We are almost nearing the end of this year and the temperatures have finally started dropping. The winters make us all physically and psychologically sluggish. We can work on improving this through various means like Right Diet, Right Physical practice and Right precautions against the cold elements.

The weather has a huge impact on mental health as well, studies have shown that 10% to 20% of the population’s mental health takes a hit during winter. Consistent practice of yoga asanas and pranayama will help you to uplift your mood right away!

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What are the asanas that can keep you warm during winters?

Yoga Asanas offers a way to warm you up from inside and keep our inner-core warm. Practices like dynamic movements like Sun salutation (Suryanamaskara), Inversions and arm balances (Shoulder stand pose , Headstand, crow pose etc), Backbends like (camel pose, bow pose) help improve circulation and maintain warmth not just in the inner core and also the extremities, the limbs. The above series of asanas ensure that the muscular action (stretching, isometric and isotonic contractions of the skeletal muscles) improves circulation enough to keep us going for a good part of our wakeful hours.

Here are a few Asanas that will help you sail through the winter!

Sun Salutation or Surya namaskar

Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a very effective practice to improve your physical and mental mood first thing in the morning. This dynamic practice makes sure you get a good kick start to your sluggish winter mornings. It improves circulation, joint mobility, spinal flexibility, and sense perception all in a matter of a few rounds. Other similar dynamic vinyasa practices should be incorporated as our number one physical practice as a defense against cold winters.

Backbends

Backbends warm up the body instantly and can steadily uplift the mood during a gloomy winter morning and help people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Backbends are known to stimulate the Sympathetic Nervous system that helps mobilize energy to keep us physically warm and active. Asanas like bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) Camel pose (Ustrasana), Cobra pose (Bhujangasana 1) are great asanas one can practice every day.

Inversions

Inversion helps in increasing overall circulation, especially to the sluggish circulation of the lower body. It also improves circulation to the head and the senses to keep us going through the gloomy winters days. Inversion asanas like Forward bending pose (Uttanasana), Headstand (Sirsasana), Plow Pose (Halasana), Wide legged standing forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) helps the lymph flow.

Arm balances

Arm balancing asanas tap on the core power and heat up the body. They also engage large muscle groups in the upper body and improve heart functioning. The core engagement ensures keeping the abdominal fire ignited in spite of the cold exteriors. Poses like Crane pose (Bakasana), Hand stand (Adho Mukha Varkasana), Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana).