Winter Yoga Practices to Stay Warm and Energized

POV: You’re waking up 30 minutes earlier than normal to warm up the car. Your front stoop is a haven for muddy, icy slosh. Oh, and the driveway needs plowing! While the chill may feel cozy for some, the drop in temperature can also bring about sluggishness, stiffness and a general sense of "cocooning." But fear not! While the outside world may be wrapped in layers of ice, your body can be warmed from the inside out through movement. It’s time to unwrap your winter blues and turn up the heat on your practice.

Yoga isn’t just for sunny days and beach vibes — winter is the perfect time to take your practice a little deeper, fueling your body with energy and vitality. In this chilly season, the key is to focus on poses that increase circulation, open the heart and keep your muscles engaged and warm. Let’s dive into a few cozy yet energizing tips to help you stay warm, balanced and centered during the cold months.

Sun Salutations – The Ultimate Winter Warm-Up

When it's cold outside, it’s essential to fire up your practice from the get-go. Enter the glorious Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar), the sequence designed to warm, energize and align.

Each round of Sun Salutations includes a combination of forward folds, backbends and lunges, promoting blood circulation and bringing warmth to every inch of your body. Don’t rush through them: take your time to savor each movement and notice how the energy shifts as you flow from one posture to the next. The rhythmic breathing (Ujjayi breath) will help you create internal heat, like a tiny furnace stoking your inner flames.

Pro Tip: Supercharge your practice by adding a few rounds of Sun Salutations A and B back to back. You’ll feel the warmth radiate through your body like a blanket of sunshine.

Heart-Opening Poses for Vitality

Winter can sometimes feel like it invites us into hibernation. But, let’s be real — hibernation is overrated. You need to feel open, expansive and alive, not lethargic and closed off!

Heart-opening poses like Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana), and Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) are perfect for bringing energy into the upper body and opening the chest. These postures stretch the heart and lungs, allowing fresh oxygen to circulate while awakening a sense of spaciousness and vitality. They also boost your mood, which is especially important when the days get short and dark.

Pro Tip: If you’re feeling extra cold, try adding a blanket under your hips in Bridge Pose to keep your body supported while still allowing your chest to open.

Incorporate Twists for Detox and Circulation

 This gentle movement between cat and cow poses helps stimulate blood flow and gently massages the internal organs, improving digestion and relieving tension.

How to Do It: Start on your hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Inhale to drop your belly (Cow), then exhale to round your spine (Cat). Repeat several times with slow, deep breaths. 

Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Try a Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) or Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) to keep your spine healthy and mobile while stimulating your internal organs. Twisting poses also help release built-up tension in the shoulders and hips, areas that can get extra tight when the temperature drops.

The best part? Twists can help stimulate digestion and detoxify your body. This is especially useful after enjoying an extra cup of cocoa or a tasty holiday meal.

Breathe Deeply – Cultivate Your Inner Flame

Winter is a season of slowing down, hibernation and reflection. But that doesn’t mean your energy has to slow down too. Yoga teaches us to cultivate prana (vital life force) through deep breathing.

During your practice, focus on the Ujjayi breath (“victorious breath”) to help regulate your internal energy and increase heat. Breathing deeply and consciously can help you maintain warmth throughout your session and keep your spirit from feeling the winter blues.

The Power of Community in Winter

Winter can sometimes feel isolating. But here’s the thing: one of the most powerful ways to stay warm and energized is through community — and that’s where the magic of Humble Warrior Power Yoga comes in.

When you’re surrounded by like-minded souls, you create a collective energy that amplifies your practice and keeps you motivated. Whether it's sharing a laugh before class, connecting with a friend in a deep stretch or simply feeling the warmth of the group around you, community adds an extra layer of warmth to your yoga practice.

So, when the winter blues start to creep in, remember that Humble Warrior is here to help keep you grounded, inspired and supported. After all, we’re all stronger together—especially when the cold wind is blowing outside! 

Join Us and Elevate Your Practice

Ready to give it a go? We offer a variety of hot yoga classes at our Manchester, Exeter and Bedford locations. Prefer a little less heat? We got you. Explore our unheated offerings at the newly expanded Manchester studio. However you choose to move is cool with us.