How to Winterize Your Yoga Practice and Build Heat Fast

Text and images courtesy of Yoga Journal.

Tweak your go-to routine so you build heat fast when the weather is cold.

Having lived in cold winter weather places for the majority of my life, I can attest to the fact that a yoga practice definitely feels different in the winter than in the summer months. It’s harder to feel open and flexible—and there is also a tendency to be more lifted or even hunched in the shoulders and upper back.

Luckily, there are specific yoga poses you can do to help fight the external cold. These postures build heat internally, which allows your body to feel soft and more relaxed. If you are familiar with Ujjayi breathing, which is a heating breath, definitely use that during this sequence.