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Jul 11, 20234 min read

6 Ways Yoga Soothes Summer Stress: for Yoga Students & Yoga Teachers

When Summer Turns Up the Heat on Anxiety

It happens every year. As the temperatures rise, so does my anxiety. I can see it coming, like a watchman in the crow's nest of an old ship, on the lookout for pirates ready to highjack a perfectly good summer.

And I love summer. Bring on the heat, humidity, the thunderstorms and the rainbows, the outdoor movies, summer Shakespeare festivals, BBQs, spicy salsa, margaritas, iced tea with mint, and sweaty yoga practice. Any yet... somehow every year, all of this summer lovin' results in overstimulation, a uniquely summer emotion of nervous-anxiety, part restlessness, part paralysis, that leaves me unable to get moving and fully enjoy the season. After interacting with so many different people over the years during my tenure as a local studio owner, I know I'm not alone in these experiences.

Today's blog takes a closer look at summer's potential for overstimulation and 6 ways yoga soothes summer stress when summer turns up the heat on anxiety levels.

A 5 Element Look at Yoga and Summer Stress

The Taoist 5 Elements teach us that every season has its own personality complete with emotions and organs. Early summer, the Fire Element season, is high tide for unconditional love to flow into, through, and from the heart, Fire's corresponding organ.

But every element is multifaceted. The Fire element also embodies the circulatory system, which, when experiencing an imbalance through excess, expresses itself through the emotions of shock and the anxious discomfort of a high strung tension or nervousness.

(Just note that these particular feelings are the type that stem from overstimulation, different from the anxious feelings that arise from worry, which is an imbalance in Earth element emotions and a blog for another day!)

A Fire element imbalance can leave us feeling simultaneously restless, yet paralyzed. We want to get moving, get manifesting, and living life, but everything feels like too much too process. Let's start with three simple ways to direct our summer yoga practice to soothe these frazzled nerves:

# 1 Tame the Tongue with Quiet

The tongue is categorized as the Fire element sensory organ and speaking stimulates Fire energy. This can be great when we need a pep talk to generate some excitement or when we want to invite our friends to share in some good news. But when we are already feeling overwhelmed, more words isn't the solution. Quiet the noise with mindful speech and fewer words. Vows of silence, while extreme for those of us living outside an ashram or monastery, are an example of a practice to remedy an untamed Fire element and nourish the heart. For most of us, simply taking a yoga class and enjoying a set amount of time without talking can soothe nervous energies from overstimulation.

# 2 Take Time in Savasana this Season.

I've been refreshing my skills this summer taking several online continuing education yoga courses. One of the instructors recommends up to 20 minutes of final savasana! Even for me, this seems like a lot, but I've been doing a solid 10 minutes during the guided home practices just to see for myself what it feels like. In studio, that length of savasana may be unrealistic and even problematic for timely class turnovers, but a solid savasana after a yoga studio practice is really powerful and shouldn't be underestimated.

# 3 Stay Hydrated

We all hear this repeatedly, but did you know that dehydration causes an increased heart rate? When I feel overstimulated from summer stress, I physically notice my heart beat racing. Dehydration makes slowing the heart rate through mindful breathing or other practices much harder because the body requires extra effort to pump the thicker and slower moving dehydrated blood through the system. Staying hydrated makes mindfulness techniques designed to reduce stress more effective.

Best Practices for Yoga Teachers

While some of us experience summer anxiety ourselves, or first hand, others may experience it second hand, as one who connects empathically with others who feel this way. A yoga teacher who is mindful of seasonal energies and tuned into other people's feelings can create a class energy that welcomes a wider range of student needs. Employ these three simple strategies in your next class to help:

Be Mindful with Your Words: We can all benefit from mindful speech that is loving, clear, and direct. As a yoga teacher who embraces verbal cues, I constantly remind myself that more talking is not always more helpful! And while socializing at a yoga studio is really important to foster community, gently remind your student body to honor the silence and explain that some students may crave the peace they get from a few moments of quiet before and after class.
Prioritize Final Savasana: Ensure final relaxation happens inside of the class time so that students who are pressed for time can still take part.
Stay Hydrated Yourself and Remind Your Students: I'm a fan of designated water breaks during yoga class. It makes hydration a priority for both the teacher and the class and prevents students from guzzling at an inopportune time. Plan appropriate places within your sequences for water breaks, especially on really hot days.

In Conclusion