“Yoga is a discipline that opens the door to inner freedom.” - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
In winter, the dark room makes it difficult to leave bed in the mornings. The sun rises later than in summer and the room doesn't light up that soon. Melatonin production continues in the dark and is responsible for the sluggish waking-up process. Here, yoga comes to our rescue and brings inner freedom. Yoga rejuvenates us in winter. You can still have an exciting winter morning with these yoga poses.
Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskar
I prefer practicing Surya Namaskar before other asanas as it is a sequence of 12 asanas, and it is simple to recall the next asana. I don’t have to wait in the chilly morning, struggling to recall the next asana 😀. You can continuously practice the 12 rounds of sun Salutation to sweat easily. At the end of the last round, you have no more fear of the cold. Visit the blog link for step-wise Sun Salutation.
Child pose or Balasana or Shishuasana
The Child pose improves blood circulation that invigorates the entire body, making it an ideal and calming yoga pose for winter mornings. For more benefits, contraindications and FAQs, visit the blog on Child pose.
Child pose can be done with the following steps.
Start by sitting on your heels. Keep your hips on the heels, bend forward, and lower your forehead to the floor.
Keep the arms alongside your body with hands on the floor, palms facing up. (If this is not comfortable, you can place one fist on top of another and rest your forehead on them.)
Gently press your chest on the thighs or between your thighs, whichever is comfortable.
Hold this position for 2-3 minutes.
Slowly uncurling vertebra by vertebra, come up to sit on the heels and relax.
Downward-facing dog or Adho Mukh Svanasana
The cold weather tends to constrict the blood vessels to preserve body heat and maintain core body temperature. Hence, you get slightly less blood flow to your extremities, like fingers and toes. The pose is ideal for boosting blood flow from head to toe in winter. For additional benefits, tips, preparatory asanas, follow-up asanas, benefits, contraindications and FAQs of the asana, visit the blog.
Come on your knees and palms.
As you breathe out, lift the hips, straightening the knees and elbows, and form an inverted V-shape with the body.
Hands are shoulder-width apart and feet are hip-width apart, parallel to each other. Toes point straight ahead.
Press your hands into the ground. Widen through the shoulder blades. Keep the neck lengthened by touching the ears to the inner arms.
Hold the pose for a minute or two and take long deep breaths. Look towards the navel.
Exhale. Bend the knees, and return to the table pose. Relax.
Feel lighter, healthier and more grounded with yogic discipline in Sri Sri Yoga program.
Bridge pose or Setubandh Asana
The bridge pose opens up the chest, lungs and heart. It helps relieve asthmatic symptoms in winter. It removes rigidity in the hips and back which usually increases in winter. For other benefits and contraindications, visit our blog.
To begin, lie on your back.
Fold your knees, keep your feet flat and hip-distance apart on the floor 10-12 inches from your pelvis. Maintain knees and ankles in a straight line.
Keep your arms beside your body, palms facing down.
Inhaling, slowly lift your lower, middle and upper back off the floor.
Gently roll in the shoulders; touch the chest to the chin without bringing the chin down, supporting your weight with your shoulders, arms and feet.
Feel your bottom firm up in this pose. Both thighs are parallel to each other and the floor.
Keep breathing easily.
Hold the posture for a minute or two and exhale as you gently release this yoga pose.
Fish pose or Matsyasana
This supine backbend/inversion opens the throat, lungs and chest. It relieves respiratory disorders thereby and is an ideal pose to practice in winter. It tones the parathyroid, pituitary and pineal glands. For additional benefits and contraindications, refer to the blog.
Lie on your back with feet together and hands relaxed alongside the body.
Place the hands underneath the hips, palms facing down. Bring the elbows closer to each other.
Breathing in, lift the head and chest.
Keeping the chest elevated, lower the head backward and touch the top of the head to the floor.
With the head lightly touching the floor, press the elbows firmly on the ground, placing the weight on the elbow and not on the head. Lift your chest from in-between the shoulder blades. Press the thighs and legs to the floor.
Hold the pose for as long as you are comfortable, and take gentle long breaths in and out. Relax in the posture with every exhalation.
Now lift the head, lowering the chest and head to the floor. Bring the hands back along the sides of the body. Relax.
Final Words
Regular yoga helps you spring out of bed on winter mornings with freshness and energy. These asanas are a perfect remedy to have an exciting winter day!
Based on inputs by Pooja Gupta, Faculty, Sri Sri Yoga
Written by: Pratibha Sharma
Related link
Immunity-boosting yoga to fight cough and cold
FAQs on winter yoga poses
Chair pose or Ukatasana, Cat pose or Marjariasana, Triangle pose or Trikonasana, Seated forward bend or Paschimottanasana, Shoulder stand or Sarvangasana, Cobra pose or Bhujangasana, Standing Forward Bend or Hastapadasana or Uttanasana, Locust pose or Shalabhasana and Happy baby pose are other asanas you can practice in winter.
Downward-dog pose or Adho mukha svanasana, Warrior pose - I or Veerbhadrasana, Bridge pose or Setubandhasana, Garland pose or Malasana, Bow pose or Dhanurasana, Boat pose or Naukasana are beneficial for intermediate learners in winter.
Kapotasana or Pigeon pose progresses to King Pigeon pose, Dove pose, Peacock pose, Lord of the Dance, Headstand or Shirsasana, Headstand Lotus pose and Firefly pose are some of the advanced yogasanas advantageous in winter.
Although time is always of the same length, it often seems shorter in the morning, especially when you have a busy winter day ahead. Practise winter yoga, preferably in the morning.
