Yoga for the WINTER COLD
During the winter and cold weather our bodies get tighter in order to stay warm. You may feel more tension in your muscles and tightness in your bones.
I started weight training with dumbbells during the summer and have not been back since the winter because my body feels so tight and I feel like I might injure myself if I try to lift!
Here are my tips for yoga in the cold, and to feel and create warmth in the body:
🧘🏾♀️Take DECOMPRESSION breaths with UJJAYI BREATH 🧘🏾♀️
- as your deepen your breath with your ujjayi pranayama, engage your muscles in your core (child’s pose, forward fold, are example poses)☀️ Warm up with SUN A + SUN B ☀️
Sun A and Sun B are vinyasa sequences that were created thousands of years ago as sun salutations to be done in sunrise. SUN A + Sun B are the perfect sequences to warm up the body as they are infused with the power of the sun. With the lack of warmth and sun in the winter, Sun A & B are perfect to generate warmth, energy, and vitality into your body. Sun A and B are truly a full body experience!
🛑 MOVE SLOW 🛑
Winter months are NOT the time to be doing the most, contrary to what society expects us to do at these times (Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day).
BE STILL! SLOW DOWN. Take your time, especially during your practice. Don’t speed through your practice and try to keep up with your classmates or the teacher! If you have to scale back and move at your own pace, that’s okay! Don’t try to do crazy looking fancy poses to keep up, go to what your body needs, even if it’s just upward dog over and over again, SLOW IT DOWN!
