Fishermen follow tides schedules to catch the largest bounty.  Farmers, too, use the moon to measure the amount of moisture in the ground.

The moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth controls not only high and low tides, but also how dry and moist the ground is.  As a full moon approaches, the ground is thought to be especially moist and is great for planting crops that grow belowthe Earth’s surface such as potatoes and pumpkins.  The new moon marks the perfect time to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and other plants that bloom above the ground.

In addition, many Indian tribes, especially the Algonquians, gave full moons names to keep track of the seasons.  Reoccurring full moons like June’s StrawberryMoon signifies the best time to harvest summer’s juiciest berries.  The Strawberry Moon is also known as the Rose Moon in Europe where strawberries are not native.  Other cultures refer to June’s moon as the Hot Moon in reference to the start of summer.

Whether or not you’re a gardener, plan a special evening outdoors on June 13 when the Strawberry Moon appears.  Pick up a pint of fresh strawberries, and add them to your beverages, salads and desserts.  Cheers to summer, and cheers to Mother Nature!