It’s beginning to look (and feel) a lot like summer! In Mumbai, summer is a 5-month long period of intense heat and humidity that has all of us praying for precipitation. Of course once the monsoon arrives we’ll curse that too and impatiently wait for it to go away. But right now, we’d do anything for a little respite from the overwhelming warmth. It’s not possible to remain house-bound in a safe cocoon of air-conditioning, and neither is it very eco-friendly or cost effective. So we rounded up the very best of natural ways to beat the heat. Some are oldies but goodies, others are tried and tested methods and some are ancient secrets passed down through generations.

1.Dress cool: This one’s a no-brainer. It’s time to pack away your pullovers and polyesters and stock-up on light and natural fabrics, like cotton. And when it comes to cotton, it’s always better to go organic. Organic cotton is softer on your skin and breathes better, preventing heat rashes and sweaty messes! Even better is clothing colored with natural dyes as they are actually good for your skin and don’t start behaving badly when hot, like some chemical dyes tend to do.

2.Live cool: Our favorite tip of the lot has loads of benefits. Most households use standard bulbs which generate a lot of heat, but Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs release less than half of that. CFLs also save on energy and are more environment friendly. Another thing to keep in mind is that all appliances release heat (like your T.V.s, phone chargers, computers) so it’s best to turn them off completely (yes, even the main switch at the back) when not in use. This will make the planet happy as you’re saving electricity, it will make you happy as you’re electric bills will go down and it will make your air-conditioning more effective.

3.Eat cool: There are yin (cooling) and yang (heaty) foods. Food like cucumbers, bitter gourd, mung beans and watermelon keep the internal environment in your body cool. Drinks like lemonade, buttermilk, barley water and drinks with cumin powder are extremely cooling, tasty and replenish lost electrolytes. Here’s a more comprehensive list that can help you choose the right kind of foods to tackle the summer.

4.Practice cool: For those who’ve tried Yoga, we are sure you agree that it is an essential part of healthy living. Training your breath and body can even help keep you cool. For those familiar with yoga we found some wonderful cooling postures (do exercise caution while doing these) along with explanations of how they work. For beginners, cooling breathing exercises can also go a long way in keeping your body temperature low, relieving stress and detoxing.

5.Be cool: Probably the most important of all is to keep a cool head! It’s definitely hard to do in a city like Mumbai, what with all the crazy driving, copious crowds and general chaos that is daily life here, but overcoming it all and finding your inner peace is the key to ensuring that you don’t blow your top. One trick that we find helpful is to take a breather, close your eyes and picture a gently flowing stream; and all the annoyances and irritations are flowing away with it. Try not to let things get to you and enjoy for after all, tis the season for frozen yoghurt, water parks and summer vacation!
