Welcome to Asana Yoga Journal - Expert Advice and Yoga Tips by Yogananth Andiappan

Many practitioners never realise our body is totally different during summer and winter. During summer, the naturally warm weather greatly helps our body’s flexibility. Yoga practitioners therefore feel they progress a lot in some asanas during summer than in winter. In winter, on the other hand, the cold weather tends to contract our muscles which need more warming up; and affect our muscle elasticity and performance.

Many never realise a change in weather externally affects the“weather” inside our body and mind. Hence a level of understanding and awareness is needed in the practice.In particular, during winter, practitioners have to focus on asanas and pranayamas that help increase body temperature during the warm up before their regular Yoga practice. Below are some tips to modify your practice during winter time:

1.	Take a warm shower before the practice to warm up the muscles before the practice and to aid circulation.
2.	Ujjayi, Agni Sara, Bhastrika are effective breathing practices that can be practised before starting our asana practice. It helps increase core temperature and blood circulation. However, people suffering from heart condition and high blood pressure need modification under the supervision of experienced Yoga masters.
3.	Initially, start with dynamic warm-up practices, such as Vinyasa movements, Sukshma Vyama, Surya Namaskar. They can be an effective warm-up for the body before a static asana practice.
4.	Inverted postures such as Sarvangasana, Sirsasana and Halasana are postures that can help increase circulation and help keep our immune system strong, preventing seasonal sicknesses.
5.	If you are practising deep splits and back bends, you should do warm up separately focusing on those movements to avoid injuries. It’s very easy to pull the hamstrings and deeply compress the spine if the warm-up is not properly focused on those movements.
6.	Dizziness, muscle cramps, spasms, nausea etc. may occasionally occur for some practitioners during winter. Discuss with your teacher and adapt your Yoga practice accordingly.
7.	Honey, ginger and lemon are natural immune boosters and healers for the body. Add these in your daily food intake. A cup of warm ginger tea an hour before Yoga practice can help the circulation and balance the tridhosa.
8.	During winter, you can take advantage of the natural tension and stiffness of your body and focus your practice on arm, leg balancing postures and inverted postures. Mayoorasana activates the Jatharagni that regulates core temperature and burns the toxins.
9.	Hasta Mudras such as Surya Mudra, Linga Mudra and Prana Mudra can help raise our body temperature and can be adapted while holding the postures or during Pranayama practice.
10.	The practice of Kriyas, such as KunjaliKriya and BastiKriya, greatly helps us to improve our overall body’s health and regulate digestion and appetite during winter.