This week we are featuring a guest blog post from another mama in my local area, Meredith Gunderson. Not only is she another expat living in London, like me, but she’s also an essential oil lover and is a full-time yoga teacher at Meredith Yoga & Mindful Living.
We become more free-range, finding ourselves at the seashore, in a field, by a fire, among friends & family. Yet, we also still have laundry to do, phone calls to be made, people to get along with and so forth. Also, going free-range often involves long journeys on planes, trains and automobiles and time spent away from our home, bed & predictable conveniences.
So as we quite rightly are drawn out to make the most of the seasonal light, warmth, landscape and bonhomie spirit…it’s useful to be aware – summer life can get a little overheated. Sunburn, hot sweaty agitated faces…we know them well.
With overheating comes a drain of joy, stubbornness and irritable fatigue. The key is to keep your cool, don’t go 110%…seek a cool-girl 80% effort vibe. Show up, chill out and keep your cool with these 9 ayurvedic and yogic inspired tips…
How NOT to overheat your summer:
1. Don’t over commit. Give yourself the compassionate gift of ample time for tasks and transit – rushing sucks. asic, I know, but mantra worthy too. Get real about how long things take and what is and isn’t important and you will have plenty of time to enjoy your summer.
2. Listen more, talk less. Talking is heating and listening is a free gift you can give that is always appreciated and often healing.
3. Exercise your eyes in wide open spaces, look deep into the distance – into sea, sky and stars – this creates a magical mix of humility and wonder.
4. Stay out of direct afternoon sun, take your sunbaths in the morning.
5. Keep cool with essential oils – a few drops or lavender & peppermint with water in a little spray bottle feels unbelievably delicious and cooling plus the bugs don’t like lavender.
6. Chill out with some meditation…even if it’s just for a few minutes or a few breaths – place your awareness on your breath. Don’t worry if your mind wanders, that what minds do…just gently, with as much kindness as you can muster up, escort your attention back to your breath. Don’t worry whether you are doing it “right”. Suspend judgement and just do it and it will work its magic.
7. Practice self care. Make time for quiet me-time so you can be grounded & fully present with others.
8. Take it easy on the yoga mat. Your presence there is much more important than an instagram-able yoga pose. For a quick happy body yoga sequence, try out my free 12 minute guided yoga practice recording HERE.
9. If you don’t automatically link your movements to your breath in your yoga practice, NOW is the time to start. Inhale to create space, exhale to use the space and cozy into the space. This will create an internal flow of energy and also totally refresh the mind.
Love this post, I must bookmark it. So many thoughtful ideas – I do love the water spray and essential oils. I do that it’s so calming also to the mind x
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Some lovely tips here, As an aromatherapist I totally agree with you on the lavender and peppermint essential oils.
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Essential oils can make just about anything at least a little bit better! Meredith’s tips were great and much needed during some of the weather this August.
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Fab tips – I love meditation and we try to do it for 30 mins every night x
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Oh well done. I used to be very consistent but not anymore with a toddler around. One of my goals is to make some space for this to happen again.
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Great idea’s my cousin’s wife is a yogi and she’s always giving me tips to relax and keep cool.
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Some great ideas – I find relaxing the pace works so well!
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This is a really useful post with some good tips.
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Great tips, I am really bad at overcommitting and agreeing to do too much x
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Great post with great tips. Wish I had read this before the summer! But will keep these tips in mind.
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I think I like these strategies. It would be nice to keep calm and cool for a while!
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What wonderful tips! I really need to try and focus on this more! H x
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These tips are super helfpul & I have to agree with the not rushing thing. Rushing stresses me out SO MUCH and can ruin my whiole day!
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This is so helpful and I have to agree with not rushing. Rushing stresses me out SO MUCH and can ruin my day x
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Wonderful tips, I hasn’t done Yoga for many many years. xx
http://www.annanuttall.com
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I need to try this more – such a great post X
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Thanks very much!
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Some fantastic tips here. I was introduced to yoga a few years ago post-injury and it was a game changer for me. Changed my life.
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I know, its wonderful isn’t it? I’m so grateful to Meredith for sharing this with my readers.
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These are some great tips – I really need to try and give them a try myself. I used to do Yoga and found it so relaxing. x
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Thanks Sarah, these are great, aren’t they? Meredith did a great job compiling these tips for us and they work really well I found.
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What a lovely post! I love the hints for keeping cool – I have been totally overheating all summer so I wish I had known these earlier x
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Listen more and talk less is something that I have been making an effort to do recently.
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I have started doing yoga and I have found it painful but its great for sorting out your body.
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Oh Ana, enjoy the yoga. And there are so many kinds of yoga too. If the kind you’re doing doesn’t feel like its right for your body, then try another kind. Some people like the fast, fluid movements and others like slower and more gentle, strength poses. Its a case of having the right teacher too as there is more to yoga than just the physical aspect. And thanks so much for commenting!
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This is such a good post. I’m so hot blooded and always feel too warm.
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This is such an informative post! It’s been so difficult working out in this heat.
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I am so glad you like it Jemma. One of your fabulous smoothies would have been a great #10 tip! 🙂
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It can be hard to do stuff in this heat. I’ve never done yoga before so I’m not sure exactly how it works
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We’re all more or less familiar with the Asanas – the physical aspect of yoga – the postures we do in classes or in solitude on our yoga mats. But there is more to yoga than just movement. There are 8 ‘limbs’ (aspects) to yoga and it is all very interesting. But…if you’re feeling the heat, I definitely recommend trying the recipe for essential oil spray she recommends. And please check out the Essential Oils link on my page if you want to know more about good quality essential oils to use.
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I haven’t tried yoga but it sounds so therapeutic.
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Wonderful suggestions, making time for yourself is super important especially for busy parents! My mummy needs to do this more xx
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The lavender and mint spray is a good idea I may use it on the kids.
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Lovely post, just reading the tips made me feel more relaxed!
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