With the heat still rising… what can we take from our yoga practice?

This weekend I witnessed a pedestrian become understandably frustrated with a driver who failed to observe a crossing. It escalated into a very heated exchange. A small everyday moment perhaps, but it felt like a clear example of how quickly situations can shift when awareness of our environment, our internal state, and the people around us becomes reduced.

With the heatwave potentially continuing for another week, many of us may already be noticing its effects. In warmer weather we can often feel more frazzled than usual. Sleep can be disrupted, patience can feel thinner, and our nervous system can sit closer to the surface of reactivity. It is not unusual to feel that our capacity is reduced when we are navigating hot weather alongside the usual demands of daily life.

We know that sustained heat can affect mood, concentration, sleep quality, cognitive performance and emotional regulation. Physically, heat can also change how the body feels in movement. Many people notice they feel more flexible during warmer weather or in a heated room. To some extent this makes sense; warmth can increase tissue pliability and reduce the sensation of stiffness. However, feeling more open in the body does not necessarily mean increased capacity, resilience or stability. Heat can also bring fatigue, dehydration and depletion, all of which influence how we move, recover and regulate.

When we add sensory overload, work stress, family pressures and general discomfort, many nervous systems are working harder than usual. We may react more quickly, miss things we would normally notice, or struggle to access the same level of perspective, patience and ease we might feel in cooler, more settled conditions.

That pedestrian crossing became, for me, a small snapshot of this. A driver not fully observing their surroundings. A pedestrian reaching their limit. Two humans perhaps carrying invisible stressors that neither could see in the other.

From a yoga perspective, this is where practice becomes especially relevant. Within the broader philosophy of yoga, particularly through the framework of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga), we are offered guidance not only for movement on the mat, but for how we relate to life itself.

The first two limbs are the Yamas and Niyamas. The Yamas relate to our relationship with the external world: how we act, respond and move through shared spaces with others. The Niyamas relate to our inner world: our habits, attitudes and the way we relate to ourselves.

Traditionally the Yamas are considered the foundation of practice, because they shape how we show up in the world before anything else is added. In this sense, yoga is not only something we do during a class or through physical postures, but something we practise through everyday interactions, particularly in moments when we feel less regulated, less patient or more reactive.

The first of the Yamas is Ahimsa, often translated as non-harming. This extends beyond physical harm and includes the way we think, speak, act and respond towards both others and ourselves. It is a principle of awareness as much as it is a principle of kindness.

Yoga invites us to become curious about moments like the one I witnessed, not from a place of blame or judgement, but from awareness. How present am I in my environment? Am I noticing the people sharing this space with me? Am I aware of my own internal state before it spills into my interactions? How might my level of awareness, or lack of it, be affecting the people around me?

Because awareness is not reserved for the yoga mat. It is practised in traffic, in queues, in conversations, at work and in all the small exchanges that make up daily life. In hot weather especially, when capacity is lower for many people, this awareness becomes even more important.

This is where Ahimsa becomes deeply practical. It may look like slowing down enough to notice a pedestrian crossing. It may look like choosing not to escalate a situation. It may look like recognising fatigue, heat, overstimulation or dehydration in ourselves and responding with care rather than reactivity. It may also look like extending compassion inward when we notice we are not operating at our best.

Yoga also offers us practical tools to support ourselves during warmer weather. Hydration is essential, as even mild dehydration can influence energy, mood, concentration and physical performance. Rest becomes important, particularly when sleep is disrupted by heat. Pacing may need to shift, allowing the body a slower rhythm where possible. Breath practices can also support regulation, with cooling pranayama techniques such as Sitali or Sitkari offering a useful option for some people.

And despite the temptation to avoid movement altogether when temperatures rise, practice can still be supportive. It may simply look different. Gentler movement, greater self awareness, more rest, more pauses and a willingness to respond to what the body actually needs rather than what we think practice should look like.

Even with all of this, the invitation is not to be endlessly calm or perfectly composed. It is simply to notice. To notice the body, the breath, the environment and the ripple effect of how we move through the world. And perhaps, as the temperatures continue, to meet ourselves and one another with a little more patience, awareness and compassion.

You are still very welcome in class during the heat. In fact, this can be a particularly supportive time to practise, not because yoga removes discomfort, but because it offers an opportunity to regulate, soften, reconnect and respond skilfully to ourselves and our environment.

Naomi Hurst