This post is all about Yoga for the Summer Season.

✅ Top 5 Summer Yoga Poses to Lengthen and Strengthen Your Body
▶️ 35 Minute Full Body Lengthen & Stretch Summertime Yoga Sequence Video
✅ Top 5 Summer Yoga Poses to Cool Down Your Body
▶️ 30 Minute Gentle Summer Yoga Poses to Cool Down Your Body Video
▶️ 30 Minute Summer Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation Video
▶️ 15 Minute Hammock Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation Video

The element associated with Summer is Fire. Fire is associated with the third chakra: Manipura or the Solar Plexus Chakra. It is located in abdomen (belly). Fire represents heat, power, strength, transformation and digestion. Fire element yoga poses are centered around discipline and creating a strong core/abs.

Learn more in my Yoga & the Fire Element Blog Post.

The days are longest in the Summer so it’s a good time to focus on lengthening and stretching your body.

In fact, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. It happens around the 20th of June (in the Northern Hemisphere anyways). Many cultures celebrate the solstice as the first official day of Summer in honor of the power and energy of the sun itself.

Several ancient structures including Stonehenge, the pyramids at Giza and Chichen Itza are thought to have been constructed with the Summer Solstice in mind.

Top 5 Summer Yoga Poses to Lengthen and Strengthen Your Body

1. Gate Pose (Parighasana)

This is a great stretch for your side body / sides of the torso as well as your hamstrings and spine. One knee is on the ground with the opposite leg is extended out to the side. Reach for your extended foot.

Bonus stretch: Come up to center with the arms extended on either side of your body. Then bring the opposite arm down to the Earth and stretch the other side of your body/torso.

2. Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

Warrior II pose stretches and strengthens your legs, shoulders, arms, ankles and thorax.

Keep one leg forward with a bend in your knee. The opposite leg extends back behind you. Make sure the arch of your back foot is aligned with the heel of your front foot. Extend your arms out to either side and gaze towards your front, middle finger.

2. Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II) Right Side

2. Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II) Left Side

3. Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana)

This pose challenges your balance in addition to strengthening your side abs/obliques, your arms and your shoulders. Notice the long line created from your fingertips down to the heel.

Start in regular plank pose and roll over to one side. Keep one hand on the Earth and lift the other arm up towards the sky. Keep both legs extended. (To make this pose a little more accessible, keep the knee of your lower leg on the Earth for extra support.)

4. Pyramid Pose (Parsvottonasana)

This posture stretches all the muscles in the legs but also requires some focus & balance.

Square your hips towards the front of the mat. Keep one leg forward and one leg back. Think of your feet being on railroad tracks (not on a tightrope) so there is some space between them. Raise your arms up then reach forward and fold down over the front leg towards the front foot.

For an extra core challenge, hold the arms forward out in front of you for a few breaths before folding forward.

For an extra arm stretch, reach the hands towards the back foot.

5. Side Lunge (Skandasana)

This pose also stretches the legs and arms.

I find it easiest to come into this pose from a wide legged forward fold. Bring both hands on the inside of your right leg. (Your right toes are on the Earth but your right heel is likely off of the Earth.) Keep the left leg extended with the left toes pointing up towards the sky. You have the option to also raise the left arm up towards the sky.

Walk the hands and the body over to the left, short edge of your mat. Take a breath in side lunge (skandasana) on this side with the left knee pointing forward, right leg extended, right toes pointing up towards the sky and (optional) right arm up.

35 Minute Full Body Lengthen & Stretch Summertime Yoga Sequence

This 35 minute yoga practice is inspired by the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year - so we focus on stretching and lengthening muscles throughout whole body.

Top 5 Summer Yoga Poses to Cool Down Your Body

Summer is very energetic but it is also the hottest time of the year. So, it’s understandable if you want yoga poses and practices that cool you off every now and then. These poses will help cool and calm your body, mind and nervous system.

You hold Yin yoga poses longer to allow the muscles and fascia (connective tissue) in your body more time to release and relax.

1. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottonasana)

Start in Staff Pose (Dandasana) with your legs extended out and your arms extended up towards the Sky. There is some space between your legs. Maintain a long spine as your reach towards your toes. You may have to arch the spine a little bit towards the end. Let your arms rest on top of or beside your legs. Relax the backs of your legs, your arms and your jaw. Hold here for 3 - 7 minutes.

Note: Roll up a blanket and place it under the knees if you have tight hips/hamstrings. A bolster or pillow placed on top of the legs can support the torso more and make this pose more accessible and/or restorative.

2. Banana Pose (Banasana)

Lie down on the Earth with your arms extended over your head and legs extended towards the short edge of your mat. [Left Side] Move your left arm and leg a little further to the left followed by the right arm and leg. The right arm/leg may rest next to the left leg or it may feel good to overlap the right ankle/hand on top of the left. Your body will take the shape of a banana, with the right side compressed and the left side stretched/expanded. Hold for 3 -7 minutes.

Gently release the arms and legs back to center. Spend a few breaths here to neutralize the spine before transitioning to the right side. [Right Side] Move your right arm and leg a little further to the right followed by the left arm and leg. The left arm/leg may rest next to the right leg or it may feel good to overlap the left ankle/hand on top of the right. Your body will take the shape of a banana, with the left side compressed and the right side stretched/expanded. Hold for 3 -7 minutes. Gently release the arms and legs back to center. Spend a few breaths here to neutralize the spine.

3-5. Seated Wide Legged Forward Fold Series

This is one of my favorite series of Yin Yoga stretches. It opens up the legs, hamstrings, hips and lower back. It is also great for exploring the Space/Ether element.

3. Head-to-knee Pose (Janu Sirsanasa) [Right Side]

Press through the feet and keep both sitting bones connected to the Earth. Raise your arms up and turn your torso towards the right foot. Reach up and out towards the right foot. Keep your spine as long as possible until you absolutely have to arch towards the Earth. Let both arms rest on top of the right leg or on the Earth either side of the right leg. Hold here for 3 - 7 minutes.

Note: Place a rolled blanket underneath the right knee if you have especially tight hamstrings to make this pose more accessible and/or restorative.

4. Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana) [Right Side]

Press through the feet and keep both sitting bones connected to the Earth. Bring the right arm to the inside of the right thigh or reach across towards the left thigh. Reach the left arm over your head and reach towards the right foot. Make sure the left sitting bone stays grounded. This is a great side body and hip stretch. Hold here for 1 - 3 minutes.

Note: It’s totally normal and ok if your body doesn’t stretch too far in this one.

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana)

5. Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)

Keep your toes and kneecaps pointing up towards the Sky as you slowly walk your hands forward between your legs. Try to move from the hips while maintaining length in your torso. (Don’t arch through the back like Cat Pose.) You may also reach your hands out towards the feet. Hold here for 3-7 minutes.
Note: Using a bolster or blocks to support the torso/hands/arms will help make this pose more accessible and/or restorative.

Repeat Head-to-knee pose and revolved head-to-knee pose on your left side to complete this sequence.

Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)

30 Minute Gentle Summer Yoga Poses to Cool Down Your Body

If you want to beat the summer heat, try some cooling yoga poses.

30 Minute Summer Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation

Unlike what we traditionally think of as yoga made up of physical poses (asanas), there is no movement during Yoga Nidra. You just lay down and listen to a teacher guide you through techniques that involve breathing, visualization and body scanning.

I created this one specifically for the Summer season.

15 Minute Hammock Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation

Summer is also known as Hammock Season! There’s nothing I love more than hanging out in my hammock beneath some shady trees where I can enjoy the mountain breeze. (Hey that was almost poetry!)

If you are feeling anxious, angry, stressed out or all of the above, string up your hammock and listen to my 15 minute yoga nidra guided relaxation sponsored by my friends at ENO Hammocks.

ENO (Eagle’s Nest Outfitters) are based in Asheville, NC where they proudly share their hammocks and relaxation gear with members of ENO Nation around the globe.

BONUS! The hammock I’m using was a limited edition design by my friend Annie Riker for National Hammock Day 2020.

Learn more about Yoga Nidra and enjoy guided relaxations for Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn and the Full Moon in my Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation blog post.