How to continue to use your Yoga practice to help you get through the holi-"daze" and winter blues.....
I understand the dread you feel as the holidays come and the cold starts to set in your bones. I often feel the same dread myself. But dread not, because yoga can truly help us get through these next couple months. As a matter of fact, when we start to use a yogic mindset, we can engage with the winter in a way that becomes very restorative and therapeutic to us.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love the cold months either; however, as I’ve grown deeper in my own practice, I have gained a new appreciation for the winter months. I now recognize them as a time to turn inwards and reflect. It is a time to refocus my attention from the constant stimulus of the outside world and look inside myself.
The winter months can become some of the most important of the year, whether we like them or not. Because the truth is we are constantly on the go here in America and there is nothing more important to our health and well-being then slowing down and learning how to just be in the moment. Relaxation is so important to every system of our body, especially the nervous system. And winter can be an amazing time to just relax and unwind.
Of course we still have to attend to our daily activities (especially yoga lol), however we can start to become more mindful about how we are moving throughout the day. We can start to witness how fast we are living and make a conscious effort to slow down. Meditation and yoga are an amazing way to start to become more conscious of ourselves and how we live our lives. Once we become more conscious we can then start to take back our time for ourselves. We can start to become aware of the choices we are making and habits that we need to cut in order to continue to live a happy and healthy life.
All of this can be reflected on when nature herself is slowing down with us, during winter. The trees, plants, and grass become dormant. Everything and everyone starts to slow down as it gets colder and colder. An amazing time to deepen your yoga and meditation practice; and in turn reap the benefits.
There are so many benefits yoga and meditation have to offer each and everyone of us if we are open to them. We can begin to gain more mental, emotional, and physical health. When we use our yoga practice on and off the mat, we get to enjoy our lives more. Family gatherings don’t bother us as much, we start to feel more at ease when we use a yogic mindset during the holidays. Our stress levels become reduced and in turn we are able to relax and enjoy the holidays as opposed to running around like a chicken with its head cut off (literally insane).
So keep your sanity with us this winter. Join us for a class! We would be honored to have you join our yoga family! And if you can’t get to the studio we hope you can practice at home! Your health and overall well-being is of utmost importance to us!
Namaste,
Erika
