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12 Yoga Tips for the Winter Blues
The case of the winter blues often means symptoms of prolonged stress and fatigue and for millions of adults in America, the winter blues can be clinically severe. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs in the winter, caused by the lack of sunlight.
As someone with SAD, I all too well understand the lethargy and feelings of hopelessness that start to sink in after daylight savings. I have come to find that incorporating yoga in all aspects of my day helps to manage SAD symptoms and promotes self-awareness, acceptance, and contentment. I even use yoga tools to signal to my body what time of day it is.
Here are my yoga tips for managing Seasonal Affective Disorder:
1) Start the day with yoga. When I wake up confused because it’s still dark outside, I find it helpful to get the blood flowing to ease into the day. Even doing a single sun salutation offers an extra boost in the morning that goes really well with my coffee.
2) Move in lit spaces. If there is a room in the house that gets a bit of light during the day, try to do your practice in that room during that time. Or practice near a sun lamp if you have one.
3) Remember, getting on your mat is half the work. Come up with ways to motivate yourself to commit to your practice — especially when those…
