Winter, you are one cold *itch!

Hello World!!  And by that I mean internet world, not entire world world. I'm sure the entire world is doing something much more productive than sitting at the computer...here's hoping anyway. Welcome back to my blog, or welcome for the first time if you're a first timer! Sorry I have not written in a while, but the end of the year always tends to get a bit busy, and chaotic, and honky grandma be trippin' and all. Today's post is going to be about how to keep warm during this very cold season. I admit that I do live in gorgeous California, and granted  I will say that yes, I am spoiled and a baby and I should shut my mouth about how cold this season can be...
                      but I'm not really one to shut my mouth...soooo here we are. 

During this holodious time of the year (holiday time of year...I'm pretty confidant that holodious is not a word) (but it probably should be) our temperature tends to lower and consequently we are forced to pursue our day to day activities during this very frigid climate. I've talked to a couple of people who have reacted to this change is a great deal of physiological anxiety, and have said that they have actually acquired more injuries in their joints and muscles and various other places because of activity in such cold weather. I've come to learn that this is because our bodies act kind of like a rubber band; if its cold it can be really brittle, but if its warmed up it can be flexible and great source of strength.  So if for instance you work outside in the cold  (I'm looking at you contract workers and farmers), your body comes brittle and stiff  when you arrive at a job site. As you begin your work day and move around busily, your stiff body may be jeopardizing its parts because your muscles are hypothetically jumping from 0 to 60 and you my friend are not a Lamborghini. (to all you Transformers out there reading my blog, please disregard that last analogy, but do process my intended piont).

I'd like to offer a yogic remedy to this chilling dilemma, if I may be so bold. Warming up your body before you go out into the cold seems to make a lot of sense to me, therefore I suggest doing a couple rounds of Sun Salutations to wake up your body.  Not only do the Salutation get synovial fluid moving and the lubricants in your joints more juicy, they also stretch and strengthen just about all the parts of your body that are used during mobility.  AND they wake up your mind, and get the blood pumping, and bring an overall feeling of ease and alertness at the end.  Not too shabs.

. Below is a quaint example of me doing the Sun Salutation C. The footage may look a little cheap, chances are that's because it is, but the  general gist of the flow like sequence is there. 

I'd like highlight a couple of things about Sun Salutation C:

1.  Learn how to breathe during this rhythmic flow.  Inhale float the arms up, exhale bend forward. Inhale come half way up, exhale down. A good rule of thumb about moving with your breath is that if you are opening up, or expressing yourself then you would do it on an inhale. If you are folding in, or pulling yourself into yourself then you would do it on an exhale. You'll get the hang of this pattern after some practice.
2.  Notice the alignment/placement of your pelvis and tailbone. Try to keep them in a natural position; this might require you pulling your tailbone down during the low lunge or moving your pelvis around in the beginning to feel what seems natural for you. Wherever you land, pay attention to what you're feeling and refine the position as you see fit. 
3. Try to start slow, and gently progress to go a little faster after each cycle.  
4. Having fun with this! Do about 6 cycles, and enjoy each unique one for what it can offer you. The point of the Sun Salutation is to wake up the body, connect this woken up body with the mind, and all along allow the breath to take center stage for your focus.  Try to keep these points in mind instead of trying to rush through each cycle to arrive at some theorized goal. There is no goal...there is just IS.

So there you have it. Try practicing Sun Salutation C to bring some heat to your cold winter, and hey if you have time why not throw in some other poses if the mood strikes ;). I think you'll find that its actually quite easy to generate heat on cold days, your joints will thank you, and you may walk away feeling more energized and light.

Till next time lil yogi friends. Happy Holidays Everyone! Namaste to all and to all a good night! 
-Roxy