Winter Yoga - Lay Low and Glow
Use Yoga as a Remedy for the Hectic Holiday Happenings
There are many positive aspects to winter: a hot bowl of soup, whiskers on the kitten cuddled up by the fire, and warm woolen mittens. Come on, it doesn't get any better than that! Nevertheless, for many people, winter can mean seasonal bouts of the blues, as well as stressful family scenarios.
The Downward Winter Spiral
The holiday season should be a time of connecting with ourselves and others. However, when we neglect our well being and try to keep pace with society, we are left feeling more frazzled than blissful. According to yogic philosophy, and its sister science of Ayurveda, this infamous end-of-the-year downward spiral occurs because we are increasing our hectic schedules during a time when nature is encouraging us to rest and look within.
Winter, with its gradually increasing darkness, begs us to immerse ourselves in the prosperous warmth of a wood-fire, a glass of clove-spiced cider and a thick wool blanket. During this time, it makes sense to pursue activities that encourage us to delve inward. Yoga, with its emphasis on internal observation, slow and dynamic movement, as well as relaxed breathing and an accepting attitude, may be the near-perfect activity for the snowy stresses of the holiday months ahead. Establishing yourself in a winter yoga practice is a way of going inward, aligning yourself with the slower cycles of nature, as well as detoxifying the mind and body from the stresses that the end of the year can bring. This winter, try to dedicate a few hours weekly to a yoga class that restores you to your glowing self, and you may find that you can rekindle your spark for the season!
Other wonderful yogic practices for winter include:
- Gentle backbends like salabasana, cobra and upward dog. This type of yoga allows us to move stagnated energy from our belly up into our hearts. It also helps to uplift our moods and energy levels.
- Doing less. Try to arrange your schedule to reflect the more internal nature of winter. Read more books, invite friends over for an early soup-dinner, or just take a few days off to reflect and rest.
- Going to bed earlier. The natural world is turning in earlier. We should too!
- Eating more warming, wet foods. Replace your morning bowl of granola and cold milk for piping hot oatmeal with cooked apples, butter and cinnamon.
- Doing an Ayurvedic oleation-a practice of self-massage. Choose a warming winter oil such as sesame. Massage yourself from head to toe in the morning, wait 20-30 minutes and then shower.
- Taking baths with warming oils such as ylang ylang, sweet orange, clove, amber or frakencense.
- Practicing some form of relaxation, meditation or breathwork.
Quite simply, winter is a time for rest. With that in mind, allow yourself to curl up, find some kitten whiskers, get out your favorite book and your softest blanket (Snuggie blanket anyone?), make a pot of your favorite soup, and let nature take over. Give yourself permission for a little hibernation, and you will truly see how these simple tips ripple out into the rest of your life.
And lastly, don't forget your in woolen mittens.
What do you think about this article?
More in Health & Wellness
Latest Articles