Wintry weather got you down? Feeling anxious and impatient as you wait for spring to spring already? Believe it or not, a few yoga poses can be potent weapons against that blah depression that sets in come March. To prepare yourself to open like a plum blossom to the spring, try these winter yoga poses designed to open your heart, build some heat, and energize your sleepy winter body.
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When you feel depressed or anxious, your body tends to cave inwards as your shoulders tense and hunch over. To combat this repressive stance, try a heart-opening pose like Bujanghasana (Cobra pose). Focus your attention on pushing your chest forward and letting your shoulder blades squeeze together in the back, and don’t let your head flop backwards- keep it nice and supported. If you can, do this pose facing a light or in a patch of sunshine to put some added warmth into your now-open heart. Other great heart-opening poses include: Cat pose, Supported Corpse pose, and Wheel pose.
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If you’re sick and tired of feeling freezing for days on end, choose a yoga pose that helps generate heat in your body. Vasisthasana (Side Plank) is a challenging pose that works your arms and legs while blasting your core muscles. For proper form, remember to keep your shoulders down; don’t let the arms crawl up to the ears or let your raised arm fall backwards. Breathe deeply in this pose, pulling your abs in all the while. Do this for 30-60 seconds on each size to feel a serious temperature rise. Other poses to generate heat include Sun Salutation, Bridge pose, and Bow pose.
Source: On Sugar
Finally, you can beat the winter blues with yoga poses that energize your whole body. These poses help you feel strong when done correctly, which can change your entire mood in an instant. Our favorite energizing pose is Virabhadasana II (Warrior 2.) For the best form, keep your heels aligned, aim for a 90 degree knee bend, and make sure your front knee stays directly above your foot- don’t let it lean to either side or push out in front of the toes. Shift your hips under your torso as much as possible, so that you don’t jut out over your back leg. For more strength and energy yoga poses, try Dance pose, Triangle pose, and Camel pose.
