Winter is almost here, it is that time of the year again when waking up early and practicing yoga becomes a difficult task and mostly ends up compromising it for an hour of extra sleep.

But there are lesser-known facts about why we should practice yoga during winters and how it benefits us.

Why is it beneficial to practice yoga during winters?

Our strength (Bala) is the best during winters. Thus winter is the best time to practice some intense physical exercises like Asanas. You can work on going deeper in your practice.

Yoga Asanas helps in keeping the body warm and prevents stiffness and rigidity in the body.

Yoga can easily replace your outdoor physical activity and also give you a similar workshop, making sure you can sustain your physical routine even through harsh winters.

Yoga keeps the bugs away by strengthening our immune system and restraining us from catching a usual cold, flu, and allergies.

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Types of practices during winters

Asanas

No matter how difficult it gets, if you make sure that you are practicing yoga daily, it will keep you warm and prevent you from body stiffness and joint aches.

Surya namaskar and Vinyasa yoga practices are great for producing heat in the body.

Pranayama/ Breathwork

There are a few pranayama practices that heat up the body and help in boosting your immunity. Pranayama is a great tool to fight common allergies during winter. It also improves Agni in the body which helps increase the digestive fire and metabolism.

Meditation

Gloomy weather can instantly make you feel gloomy and lethargic. Try inculcating a meditation practice in your yoga routine and it can immediately uplift your mood. Meditation helps adapt to the season better and prepare well for some of the hardships of winter.

Things to keep in mind while practicing yoga in winters

Do a proper warm-up before you start any exercise routine, it helps in raising your body temperature and increases blood flow to your muscles ensuring that the strengthening and stretching practices are safe and sustainable.

Here’s a warm-up video by Shvasa:

You can move your practice to a warmer part of the day.
Make sure that you cover your head, neck, feet during the practice. Avoid exposing yourself to harsh, cold winds or snow.

During winters, we have a very good appetite, so make sure you healthy & well.

In regions with extreme cold weather like Canada, northern parts of US, northern Europe etc. Ayurveda recommends moderate consuming of alcohol & meat to stay warm and draw energy.

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