Neponset Valley Yoga Newsletter July - August 2012

Yoga-at-Home Keeping Your Cool!     When temperatures outside rise, it;s time to give your body and mind a little support with more cooling can relaxing postures.  Our featured poses this monthare some of the best for keeping your cool when it's hot outside. Add both postures to your current home yoga practice, or if you don't yet have a home practice, this is a nice short duo to get you started! End with 15 rounds of Sitali pranayama and feel yourself really chilled out!

Watermelon Crazy! Summers perfect food!! OK, I admit I have eaten so much watermelon in the last month that I should actually be growing them myself! Every night, after teaching yoga, I go home to a big bowl of pink deliciousness!    Three reasons I love watermelon... It's a good source of vitamins A and C, lycopene (more of that anti-cancer fighter than in tomatoes!) and potassium.  It's high water content keeps me satisfied and fills me up. It's sweet and juicy, so I feel like I'm having a treat every time I eat it.   So why not beat the heat with my current favorite drink recipe...   Watermelon Lime Smoothie Prep Time: 5 minutes   Serves 2 2 cups watermelon chunks , frozen 1/2 cup coconut water 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice or 1/2 fresh squeezed lime Pinch of Cardamom (optional) 4 to 5 mint leaves 4 ice cubes Combine all ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Serve immediately. Ayurvedic Note:  Pitta (fire element) is high in the body in summer, and those of us with strong pitta nature need to help keep that fire in check. Watermelon is like the hook and ladder on the fire department! Consider that the heart has to work an extra 10 beats per minute for every one degree rise in body temperature. The overheated blood circulating in your body causes swelling in the hands and feet. Watermelon is a strong diuretic - it literally pulls the inflammation out of your tissues and helps that circulation.  Want more great watermelon recipes? Try this awesome site!

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