In the dark, wet, windy and cold days of winter it can be a real struggle to get up and get onto our yoga mats. At this time of year the idea of hibernating until spring grows ever more appealing! What we do know is that a regular yoga practice is one of your best defences against illness and remedies when a bug does strike.
It is important that we change with the seasons just as nature does by adapting our daily habits, yoga practice and food choices. During the winter , the energy of the Earth and its creatures is drawn inward. We can use this time for restoration and introspection, just as many plants and animals use it for hibernation. In preparation for the spring, it is important to slow down and rejuvenate.
Here are our top Winter survival tips:
WINTER YOGA POSES
The winter months are notorious for colds and flus, so poses that open the chest, throat and sinuses will aid in improving congestion and supporting your respiratory organs. The following poses are metabolically invigorating and help to warm the kidneys and clear phlegm.
1. Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara):
This invigorating invocation to your yoga practice helps build heat in the body.
2. Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
This supine backbend/inversion opens the throat and chest.
3. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana):
Open your chest with this backbend.
4. Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana):
This supported inversion helps with stagnation of lymph. Hold for at least eight breaths
5. Locust Pose (Salabhasana):
This “baby backbend” opens the chest while strengthening the back.
6. kapalabhati breathing,
a practice that builds internal heat and eliminates mucus from the respiratory tract. These are rapid, sharp exhales, passive inhales, and a snapping of your lower abdomen. You can start with cycles of 30 breaths and gradually increase up to 100, for 3-5 rounds.
WINTER FOODS- warming the body and soul
If your natural tendency is to eat warmer and heartier meals during the winter, you are on the right track! In response to cold weather, the body constricts the pores on your skin and the superficial connective tissue to prevent heat loss. This directs heat away from the peripheral tissues and into the body’s core. Because of this, your appetite becomes stronger in winter.
However, although we are designed to eat more in the winter, the selection of foods is still important. Try to pick foods that will keep your immune system vibrant and that minimize congestion.
Eat a plentiful amount of soups/stews, grains (oatmeal, rice, barley, quinoa, etc.), healthy oils (coconut, avocado, olive, ghee) and cooked seasonal root vegetables (kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, carrots and turnips). Avoid vata-provoking foods, such as salads and cold drinks.
Drink warm teas. It is beneficial to start and end the day with a glass of warm lemon water to aid with digestion.
Be sure to eat a hearty, warm breakfast to break the fast of your night’s sleep, feed your digestive fire and lubricate your bodily tissues. Oatmeal, porridge, or cream of wheat are all good options.
Warming spices to include to any and all meals: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, fennel, cumin, coriander and nutmeg.
Life Style Choices
Try doing some kind of invigorating movement –yoga or other exercise in the morning to boost immunity and mood and kick-start the movement of lymph. This helps prevent build-up of mucus and congestion.
Start your day by 7:00 a.m. This might be a bit later than you are used to, but Winter encourages us to hibernate a little longer at night. Remember that Winter is a natural time for resting. So at night, do peaceful and calming activities that promote a sense of stillness. Try to go to bed earlier than you are used to.
Use a warm-mist humidifier at night to help keep your sinuses clear. Have you tried a neti pot? During winter I use once a day to irrigate and moisten your nasal passages.
Soak up as much sunshine as you can by sitting by a window or taking a winter walk. Sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D (which is crucial to ward of illness), relaxes the muscles, combats seasonal mood disorders, and aids the body in maintaining healthy sleep cycles
The seasons come and go. Winter turns to spring, and autumn into winter. We go through times in our lives full of prosperity, and others are in poverty. As the world changes around us, our time on the mat can be a consistent source of comfort and grace.
Knowing you can count on your yoga practice promotes mental clarity, a sense of security, and a healthy muladhara chakra. Keep it up. No matter what is changing in your life or in the world around you. Yoga is peace, and peace is the language of the world.