When winter sets in, cranking up the thermostat and cuddling under a blanket with some hot coffee isn’t the only way to warm up. “By linking your breath with vigorous movement, you can naturally stoke your inner fire and build up heat. Unless otherwise noted, I recommends using ujjayi breath for this yoga routine — while breathing through your nose, slightly constrict the back of the throat. Your inhales and exhales should match in audibility and length.

“Ujjayi is called a victorious breath because it is said to enable you to become present as you focus on the sound of the breath and get out of your head. Since you keep your mouth closed, it also helps generate heat.

Winter brings with it all these luxuries and more. However, it is also involuntarily accompanied by dry skin, chapped lips, body ache, cold, cough, viral infections, and joint pains. Not to forget a general dull and gloomy feeling, which is an unsolicited gift of the weather outside.

Yoga can be your additional protective cover this winter, providing you warmth and the strength to fight common infections.

Winter just seems to give an excuse to gorge on countless delicacies – both sweet and savory. However, don’t let it become an excuse to put on weight this winter. Eat whatever you like but make sure to sweat it out with some active yoga asanas (postures) and stretches that help reduce weight while toning the internal organs as well.

To begin this journey, you can start your practice with Sukshma Vyayam or subtle exercises. In the practice of yoga, the warm-up routine begins from the leg up. So start mobilizing your ankles to slowly warm up the joints, gentle rotation of hips, arms, wrists, head and neck come last. Walk around briskly, and stretch and loosen up your muscles. This will prepare your body for practice, and keep you safe from practice-related injuries. Before you attempt any back-bending postures, ensure that your body is sufficiently warmed up.

We bring you a few yoga remedies that can help you fully enjoy the spirit of the season:

1.  FLIPPED WRIST CAT POSE WITH BHASTRIKA BREATH

• Lower to all fours with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists directly under your hands. Flip your wrists so your fingertips point at your knees and press your entire hand into the ground.
• On an exhale, round your back toward the ceiling, drawing your belly toward your spine and your chin toward your chest to come into cat pose.
• On the inhale, arch your back into cow, lifting your gaze, the crown of your head and your butt into the air, widening the sits bones.
• Continue alternating between cat and cow with your breath until you have a good rhythm and can start to move faster.
• Now begin bhastrika, or bellows breath, to do this, forcefully inhale and exhale, using your diaphragm as a pump. The breath should be rapid and sharp.

2.  LOW SQUAT

• Stand up. Separate your feet wider than your hips and squat low, with your butt almost touching the ground. (If your heels lift, place a rolled blanket under your heels so there’s even weight in all four corners of both feet.) Sit tall so that your shoulders are over your hips and you’re not leaning too far forward.
• Raise your arms straight up overhead. Hold for at least 5 long breaths.

3.  GODDESS SQUAT WITH HEEL LIFTS

• Press down into your feet to stand up. Keeping your feet wider than your hips, bend your knees so you are in a goddess squat, with your knees over your heels and your thighs parallel to the ground. Actively press your inner thighs back so your knees don’t buckle in. Reach your arms overhead.
• On an inhale, raise your heels up as high as possible. On the exhale, lower your heels back down.
• Repeat 8-10 times while staying low in your squat, knees bent as close to 90 degrees as possible.

4.  WARRIOR II

• Stand up with your arms by your side. Step your feet about four feet apart. Turn your right toes out 90 degrees and your left toes in slightly.
• Lunge into your right leg, bringing your right thigh parallel to the ground and raising your arms out to the sides at shoulder height. Keep pressing into the outer edge of your left foot so as not to collapse into the instep and to keep the weight evenly balanced between the two legs.
• Gaze over the tips of your right fingers. Stay here for 5–10 breaths, then repeat on the left side.

5.  TWISTING HERO’S POSE

• Kneel on the ground with your knees touching and your feet about hips’ distance apart, tops of your feet pressing into the ground.
• Sit back in between your feet and gently close your eyes.
• Place your right hand on your right shoulder and your left hand on your left shoulder. Twist to the left with a full inhalation, then swiftly twist to the right with a full exhalation. Shift to bhastrika again, forcefully inhaling and exhaling as you continue to twist back and forth for at least 50 breaths.

6.  THUNDERBOLT POSE WITH TOE OPENING AND KAPALABHATI BREATH 

• Kneel back down. Bring your knees to touch, keep your toes tucked under and sit onto your heels. Raise your arms toward the sky, and shape your hands into little cups.
• Begin kapalabhati breathing, which is short, sharp exhalations out of the nose, the inhalation is passive and automatically happens as a reflex from the forceful exhalation (like blowing your nose). Aim for 100 breaths.

Note: Do not practice bhastrika or kapalabhati breathing if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy, seizures or if you experience any abdominal pain or anxiety.

7. PLANK POSE
Plank pose or Santolanasana is a strengthening and balancing pose. It is essentially a core strengthening exercise which can help in keeping you warm this winter. The exercise can help in improving posture and strengthening abs, shoulders, chest, neck and back. A basic plank is performed by balancing your body on your elbows and toes, with your back and spine aligned. Planks can make your abdominal muscles stronger and facilitate tightening of the mid-section.

• From all fours bring your shoulders over your wrists, fingers spread, and middle finger pointing forward. Press your hands into the floor, firm the upper arms in towards each other.
• Draw the lower belly in and up.
• Extend one leg back with your toes tucked and then the other leg, so you are in a high push-up position. Your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Slide your shoulder blades down along the spine, firm them into the back and press the space between the shoulder blades up towards the ceiling.
• Engage your thigh muscles and lengthen the tailbone towards your heels.
• Keep pushing the floor away evenly with the palms of the hands and imagine you’re pressing the heels back against a wall.
• Draw the legs together without actually moving them. This creates more core strength and stability.
• Look at the floor slightly forward, jaw relaxed. Breath is even and steady.
• You can stay in this pose anywhere between 5 breaths to a couple of minutes.
• To come out of the pose, lower the knees to the floor and rest in Child’s pose.

8. HALASANA

• Lie down on your back
• Place your palms on the floor beside your body
• Using your abdominal muscles, lift your legs up 90 degrees
• Press your palms firmly onto the floor and allow your legs to fall back behind your head
• Allow your middle and lower back to lift off the floor to enable your toes to touch the floor behind. Try to bring your chest as close to your chin as possible
• The palms can remain flat on the floor but one may bend the arms at the elbow and support the back with the palms as per their level of comfort.

9.  BHUJANGASANA

• Lie on your stomach 
• Slowly raise your trunk and head with the support of the palms alone. The arms should be bent at the elbows 
• Arch your neck slightly backwards and look up 
• Make sure that your navel is pressed against the floor 
• Put pressure on your toes by pressing them onto the floor. After that,  extend them out 
• Hold the asana for a few seconds.

10. KAPALBHATI

Kapal = forehead; bhati = shining

1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect. Place your hands on the knees with palms open to the sky.
2. Take a deep breath in and out.
3. Exhale forcefully with a sniffing sound, pull your navel back towards the spine. Do as much as you comfortably can. You may keep your right hand on the stomach to feel the abdominal muscles contract.
4. As you relax the navel and abdomen, the breath flows into your lungs automatically.
5. Take 20 such breaths to complete one round of Kapal Bhati.
6. After completing the round, relax with your eyes closed and observe the sensations in your body.
7. Do two more rounds of Kapal Bhati.

11. NADI SHODHANA PRANAYAMA
It should be done on an empty stomach, preferably 4 hours after you’ve eaten. You should also find a cool, comfortable environment.

• Choose a meditation sitting pose. Keep your spine and neck straight and close your eyes.
• Clear your mind of everything outside of this moment.
• Start with your outer wrists resting on your knees.
• Using your right hand, fold your middle and index fingers toward your palm.
• Place your thumb on your right nostril and your ring finger on the left nostril.
• Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left nostril, slowly and deeply, until your lungs are full. Focus on your breathing.
• Next, release your thumb and close your left nostril with your ring finger.
• Exhale slowly through the right nostril.
• Now do it in reverse, this time inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left.

Throughout the process, be conscious of your breathing and how it affects both body and mind. Try this for a minute or so to start. The first time you try, it may feel a little strange, so only do it as long as you’re comfortable. Don’t force yourself beyond your comfort zone It’s important to feel in control and relaxed.

12. SURYA NAMASKAR
The Sun Salutation can be a very good workout for the cardiovascular system at a fast pace. On the other hand, it can be very relaxing and reflective when yoga postures are executed at a slower pace. Nonetheless, it is enjoyable to perform salute to the sun either way. Your body will surely stretch and become flexible with regular practice.

Step 1: Prayer pose – Pranamasana

1. Stand at the end of your mat, keep your feet together and distribute your weight on both feet equally.
2. Open your chest and just relax your shoulders.
3. Breathe in and lift both your arms up from the sides.
4. Exhale and bring your palms together in a prayer position in front of your chest.

Step 2: Raised arms pose – Hastauttanasana

1. Breathe in and lift your arms up and back.
2. Make sure that your biceps are close to your ears.
3. Make effort to stretch your whole body starting from the heels up to the finger tips.

Step 3: Hand to foot pose – Hasta Padasana

1. Breathing out and bend forward from your waist while keeping your spine straight.
2. Exhale and completely bring your hands down to the floor beside your feet.

Step 4: Equestrian pose – Ashwa Sanchalanasana

1. Breathe in and push your right leg as far back as possible.
2. Bring your right knee to the floor and slowly look up.

Step 5: Mountain pose – Parvatasana

1. Breathe out and lift your hips as well as your tail bone up.
2. Bring your whole body in the Mountain shape.

Step 6: Salute with eight parts or points – Ashtanga Namaskara

1. Gradually bring your knees down to the floor then exhale.
2. Slightly take your hips back and slide forward.
3. Relax your chest and chin on the ground.
4. Elevate your posterior a little bit.

Step 7: Cobra pose – Bhujangasana

1. Slide forward and raise your chest up into the Cobra pose.
2. Keep your elbows bent and fixed in this pose.
3. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
4. Slowly look up.

Step 8: Mountain pose – Parvatasana

1. Breathe out and lift your hips as well as your tail bone up.
2. Put your chest downwards to create an inverted V pose.

Step 9: Equestrian pose – Ashwa Sanchalanasana

1. Breathe in and bring your left foot forward in between the two hands.
2. Bring your left knee down to the ground.
3. Press your hips down then look up.

Step 10: Hand to foot pose – Hasta Padasana

1. Breathe out and bring your right foot forward.
2. Keep your palms on the ground.
3. You can bend your knees, if you feel some discomfort.

Step 11: Raised Arms Pose- Hastauttanasana

1. Breath in and roll your spine up,
2. Make your hands go up and bend backwards a little bit
3. Push your hips slightly outward.

Step 12: Prayer pose – Pranamasana

1. Exhale and bring your palms together in a prayer position in front of your chest.

This is half round and then practice other half changing the combination of the legs and complete the round. You can practice 10-12 rounds.

For the finishing, lie down and relax your entire body in Shavasana. Your body needs sufficient time to adjust to the effects of the stretches of your sun salutations. It can bring enough rest for the mind and body.

The dull, gloomy weather outside automatically casts its shadow on us and for no reason, we tend to feel low and lethargic. Make some time to meditate this season. It works like an instant mood changer and you can see the difference for yourself! It’s a good idea to sit with your eyes closed for a few minutes as you end your daily yoga practice (after asanas and pranayamas). It is an ideal start to the day, preparing you to face the day with a strength and smile.

Flexibility is known to naturally decrease as you age with studies showing how some joint area show up to 50 per cent loss in flexibility. However, it’s never too late to start making changes that can support improving your flexibility. Beat the winter blues with a regular yoga routine for great health, increased immunity and maintain high levels of energy throughout the day.