10 Proposals To Adapt To The Heat And Enjoy The Summer

Summer is coming, the season of heat, the ideal time to open up and show yourself outside. Living these high temperatures naturally, with confidence and freedom, without stress, requires an adaptation process that refreshes the interior itself.

During the summer period life tends to show itself in all its splendor. It is a process that began to take shape in spring and that culminates in this spectacle of nature capable of overwhelming our senses. The element that best represents summer is fire. Whether it comes from wood or fossil fuels or from the digestion of food, we can say that fire transforms matter by releasing the energy of solar origin accumulated in it.

In line with the natural cycle, in summer many people feel full, wanting to undertake activities, socialize, share … It is time to live joy openly. The heart opens and the mind is guided by it.

But the heat is pressing and there are times when it is suffocating and not everyone tolerates it well.

Some people flee to places where the weather is less generous in degrees Celsius. Others have the air conditioning on day and night, in order to generate an artificial coolness that has defenders and detractors.

Each person has their own resources and attitudes to cope with the hot flash, although a poor adaptation to the process can lead to circulation problems and dehydration, summer diarrhea, allergies, excessive night heat that prevents sleep and even feverish states.

What works best so that the rise in temperature can be effectively counteracted from within is to acclimate the body to healthy habits and common sense. The goal is to train yourself to fully tune in to the station, avoiding vain efforts and accepting that invitation to an openness that is both bodily and mental.

1. Take care of the heart also in summer

The heart is the organ that is related to joy and warmth. Summer is a good time to take care of its possible ailments with some infusions of friendly plants (such as hawthorn), a diet low in saturated fat, exercise and moments for relaxation and contemplation.

On the physical plane, the heart is the pump that keeps the blood supply going. Traditional Chinese medicine calls him the emperor because it considers him the governing body of others and the seat that houses the spirit. Its energy is said to move through the arms and is linked to blood circulation, body heat, and the sense of touch.

On an emotional level, a heart agitated by heat can trigger processes of mental restlessness. Tachycardias, when they are due to anxiety attacks, denote that a heart that generally does not present any alteration in medical tests can nevertheless see its rhythm altered by emotional factors.

2. Quench thirst and hydrate well

In summer, the body heats up and blood circulation increases, in an attempt to cool the skin, that great wall that protects the body’s territory. In turn, the evaporation of sweat causes the temperature to drop. And also that liquid and mineral salts are lost.

Due to this, thirst appears, an obvious symptom that the eliminated water must be replaced. It can be drunk throughout the day outside of meals, having, for example, a liter or liter and a half bottle of water to sip on. Adding natural lemon juice will also provide vitamins and mineral salts.

A good diet in summer is another excellent way to replace fluids, especially if it is rich in raw fruits and vegetables or in light soups.

It is believed that only cold drinks quench an imperious thirst, but this is not the case, especially if they are sugary: it is a psychological perception. In fact, the cold can cause a significant temperature contrast that favors pharyngitis, angina or discomfort in the digestive system (according to Chinese medicine, by removing heat from the stomach, frozen drinks make digestion difficult).

Hot green tea is drunk in China to disperse body heat and quench thirst. Green tea also promotes blood circulation and promotes the elimination of sweat. The Bedouins, in the desert, are not obsessed with heat, they simply drink hot tea to counteract the loss of fluids.

Alcohol and caffeinated beverages, due to their diuretic power, are not a good choice when it comes to quenching thirst. As for sugary and carbonated soft drinks, they are initially refreshing but their daily consumption is not advisable because they increase hydration needs and provide enough calories. It would be preferable to avoid them or, if not, at least consume them diluted in water, so that their taste would be more reminiscent of the isotonic drinks that some athletes drink.

A homemade isotonic drink, which is also useful to replace lost salts in case of diarrhea and can even be administered to children, is made by adding half a teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of sea salt to each liter of mineral or previously boiled water unrefined, a pinch of bicarbonate and the juice of one lemon. It is a very useful remedy to rebuild the intestine.

3. Take care of skin hydration

Another way to partially hydrate is through the skin. In summer, very fluid creams and milks are ideal. Those of calendula cool the skin after washing and thereby help maintain moisture. And after sunbathing, it is best to cool off with water and apply aloe vera gel to keep the skin hydrated and reduce irritation.

If the exposures are prolonged, sunscreen is essential . Better natural, with mineral filters based on titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, and with a protection factor equal to or greater than 30.

In summer the skin remains much more in contact with the air, starting with that of the feet, and that makes it easier to give and receive massages. External hydration, apart from nourishing the epidermis, stimulating circulation and preserving the natural moisture of the skin, offers a good opportunity to practice self-massage and family massage. It is a perfect way to get closer to the hearts of loved ones, encouraging their well-being. Or to receive their appreciation, which is also important.

Taking baths in hot springs, saunas or steam baths are other ways to moisturize and cleanse the skin, favoring the exchange of minerals, all thanks to the effect of heat. But in summer, bathing in the sea is much more common and pleasant , which, in addition to providing a pleasant massage through the waves, serves for the minerals from the sea water to partially penetrate the body through the skin, contributing to its Balance.

4. Be in tune with nature

This process of adaptation and opening necessarily involves having a closer contact with the natural environment. With the longer days you feel like it and you have more time to be outdoors. This approach allows us to see how happy we can be simply by feeling: smelling, touching, looking, tasting, listening … and intuiting.

They can be days of sun and beach, the most popular; or high mountain, ravishing in its overflowing greenery, fed by streams and waterfalls of fresh and clean water; or in the middle of the field, surrounded by a multitude of plants and wild flowers. Even in the city, you can stroll through the park and breathe in the smell of wet grass while listening to the chirping of birds hidden among the tree branches.

Wherever you are, when the heat strikes it is appropriate to seek the shade and its fresh and immediate relief. On the beach, exposure to the sun is not convenient during the central hours of the day (twelve to four). An umbrella and a hat are essential, and it is recommended that children wear a t-shirt.

In the mountains, walks first thing in the morning or at sunset are preferable. In the city, it is advisable to wear your head protected with a cap or a scarf and perhaps sunglasses. The clothes chosen must allow them to be as cool as possible. It should be loose, made of natural fabrics and light colors. And little, which also makes it possible to become aware of the body shape and learn to accept and enhance it without taking into account what they will say that influences the mood so much, especially among the youngest.

5. Exercise and fun

Well-done exercise increases tolerance to heat, benefits bones and muscles, and improves physical performance, especially cardiovascular performance. The options are numerous: walking, swimming, cycling, morning stretches, group games … Whatever the choice, the satisfaction, the relationship with others or the contact with the air, the sun and the water are as important as the exercise itself. In addition, it is an excellent excuse to spend more and better times with children, family or friends.

Excursions of one or several days can be planned that include visits to interesting places, walks in the mountains, meals among trees, games, dances … Laughter as a result of this harmony of complicity is welcome, because if joy is the associated emotion in summer, its most obvious expression is laughter. And its benefits on the heart are more than proven.

The cardiovascular system is exercised every time the heart rate increases. Heavy breathing creates a vigorous exchange of air in the lungs and is an effective way to release tension. Be it laughing or exercising, the result is similar.

6. Take care of your feet

On vacation it is convenient to include time to walk barefoot on the sand, grass, earth or wood, since its contact with the feet produces a stimulus on the nerve endings that favors the proper functioning of the various organs and systems of the body.

In addition, pleasant sensations are experienced that at other times of the year are rare. Even reflexotherapy massages can be exchanged, focusing especially on those places that seem more rigid or sensitive. It is ideal to have very short thumbnails to hit the tips of those fingers in the areas where the tension seems to be concentrated. To enhance this intimate contact, they can close their eyes and be guided only by touch, as well as attend to the possible indications of the recipient. Foot massage is effective in reducing anxiety and calming the mind.

7. Have moments of internalization

The moments of internalization are necessary to find the balance that favors inner calm. Stopping in a serene corner of the mountain or first thing in the morning on the beach to meditate and connect with yourself is a good way to fully enjoy the moment you live.

It is about learning to expand but without getting scattered among external stimuli, perhaps one of the risks of summer. In silence, with tranquility, one returns to the world of pure sensations and hearts are appeased. No special technique is needed: just sit up straight and breathe the moment deeply.

Any little moment in which you can be free and feel one with the sound of the wind or the waves, with the smell of grass or the sea, with the fragrance of flowers or the song of birds, serves to realize that that there is that infinite space where one is just fine. A place where the heart is nourished.

8. Restful nap

People are not equally alert all day. There are times when we relax to the beat of our internal rhythms. This usually happens between one and four in the afternoon, when the desire to sleep may appear. With more reason in summer if the heat is pressing.

A nap allows biological rhythms to run their course, reduces stress levels, improves mood and the ability to relate and accept others, has quite surprising effects on memory, clears the senses and develops innate gifts for memory. creativity in different aspects of life.

Those who take a nap can live longer because they enjoy a higher quality of life. But to wake up with a clear mind it is preferable that it is not too long.

9. Observe the stars

On summer nights the heat is not usually a problem, especially outdoors. For this reason, as the culmination of a perfect day, what better way than to lie under the stars that give us a glittering show? On dates close to the new moon (according to this year’s lunar calendar, on July 20, August 19 and September 17) many more are observed and with more clarity.

Among the brightest that are visible in the northern hemisphere are Altair (in the constellation of Eagle), Deneb (in the Swan) and Vega (in Lira). All three form the great “summer triangle” quite close to the zenith.

The heat can be the backdrop for many of these experiences, with which every summer we have the opportunity to feel closer to nature and to the rest of the human beings with whom we share our journey through this fascinating planet. It’s just about accepting it and opening up to it.

10. A breath against the heat

Breathing is a great ally in this process of adaptation and openness to heat. If you go from automatic to conscious breathing, you can even have sensations of physical freshness and mental clearing.

Through inspiration the body is oxygenated. Expiration removes waste products, but also water vapor. It must be taken into account when the heat shoots up, in exercise sessions or in nature outings.

The beneficial effects of deep, slow, mindful breathing are immediate. Almost instantly, you feel better, you are in the present moment and it is easier for you to connect with the interior and with the environment. This breathing is the prelude to rest and meditation. All the good that is out there can be breathed in if the mind accompanies the inspiration in an act of voluntary stillness.

With expiration we eliminate what is left over. For example: breathe in the heat, breathe out the heat ; breathe in the colors of summer, breathe out the grays of the city; breathe the aroma of the sea, breathe out the atmosphere charged with humanity; breathe in tenderness, breathe out resentment; inspire flexibility, breathe out stiffness or locks …

With careful breathing, any summer anecdote can be transformed into pure festive creation. There are mindful breathing techniques that allow you to control the automatic movement of your lungs in order to modulate your mood. They are easy to test for yourself.

Traditional Chinese medicine proposes “sniff breath “, which provides an extra dose of serenity. It consists of taking an inspiration in three phases, without expiration, so that the lungs are filled to the maximum with air. Then exhalation is carried out as slow and sustained as possible and begins again.