Home yoga Colder Weather Disrupting Your At-Home Yoga Routine? Here Are Ways to Kickstart Your Practice

Colder Weather Disrupting Your At-Home Yoga Routine? Here Are Ways to Kickstart Your Practice

by Marianne Navada
yoga at home practice

As the weather got colder and  the threat of an evacuation loomed because of the fires in Southern California, I found myself missing a few days of practice. I went from five times a week, to three, and then one. 

Bad patches happen. It helps to develop ways that kickstart your yoga (or any exercise) and get your groove back quicker. These are my go-to when I fall off my regular yoga practice at home, from weather changes to life events. 

Finding the Right Temperature 

  • Hot Tea: heating up the body internally gets me moving. Although I’m careful not to drink too much or risk having a yoga session interrupted by bathroom breaks. 
  • Space Heater:  I don’t practice with it on, but I find that if I turn it on either next to me or my yoga spot, I get energized. 
  • Hot Shower: it might seem counterintuitive, but taking a hot shower before and wearing my yoga clothes right after gets me to unroll my mat and practice. 

Mindset

  • Small Goals: I aim for a really short yoga session, usually 15 minutes. Most of the time though, I end up doing more than 30 minutes and a full practice. The initial hurdle gets lifted and the flow happens.
  • Start Slowly and with the Tightest Spots: my wrists and shoulders are usually my tightest areas, so I start with simple shoulder openers and warming up my wrists. This helps me settle in and I start feeling good right away, since they are so tight to begin with. These are similar to movements I would do if arriving early to a yoga class.
  • Have a Reward Ready: whether it’s food or something to pamper yourself, give yourself a reward. Every time I do yoga, I actually reward myself. I only use my favorite Saje lotion whenever I do yoga. I stick to this rule and I just feel accomplished and good about myself every time I use it, knowing I earned it.  

Create a Mood 

  • Wear Your Yoga Clothes: Just wear them, even if today might not be the day you kickstart your practice. 
  • Music: If you’re working from home or doing chores, play music that moves you. You’ll soon realize you’re doing some simple stretches, and pretty soon, you’re in a forward fold. 
  • Videos: play a yoga class on YouTube or if you have a subscription, have it on. Here’s a confession. I have subscriptions to workout apps, and I don’ just use them to workout, but as motivation. I have videos playing in the background sometimes when I’m folding clothes and doing housework or working.  
  • Roll Out Your Mat: if you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated yoga space, just put your mat down, sit, and see what happens.