Cabin Fever.

Lovely weather we're having, don't you think?  After an extremely brisk morning walk I decided that I would definitely not be leaving the house again and preceded to cancel all plans that required me to put on a coat, including my evening power yoga class.  It seems the general consensus among friends that today is a bit of a bust and the best place to be is wrapped up in a blanket with a warm beverage.  Now, as much as I love an excuse to hibernate, I can't help but feel a little restless, especially having bailed on my class.  Having wasted hours on internet research, youtube viewing and the necessary afternoon nap (because I did so much with my day) its time to move.  Years of athletics combined with a few too many car accidents and possibly just unfortunate genetics have left my joints with the tendency to feel achy and stiff when the temperature drops, so I find it extra crucial in the winter time to keep up my asana practice.  If you're anything like me, you've probably been hunched over a computer or bundled up awkwardly on the sofa or a bed, tightening your chest, shoulders and hips.  So, how about a yoga break?

It's important to begin slowly and build up warmth in the body, gradually opening up and moving deeper over the course of the practice.  If you do not have a mat, try practicing on your rug or if you can stand it, the floor will do.  Keep a pillow or blanket nearby to pad under your knees and tailbone.  Begin in a comfortable tall seat, elevate the hips by sitting up on blankets, and then begin to breath slowly through the nose.  If you know sitting up straight is a challenge, try sitting with your back against a wall.  With the eyes closed, breath slowly in an out of the nose, concentrating especially on slowing down and lengthening the exhales.  Inhaling naturally comes easier, but the average person only exhales out a portion of the air they breath in.  This leaves a mess of stale air trapped in the chest, preventing fresh oxygen from moving into the lungs.  Take notice of the depth and length of your breath.  Is the inhale stopping in the upper chest or are you using your diaphragm to fully expand the lungs?  Once you feel connected with your breath begin to move into your warm up postures.

Cat/Cow Positions

Try taking a gentle seated twist in both directions before moving onto your hands and knees for a few rounds of cat/cow stretches.  Keep your knees hip width apart, press down into the tops of your feet for stability and then stack the shoulders directly over the wrists.  If you feel especially tight in the chest or any compression in the lower back move the hands slightly forward of the shoulders and tuck the tailbone to concentrate the movement in the thoracic spine.  Focus on moving with the breath in this simple transition.  Starting with a flat back, begin your inhale, and then move the chest forward, lift the chin and move the shoulders away from the ears.  Gently press the shoulder blades into the back of the ribs.  Move until the end of the inhale, and then as you exhale transition by rounding the back, tucking the chin into the chest and drawing the navel in.  Continue back and forth going a little deeper each round, trying to increase the breath as the chest opens up.  After a few rounds, press the hips back to the heels and rest the head down extending the arms forward for child's pose.

Come into a gentle downward facing down, peddling out the feet, bending the knees and pressing the chest toward the thighs, maybe twisting the knees to either side of your torso.  Walk your feet up to your hands and then hang in a "rag doll" forward bend, knees bent, hands on opposite bent elbows with the torso hanging toward your feet.      

Slowly roll up the back, allowing the head to come up last.  Stand in Tadasana (mountain pose) with the eyes closed for a few breaths to re-center yourself.  Slowly open the eyes on an inhale, lifting your heart and gaze towards the ceiling and draw the arms back behind the ears. Next move through several rounds of Surya Namaskar C focusing on connecting each movement with a single breath.  Go as slowly as you feel your body needs in order to fully realize the potential opening of the postures.  Make sure you do both sides equally, and see if you can go a little deeper with each round, further opening the hips, the chest and the back.  Try to keep the face and shoulders relaxed and enjoy the slow rise of energy as you continue through this moving meditation.  Feel free to modify and add variations if you know them..maybe taking a few down dog splits, or adding in a couple strengthening Chaturangas.  I like to challenge myself by doing a few rounds with the back knee down and then finishing with the back knee lifted.

Surya Namaskar C

After you have finished, come back to Tadasana, close the eyes and breath deeply while enjoying the new feeling of warmth rushing through your body.  Finish off with a few reclined poses to calm your senses and guide you toward a restful sleep.  Lie down on your back and take a gentle bridge pose.  Keep in mind that back bends are very stimulating, though, so you may want to take it easy if its almost bedtime.  Bring the knees into the chest, squeezing the legs in to further press the air out as you exhale.  Take a gentle supine twist, a happy baby pose and then an inversion of your choice.  Again, headstands are a little more stimulating so shoulderstand is usually better in the evening.  If you are new to inversions, try scooting your hips toward the wall and then swinging your legs up while you lie back on the floor.  Place a pillow under your hips for a little elevation and maybe one under your head for comfort.  Finish off with Supta Baddha Konasana by lying back, bending the knees and placing the soles of the feet together.  If your hips are still feeling tight, place supports such as yoga blocks or blankets (even a large book would work) under your knees.  Stay for a few minutes and then rest in Savasana.

I know this seems like a lot of information, but it is actually a really simple sequence that can be as long or short as you desire.  Moving slowly in the evening will help center and calm you, but picking up the pace a bit in the morning will give you that energy boost you need to face the chilly morning air.  We have to more months till Spring...it seems like a lifetime.  But maybe instead of dreading every day and avoiding life, you can use the time indoors to develop your daily practice.  Like I said, start slowly....overwhelming yourself at first will cause you to burn out, but building up your practice a little at a time will likely build a desire to keep moving forward.