Yoga to Flow through the Seasons
March 27, 2023
We’re more connected to the seasons than we think as a society. We are 60% water, so the weather and seasons affect us deeply. That’s why we must take the weather and seasonal transitions just as seriously as we take and consider our yoga practices. Thankfully, we’re slowly entering spring time. However, it’s important to continue battling against seasonal depression these last few weeks of winter.
Naturally, our bodies are more tight and tense during the winter due to the cold air and temperature. We keep to ourselves more internally and externally. Personally, I notice that I keep my head down much more during the winter, which creates more tension in my neck.
During the winter time, I love incorporating more yoga poses that activate more internal heat and stretch the body — such as bridge pose, plank pose and twisted chair pose — to keep the blood flowing. Springtime centers new beginnings, so poses like bow pose, cow face pose, and pigeon pose help release tension in the hips and chest, leaving us feeling more open and accepting of new beginnings.
Majority of us are eager for summer! However, the extreme heat can still be detrimental to the body. Certain poses, like butterfly and cobra pose, can help lower the body temperature and cool us down. Although I’m a spring baby, something about fall will always hold a special place in my heart. I love the changing colors of leaves and the way sunsets peek over city buildings during this season. I feel more loved and confident in myself as a person.
On the other hand, I’ve noticed how I tend to have a more scattered brain after an adventurous summer. Grounding yoga poses — such as downward dog, tree pose and standing forward fold — keep me grounded enough to tackle the rest of the year. Overall, it’s important for us as a society to work with nature rather than against it. The best way we can do that is by starting with ourselves.
As we close out the season, I challenge us to move more like water. Flow with the tides and allow our bodies to listen to them.
