How to Curb the Winter Blues with Yoga

We get it, the daylight hours are getting shorter and those dark mornings are leaving you will little to zero motivation to take on the day. But what if we told you that a quick yoga session could help melt away those pesky winter blues? Once the festivities are over, it’s easy to feel a little deflated but we’re going to show you how to be your best self all the way through December and January too. Here’s how.

Enjoy those Endorphins

One way to counteract any low moods that may occur during winter is to feel endorphins flowing through your body. Stretching your body into various yoga poses will really get the blood circulating and flood your body with feel-good endorphins. These endorphins will boost your mood and you’ll be feeling the effects of them long after your yoga session has finished.

Pick Specific Poses

Yes, any time spent on your yoga mat will be beneficial to your physical and mental health, but tailoring your session to include poses specifically designed to boost your mood is one way to keep winter blues at bay. 

• Plank pose is a challenging and invigorating pose that really gets your muscles engaged and working hard. Bridge pose is another one that takes strength and control to achieve and really gets the Glute muscles warmed up.
• Any pose that means your head is lower than your heart is a good one for aiding the nervous system so be sure to spend a little time in downward dog. 
• A wide leg fold is a great place to spend a few minutes just focusing on your breathing. This is a great one when you want to quiet your mind when your thoughts are racing.
• Spinal twists are very therapeutic in general and when you turn to look over your shoulder, you can imagine all of the negativity being wrung out, leaving your body as you breathe in positivity. A great stress relieving pose.
• Lastly, don’t skip Savasana, that little slice of me-time that you can enjoy at the end of your yoga session.

Choose a Class Theme

Low moods can be caused by a number of things but sometimes a general yoga session doesn’t quite hit the spot. Being more focussed and choosing a theme for your session can help you to tackle those blues. The theme could be letting go, gratitude, reflection, surrender, exploration, grounding or unity to name a few. Changing up the theme of your session will bring variety to your morning when the winter days feel like groundhog day and each theme will bring a splash of positivity and progress to your life.

Get Cosy

There are lots of ways to add joy to your yoga sessions during the winter months and these small things can make a big difference to your mood. We’re talking about lighting your yoga sessions with candles, scenting your space with alpine fragrances, wearing your favourite sweater, using cosy blankets while in Savasana and savouring your session with a cup of ginger tea.

Do you find yoga helps curb the winter blues?