Feeling the heat: Five reasons why you should practice yoga in summer

Practicing yoga can help you acclimate to the hot summer temperatures.

New Delhi: The are many reasons why yoga is becoming popular nowadays. In fact, the popularity of the practice is widely visible in lots of ways.

 To commemorate the International Day of Yoga on June 21, the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) is releasing a set of stamps showing 10 yoga asanas (poses) this year.

The benefits of yoga are huge - from providing physical benefits to managing mental well-being.

Now that summer has arrived, practicing yoga during these hot months may be one of the best things you can do for your health. This may actually reap amazing rewards and benefits that can even help you stave off many summer illnesses while also ensuring that the body and mind stay fit.

Here are five reasons to practice yoga in summer:

• Practicing yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) can help you acclimate to the hot summer temperatures. It helps your body become more adapted to sweating and extreme temperatures – which means you won't feel bothered by the heat outside.
• Chandra bhedi pranayama, a simple and effective breathing technique, has a cooling effect on the nervous system, which in turn helps calm the nerves.
• Ashtanga Yoga is a great way to energize and detoxify your body. People tend to get sluggish during the summer months, but doing yoga increases your oxygen intake, energises you and helps you sweat out bad toxins.
• Another good thing about doing Ashtanga Yoga is that it encourages you to stay well hydrated. You may need to increase your fluid/water intake during summer months to stay hydrated, which is vital to your overall health.
• Practicing Ashtanga Yoga will help you deal with stressful events and clear your mind. Yoga poses are about finding peace within the chaotic sequence of life. Therefore, allowing plenty of 'me' time daily can be beneficial for a calm and clear mind.

So, start doing yoga to look great, feel more confident, cool and calm all summer.