Climate Change: Cleaner Cooling Options/Pleasant on the Senses

chilled herb packs

(- Still have not figured out how to fix the formatting, but this is time-sensitive, so thank you for bearing with me.)

Does anyone still believe that Climate Change is a myth?
It has been so hot in New York.  Labor Day was last weekend, but there will be more hot days.    

A while ago I found myself trenched in sweat and my hair felt like wool.  Somehow I had not been able to put it up neatly away from my head and look nice for a presentation I was doing during the day.  That has never happened before.  When your thinnish/straightish hair feels like wool, it must be very hot, no?  I was ready to take scissors and get to work but then I decided to list cool but simple ways I like to cool off and have cooled off with and to be more adventurous; 


I have mentioned these two before:

Chilled Jade rollers: Both Mowgli and I love them.

Sitali Breath is cooling, you can do try it right now.  Dogs do sitali, too, for sure.  It takes a teacher who has lived in the desert to teach this pranayama.  Thank you, Lakshmi Voelker.  I am curling my tongue right now.

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I have used heated herb packs for chest colds, but I decided to explore using them for cooling.  I have two big packs (one for shoulders and one for the back) so I indulged in a few-minute meditation on the cooling sensations on the massage table and even added an eye pillow I stuffed with ice cubes but chilling it it is better.  Wow - a keeper for super hot days!  I did it again before I fell asleep.

The weather has been more extreme than ever, and I am getting older.  Still, air conditioners are overused in my opinion. What's the point of summer?  Heat has wonderful healing benefits (sweating detoxes) and hydrating adequately with water, eating water melon or other light and watery foods will often do the trick.  And the body conserves heat for the winter.  

chilled eyepillow

We may also lose may lose weight during the summer.  In case you drink a lot of coffee and alcohol (which are dehydrating) you may have to drink even more water.  Better yet ease up on respective consumption.   

Wearing light clothing (cotton, linen) and straw hats help. When I was in the dessert many years ago I dumped my hat in water and then wore it - amazing and nobody noticed - sitali for the head, and once the head is cool, you will be overall cooler; does not work for the office, however.

Spending less time outside midday.  Morning or evening hours, etc., are better.   

Finding shady spots (I am a shade friend) oh and slowing down because you can't have a straight thought anyway; or is it just me?  And that is so relaxing; it also means you may have less "monkeys" in your head. 

Some time near Hudson River, in a shady public space with a fountain (Lincoln Center has a very nice fountain and if there is a breeze you may even get sprayed) or Central Park or perhaps a movie, but then one should remember to bring a shawl; movie theaters are often like ice boxes.  The nearby brand new state-of-the-art library is cool but not too cool. 

Then there is foot soaking - cool water with a drop or essential oil - perhaps lavender or peppermint.

Drinking mint tea.

hair like wool

And I personally am hoping to return to the Delaware sooner or later, wade in a refreshing creek or do some cooling off in a lake.   

And of course, there are the beaches one can get to via subway, such as Coney Island or Rockaway, but bring a parasol and/or hat and light clothes to cover yourself to prevent sunburn. 

In the meantime it's a combination of the above for me, depending on what is going on.  Also slow pace urban park yoga most likely early or late.  

At night have a fan blowing air over your body, but keep it away from the face.  You do not want to wake up with a head ache or a sore neck.  


 

Keep cool.

Blessings,

B.

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Birgit Nagele, ARCB, LVCY

Reflexology, Chair Yoga, DIY
tel: (917) 664-5792
http://ban-chi.net/