Yoga for Winter Blues
A Guide to Winter Wellness
January is over, and now the real work begins, or the real year begins. While January is filled with the excitement of a new year, we’re swept up in thoughtful reflections on the past year, reminded of all we overcame in 2024. Then, we hit the ground running, eager to kick 2025 off to a great start. But January is over and as we step into February, we also step into the depths of winter and the harshness of this reality.
With countries and even families divided, and many of us facing our own internal battles, the cold, gray days not to mention the actual colds that always seem to be going around serve as a constant reminder that winter is here. And winter sings the blues. The winter blues can sound like doubt, fear, grief, and pain. When faced with these feelings, our instinct might be to run, to escape to somewhere warm, somewhere peaceful, hoping that the change in scenery will lift our spirits. I used to believe that if I could leave New York and go someplace sunny by February, everything would feel better. But I learned that running is just a temporary fix because when we return home, our struggles are still there, waiting for us. The real work begins when we stop trying to escape and start listening.
“Many people focus on the past or the future to avoid experiencing the present, often because the present is painful or difficult to endure... The pain is there as a teacher, because life is filled with pain. In the struggle alone, there is knowledge. Only when there is pain will you see the light”
Winter has a way of slowing us down literally and figuratively. It invites us inward, urging us to take stock of where we are and what we need. The blues we feel aren’t here to break us; they are here to show us where healing is needed. If we listen closely, winter tells us about our pain, our fears, and our struggles not to keep us stuck in them, but to help us move through them.
So instead of avoiding what’s coming up, we can ask ourselves:
Are there things in my life that no longer serve me?
Are there unhealthy habits weighing me down and causing me pain?
Am I changing in ways that call for a shift in my career, relationships, or personal path?
This season gives us a chance to sit with these questions and recognize how we are evolving into the person we are meant to be. Last year, I had the opportunity to study the Yoga Sutras with Edwin Bryant. He raised the question "Why is there suffering? Because if you’re not suffering, why would you change?" Growth comes when we are willing to be honest with ourselves about our suffering and transform through it.
“There is no progress toward ultimate freedom without transformation, and this is the key issue in all people’s lives, whether they practice yoga or not. If we can understand how our mind and heart works, we have the chance to answer the question, Why do I keep making the same old mistakes?”
Doing this deep inner work doesn’t mean we have to go through it alone. We have resources, therapy, self-help books, trusted friends and family. And we also have our yoga practice.
Yoga can support us in two essential ways:
Active, energizing poses to lift our spirits and open us up.
Grounding, supported postures to help us rest and release what no longer serves us.
To help you navigate this season, I’ve put together a 10-15 minute yoga practice that blends both approaches. This short practice helps us equip ourselves to handle life’s hardships not just for our own healing, but so we can help others navigate their struggles as well. This practice will help us connect, find balance, and cultivate resilience not only for today, but for every winter ahead.
When we make space for self-reflection and inner work, we don’t just get through the hard times, we become stronger from them. We may even welcome the blues, because we’ll recognize that a season of challenge is just the first signs of growth and an opportunity for transformation.
“When intelligence is awakened in the cells, then instinct is transformed into intuition and the past loses its deterministic grip on us, as out inner intelligence tells us what the future requires.”
How Yoga Can Help
Winter brings shorter days, colder weather, and for many of us, a sense of heaviness both physically and emotionally. The body stiffens in response to the cold, and our energy levels may dip, making it harder to stay motivated. But just as nature slows down in winter, this season invites us to turn inward, reflect, and find steadiness within ourselves.
This yoga practice is designed to counteract winter’s sluggishness, relieve tension, and rekindle a sense of vitality. The sequence moves from grounding postures to energizing movements, then settles into deep rest mirroring the rhythm of winter itself: effort, growth, and renewal.
Each pose is accompanied by “How It Helps” to explain its benefits and “How to Practice” for step-by-step instructions.
Forward Sukhasana
How It Helps
This simple cross-legged pose helps ground and center us. The weight of the upper body resting on the legs encourages them to settle, relieving stiffness in the ankles, knees, and hips especially helpful during the colder months. The focus here is on softening, releasing tension, and allowing the body to fully relax.
How to Practice
Sit on a folded blanket, yoga block, or cushion to elevate your hips.
Cross your legs at the shins and place your hands in front of you.
Walk your thighs and buttocks back slightly to free the lower spine.
Slowly extend your arms forward and lengthen through the spine.
Let your head and neck relax down, holding for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Urdhva Baddanguliyasana (Upward Bound Fingers Pose)
How It Helps
This pose reawakens the legs and energizes the entire body. By pressing down through the heels and activating the legs, we lift out of winter sluggishness. Stretching the arms overhead also lengthens the spine, creating a feeling of lightness and expansion.
How to Practice
Stand with your feet together. If you have ankle, knee, or back concerns, or if you're pregnant, stand with feet hip-width apart.
Shift your weight into your heels and lift your toes to engage the quadriceps.
Interlace your fingers in front of you and turn the palms outward.
Press down into your heels as you stretch your arms up overhead.
Hold for 10-15 seconds, then switch the interlace of your fingers and repeat.
3. Paschima Baddanguliyasaba (Reverse Bound Fingers Pose)
How It Helps
Here, we continue the engagement of the legs while shifting focus to opening the shoulders and upper back. Carrying heavy winter layers can create tension in these areas, and this pose provides much needed relief. Expanding the chest also encourages a boost in confidence and mood an antidote to the winter blues.
How to Practice
Stand tall and activate your legs as in the previous pose.
Interlace your fingers behind your back.
Shrug your shoulders up to create space, then roll them back and down.
Press your heels down as you lift your chest and lengthen the sides of the body.
Hold for 10-15 seconds, then switch the interlace of your fingers and repeat.
4. Ardha Uttanasana (Half Forward Extending Pose)
How It Helps
This pose shows us how engaging the arms and legs moves us forward both physically and metaphorically. By maintaining stability in the lower body while reaching forward, we experience how effort and persistence lead to growth.
How to Practice
Stand in front of a sturdy support, such as a chair, table, or counter.
Place your hands on the support and step your feet hip width apart.
Press your hands down to fully extend your arms.
Engage your legs by pressing your thighs back while reaching your chest forward.
Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide- Legged Forward Bend)
How It Helps
This pose integrates the actions of the arms and legs to create full extension in the spine. Supporting the head calms the mind, allowing for quiet reflection. Just as our hard work in life moves us forward, this moment of stillness gives us space to appreciate how far we’ve come.
How to Practice
Step your feet wide apart (about 3-4 feet).
Engage your legs and lift your chest to lengthen your spine.
Bend forward and place your forearms on a support, resting your forehead.
Stay here for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply.
6. Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall or Supported Inversion)
How It Helps
After all our effort to move forward, this pose invites us to rest and receive. The support of blankets or pillows allows the body to fully release. On a deeper level, opening the heart reminds us that our progress isn’t just for ourselves, it’s meant to be shared with others.
How to Practice
Lie on the floor and rest your legs on a chair, couch, or bed.
Place a folded blanket or pillow under your hips for support.
Adjust your shoulders down and in to lift and open the chest.
Rest here for 3-5 minutes.
7. Savasana (Final Relaxation, Legs Supported)
How It Helps
This final rest is essential. It reminds us that while winter’s struggles help us grow, rest is just as necessary. In stillness, we integrate the benefits of our practice, honoring both our efforts and our need for recovery.
How to Practice
Remove the support from under your hips and lie flat on your back.
Allow your body to settle into the floor.
Rest here for 3-5 minutes (or longer if you like).
When you're ready, take a moment to check in with yourself.
Reflections on Practice
This practice, like others from the Yoga Pearls blog, is here to support you. Life’s struggles are not always easily solved, but yoga provides a way to navigate them one breath, one movement at a time.
You don’t need to be an experienced yogi to benefit from these sequences. Whether you're stretching your back, opening your shoulders, or simply taking a few minutes to pause, these small moments of self care add up.
I hope this practice helps you find steadiness and warmth this winter. If you know someone who could benefit from these posts, please share them!
If you're ready to deepen your practice, check out the free 30-minute class linked below. It includes hip-opening actions to create space in the lower back and relieve tension. You’ll also find other videos on my YouTube channel, including yoga for neck and shoulders, back care, and post-travel recovery.
Let’s move through winter together with strength, openness, and rest.
This Iyengar yoga class is perfect for anyone new to yoga or just starting their practice. We’ll explore movement by flowing in and out of poses to create space in the ankles, knees, and hips while also engaging and strengthening the legs to build flexibility and stability. The practice also includes poses that extend the sides of the body and mobilize the shoulders, helping to lift and open the chest. This class offers a strong foundation, making it an excellent way to start your day with ease and vitality.