If you live anywhere where temperatures start dropping below 60 degrees Fahrenheit in October, you understand how hard it can be to get moving when the air temperature is too cold for comfort. Over the years of my own home practice I have developed several methods to cope with the lower temperatures that I wanted to share.
Add heat
While I am not an advocate for ”hot yoga”, I am an advocate for making the room where you are practicing a bit warmer to help get movement started. In the warmer months, you are probably naturally practicing in temperatures around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, so getting the room slightly warmer will help you fee more comfortable and motivate you to move. Half the battle in the winter months is actually getting the motivation to move since lying under a blanket with a roaring fire sounds so much more inviting!
I use a space heater at home to do this, but if you have a fireplace, that would be a lovely option.
Dress in Layers, Remove as Needed
Especially on the coldest of winter mornings, I dress in my usual yoga attire and then add long socks and a sweatshirt, but depending on how cold you are a hat and maybe gloves might be necessary. I take my socks off at the last minute before I start practicing, but you could leave them on. I always advise removing socks to practice as it gives you more connection to the floor, which strengthens the mind to muscle connection in your brain, but we can make exceptions when it comes down to moving with socks or not moving at all!
As your practice progresses, you will likely begin to get warmer and want to remove the sweatshirt and anything else you have on - or maybe not! That’s the best part, you can now control your temperature a bit easier.
Set a Cozy Atmosphere
A warm, cozy room sounds much more inviting than a cold, dark room - so let’s create that cozy atmosphere! I like to use a candle or two and low-level lighting if it’s still dark outside to make my room feel special. You could also light that fire if you have a fireplace, put on some music that makes you want to move, or maybe you have a cool lamp that sets a calming tone for your space that you can turn on.
Check out my cozy Instagram reel to give you an idea of how I set up my space.
What tricks do you use to get yourself moving in the colder weather? Leave me a comment below - I’d love to hear your ideas!
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