It’s mid-January and for those of us living in cold-weather climates like Chicago, the dreaded winter blues might be kicking in, leaving us feeling lethargic and hungry, with dry, flaking skin. The temperature’s below freezing, the sidewalks are icy, and it’s easier to sit under a cozy blanket on the couch instead of following up on our New Year’s resolutions to change our brains through meditation or finally get started on cultivating a yoga practice. When the days are short, the nights long, and dressing to go outside takes as long as a workout itself, it can be difficult to crawl out from under that warm blanket and face the cold. But a simple winter yoga practice of even just a few minutes a day can help to keep you energized, heated, and healthy all season long. Here’s why:
Sun Salutations can elevate your mood
According to this article in Australian Natural Health Magazine, incorporating Sun Salutations into your winter yoga practice can combat the blues by building internal heat and elevating your mood. Surya Namaskar, also known as Sun Salutation, is an energizing and invigorating sequence of yoga poses (asanas) meant symbolically to honor the sun. During the winter when there is less light to enjoy and absorb, beginning your day with a few Sun Salutations can help to balance your circadian rhythms (even if your day starts before the sun has risen!).
While there are many variations of Surya Namaskar to incorporate into your practice, according to Yoga Journal, a basic Sun Salutation consists of eight poses performed in this circular order:
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Plank Pose
Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
The sequence transitions from pose to pose by inhaling or exhaling through the nose (not the mouth). Nasal breathing slows the breath down and warms the incoming air, helping to build internal heat.
Breathwork can reduce anxiety and stress, boosting the immune system
Breathwork is an integral part of a strong yoga practice. As done during Sun Salutations, manipulating your breath can build heat internally and work to energize and kickstart your day.
Alternately, breathwork can also be practiced to slow down and de-stress. Kali Om, a columnist for Yoga Chicago, practices diaphragmatic breathing through the nose to reduce anxiety. As we’ve mentioned before, stress induces the release of cortisol which can build up over time and suppress the immune system. By slowing down and de-stressing through focused breathwork, the nervous system can relax and allow the immune system to do its job, fending off the pesky colds, coughs and congestion that often make an appearance in the winter. Kali suggests trying diaphragmatic breathing through your nose while lying on your back in Corpse Pose (Savasana) at the end of your practice.
Chest and throat-opening twists and backbends can support the respiratory organs
In addition to immune-boosting breathwork, practicing poses like Fish Pose (Matsyasana) and Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) opens the throat, chest and sinuses, which can improve congestion and support your respiratory organs. Bow Pose can also aid in getting your digestive tract moving.
The Takeaway: A winter yoga practice can improve your mood and boost your immune system
Whether it’s fifteen minutes of yoga in the morning, two minutes between calls, or forty-five minutes during your lunchbreak, cultivating a yoga practice during the dark winter months can help to keep those blues at bay.
*One final note on the winter blues: for some people, recurring and persistent winter blues are actually Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition that can be diagnosed and addressed by a doctor or mental health professional. For more information and resources on SAD, click here.