As winter’s chill sets in, many of us wake up feeling stiff and achy. The cold weather causes muscles to contract and joints to tighten, making morning movement particularly challenging. A targeted yoga sequence can help warm the body, increase flexibility, and energize you for the day ahead.
Gentle Warm-Up
Begin by creating heat from within. While still in bed, take five deep breaths, expanding your lungs fully. Then perform gentle circular movements of your wrists and ankles to encourage synovial fluid movement in these often-stiff joints.
Standing Poses
1. Mountain Pose with Sun Breaths (Tadasana )
According to Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, yoga guru, founder, Akshar Yoga Kendraa, “Start your practice grounded and tall, synchronizing arm raises with deep inhalations. This simple movement awakens the spine and shoulders while stimulating circulation throughout the body.”
2. Standing Forward Fold (Padahasthasana)
Allow your upper body to hang heavy, releasing tension in your lower back and hamstrings. Bend your knees slightly if needed—winter stiffness often affects the back of the legs most severely.
Warming flow sequence
3. Cat-cow stretches (Marjaryasana)
Move through these poses slowly, letting your spine undulate between flexion and extension. This gentle movement helps lubricate spinal joints and warms the core muscles that often tighten overnight.
4. Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Pedal your feet slowly to warm up cold calves and stretch your heels toward the mat. This pose provides full-body extension while building heat through gentle effort.
Deep stretches
5. Low Lunge with Twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)
According to Yogacharya Akhil Gore, Founder RouteIn Yoga, “Step one foot forward into a lunge, then rotate your torso. This combination targets hip flexors, which tighten from long periods of sitting, while mobilizing the spine.”
6. Thread the needle (Parsva Balasana)
This gentle twist opens the shoulders and upper back, areas particularly vulnerable to winter stiffness. The supported position allows for complete relaxation into the stretch.
Energy boosters
7. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Generate internal warmth through this strengthening pose. The effort required naturally raises body temperature while building stability in cold-sensitive knees.
8. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Open your hips and strengthen your legs while cultivating focus and energy. This pose combines stability with expansion, perfect for shaking off morning sluggishness.
Finish with three rounds of Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A) to integrate all your warmed-up muscles and maintain the heat you’ve generated. Close your practice with a brief meditation in Easy Pose (Sukhasana), appreciating the warmth and mobility you’ve created.
Practice tips
– Hold each pose for 5-8 breaths
– Move slowly and mindfully, especially at first
– Keep a blanket nearby for extra warmth
– Practice in a heated room if possible
– Wear layers that can be removed as you warm up
Remember, consistency matters more than intensity. A gentle daily practice will yield better results than occasional intense sessions. As you make this sequence part of your winter morning routine, you’ll likely notice improved mobility throughout your day and greater resilience to cold weather stiffness.
Try these yoga asanas to help keep you warm and fit this winter
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