Credits: Canva, sadhguru/Instagram
As temperatures continue to soar, the toll on our bodies and minds becomes hard to ignore. In such times, ancient wellness practices offer practical, time-tested ways to cool the body from within and steady the mind. Drawing from yogic wisdom, Sadhguru's summer guide offers insights that are as grounded in physiology as they are in philosophy, helping us enjoy the season with balance and awareness.
Ash Gourd Juice
His advice is strikingly simple and rooted in nature. Take ash gourd juice, for instance. While the world reaches for sugar-laden sodas, he believes in vegetable juice as a powerful coolant that not only hydrates but also boosts vitality without taxing the system.
Castor Oil Rituals for Deep Body Calm
He uses castor oil with surgical precision. Five drops applied to five specific points on the body act like tiny reset buttons, nudging the internal system towards calmness. It is less folk medicine and more subtle engineering of the body’s energy flow.
Sheetali Kriya
Breathwork, too, takes centre stage. Sheetali kriya, a yogic cooling technique, involves curling the tongue and inhaling air slowly. It may seem unusual, but its effect is immediate, a literal breath of fresh air that soothes the body from the inside out.
Cooling from the Gut
When it comes to diet, Sadhguru advises the use of mung beans. Light, easy to digest, and packed with nutrients, the legumes play a quiet but powerful role in keeping the digestive fire in balance during hot spells.
Time Your Yoga Right
Even yoga, a seemingly flexible practice, comes with time constraints in his summer manual. As per his advice, the early mornings before 8:30 or late evenings after 4:30 are the only suitable windows. Practising during peak heat hours, he warns, can be counterproductive.
Warm Water Over Cold
Hydration habits also get a thoughtful overhaul. Instead of shocking the system with cold water, he recommends sipping water that is close to body temperature, allowing for gentler absorption and reduced internal strain.
Cold Showers
And then, of course, there is the call to the cold shower as a daily ritual to reset and rejuvenate. It is a simple act that revitalises the nerves and calms the mind, especially when the world outside feels like an oven.
Personal Cooling, Planetary Healing
But perhaps the most important takeaway from his summer philosophy is that cooling the body is not just a personal endeavour. Sadhguru says that true wellbeing is linked to the wellbeing of the planet. Conserving water, planting trees, and living in rhythm with nature are not separate from our personal health; they are intrinsic to it.
