Yoga for the Four Seasons

Yoga for the Four Seasons- What if you could do yoga that is specific for each changing season? Each season brings it’s highs and lows, both emotionally and physically. Each season has changes that manifest in our bodies. Things like air pressure, rising or dropping of temperature, can effect our bodies. Many people are emotionally effected by the light changes from season to season, seasonal affective disorder.

We can use yoga as a tool to balance our emotions and ease seasonal changes in our bodies. Yoga breathing is deep and slow, eases anxiety and warms us in times of cold. Yoga poses build strength and stretch our bodies when they are tight and stressed. We all need tools in our arsenal for times of change!

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Yoga for the Four Seasons- Winter

As temperatures outside drop, we need yoga that heats us up! We should focus on stimulating the digestive system like yoga twists. We need movement to fend off mental or physical struggles. Winter in nature is a time to draw in, time to regroup, time to renew and prepare for new life to come later with spring. We can add yoga poses that protect our center.

Try this yoga sequence to heat and twist the body in the winter!

1. Lay on your back and connect to the breath
2. Pull your knees into the chest and hug them
3. Extend the legs overhead and slowly lower them to the floor for abdominal warming
4. Move into a supine spinal twist with legs bent side to side
5. Lift to Navasana (boat pose) again for abdominal stimulation
6. Rock and roll to adho muhka savanasana (down dog)
7. Walk your hands back to your feet for a standing forward fold
8. Take three rounds of surya namarakara A
9. Move through warrior poses like Warrior A, Warrior B, Reverse Warrior
10. Vinyasa back to the floor and warm the back with cobra pose
11. Take child’s pose to rest
12. Stimulate your digestion with Halasana (plow pose) and shoulder stand
13. Finish with supine spinal twists to represent that you have come full circle
14. End in a calming savasana- don’t forget to stay warm while resting!

Yoga for the Four Seasons- Spring

Moving into spring, the earth and air are warming up. Nature is coming out of hibernation. There is a new sense of energy to bring to your yoga practice.

Try this yoga sequence with me to welcome spring!

Yoga for the Four Seasons- Summer

When the air and body are warmer, we can work with releasing heat, frustrations, and stresses from the body. Work with a less is more attitude in your yoga practice. Focus on the exhale, the back body, and linger in the poses. Take time to have fun and enjoy your yoga for the four seasons practice. Work up to challenging poses, open and warm surrounding muscles, and use props to be comfortable and steady. It is just practice after all!

Try this Summer Yoga Sequence!

1. Begin in child’s pose to start opening the hips and connect with the breath
2. Move into easy seat begin hip circles while seated
3. Take a few rounds of cat and cow to warm the spine
4. Warm the abdominals with plank pose followed by cobra for back warming
5. Press back to adho muhka svanasana (down dog)
6. Raise to stand and take three rounds of suyra namaskara A
7. Move into the flowing sequence Dancing Warrior
8. Stretch the body with seated forward folds like Janu Sirsasana and Marichyasana
9. Take a deep hip stretch like Pigeon pose (make sure to do both sides!)
10. Move into a challenging pose- try a head stand or tripod headstand
11. Unwind in a spinal twist on the floor- knees together and drop them side to side
12. Finish in savasana to rest and absorb the good work you have done

Yoga for the Four Seasons- Autumn

As we think of the changing seasons, we can choose to slow down and start to draw internally in your yoga practice. Move slowly to allow the body to warm and settle into the poses. Don’t hold stationary poses, move in and out of the poses, helping to increase fluidity in the spine and joints. Yoga poses that bend and twist, flex and extend the spine, keeps the vertebrae lubricated, spacious, strong, and healthy in the autumn season!

Try this Yoga sequence- Yoga for the Four Seasons for Autumn

1. Start in easy seat and take forward fold over your legs
2. Move into side bends and seated twists- do both sides
3. Lift to stand and move through suyra namaskara A
4. Take a standing chair twist
5. Move into a tree pose to balance and connect with the earth
6. Stretch the hips with standing forward bends like pyramid pose and prasarita padottonasana
7. Take a vinyasa to move onto the floor on your stomach
8. Strengthen the back with salabhasana and sphinx pose
9. Move into child’s pose to change the motion of the spine
10. Lay on your back and take a bridge pose
11. Pull the knees into the chest and rock and roll into a head stand
12. Finish the inversion with a child’s pose and then relax in savasansa

Yoga for the four seasons can help you feel as refreshed as mother earth herself! Try connecting to your health as you connect to nature with seasonal, healthy, and delicious shakes!