Stay cool the unconventional way this summer

I love skimming through the Sunday Edition of Times of India supplement to read Vinita Dawra Nangia articles. She always has some wonderful insights to share in her column O-Zone. In one of her Sunday articles, she shared some tips on how to keep your cool in summer, which is an interesting read.

I was particularly intrigued by one of her unconventional suggestions to stay cool. She says, trick your mind to feel cool. 
 
And how should you do that? "Close your eyes and imagine cool things – ice-cubes, snow on mountains, a beautiful waterfall. As the mind dwells on cool imagery, it sends signals to the body and the body temperature also comes down!"




While reading through her piece, I was reminded of the time I had visited Jaipur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Ajmer, Pushkar  etc in Rajasthan last April. Agreed, it wasn't the right time to visit these places in the scorching summer heat but somehow we couldn't bring ourselves to cancel our plans and decided to go there under any circumstance.

The trip was memorable and we made it a point to guzzle lots of water and buttermilk and did our best to avoid dehydration.  At these places, drinking water for the general public was freely available and stored in matkas / earthen pots and the lids covered with a thin white, wet  cloth, perhaps to aid the cooling process even further.

Drinking  naturally-cooled water from mud pots is a healthy practice.

I remember while traveling through these places, I was constantly thinking of cold water, ice cubes, cool streams et al. I don't know if my mind was playing tricks with me in the sweltering heat but I am really surprised to think of this now.

Throughout our journey to these places, I had visions of cool sparkling water. I'm sure, subconsciously, my brain was creating visions of cool imagery to feel cool. I do however admit that I didn't experience any drastic coolness or any other change after that but yes, thinking of cold things did make me feel better.

I'm not sure if there is actual science behind this but hey, there's no harm in imagining yourself bathing in cool waters of a stream or drinking the pristine, pure ice-cold water of a rivulet.

Do such visualizations actually reduce our core body temperature? And if yes, to what extent? Well, the straightforward answer to this question would be that this is a matter to be investigated by researchers. And  this scholarly article, in fact says that it is possible for core body temperature to be controlled by the brain.

However, it's a fact that lucid dreaming about nature, streams, waterfalls, seaside, mountains, meadows etc  does help to reduce stress and depression. Hence we need to practice such visualizations all the more in summers to combat the grumpiness and irritability that we experience in the unbearable heat.


Another unconventional way to stay cool is through breathing exercises. Practice of pranaymas such as Sitali and Sitkari also helps to cool your body and provide relief in the hot summer months.
 
So what unusual methiods do you adopt to stay cool in the summer heat? Do share in the comments.

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2 comments:

  1. Expert4:02 PM

    Cool your pressure points.
    . Try pressing a cold compress, ice pack or a cold washcloth to the following points: your neck, your ankles, your wrist, behind the knees, your groin or your armpits. All will help you cool down quickly – by up to 3 degrees, according to some studies! You can also dip your feet in a tub of water for a similar effect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your sharing!!It is very useful!!

    ReplyDelete

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