4 Yoga Asanas To Fight Away Winter Blues Or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
With the change in season, some people feel internal disturbances and imbalances in the body that correspond with depressive symptoms known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. These mood changes or swings can sometimes turn out to be more serious, affecting how a person thinks and behaves. Usually, SAD symptoms begin in the autumn or early winter and resolve during spring or summer, called winter depression.
The symptoms of SAD are characterized by seasonal patterns and last for about 4-5 months of the year. Some of the common signs and symptoms that one might observe in those dealing with SAD include:
- Anxiousness, sadness, or empty mood
- Easily agitated and irritable
- Feeling slowed down or lacking energy
- Difficulties relating to others
- Oversleeping
- Changes in appetite, particularly cravings for carbs
- Hypersensitivity to rejection
- A heavy, "leaden" feeling in the arms or legs
- Weight gain
Yoga is an excellent adjunct to traditional treatments for several mental health issues. If you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder, yoga can aid you in making you feel better by improving your mood, reducing stress build-up, and improving your sleep pattern.
4 Yoga Asana to Fight the Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder
One of the natural ways to deal with seasonal affective disorder or other types of depression is yoga. Yoga works on taming the mind towards mindfulness and consciousness. Let’s practice the following yoga poses to combat SAD:
1. Cat-cow pose (Chakravakasana)
Cat-cow pose involves a gentle breathing flow between two poses that warms the body and calms the mind by relieving stress. This is why it’s a must-practice winter exercise.
How to do it?
- Begin on your hands and knees in table pose (your wrists just under your shoulders and your knees exactly under your hips). Keep your knees and shins hip-width apart. Lower your eyes while maintaining a neutral head alignment.
- Start with the cow pose: Inhale as you lower your belly to the mat. Raise your chest, lift your head and chin, draw your shoulders away from your ears, and look up to the ceiling.
- Assume the Cat Pose: Draw your tummy to your spine and curve your back outwards as you exhale. The position ought to resemble a cat stretching out its back.
- Continue flowing back and forth from cat pose to cow pose. Repeat 4-5 times.
Benefits:
- Promotes mental stability
- Release tension and stiffness in your muscles
- Improves focus
- Promotes overall body coordination
- Improves blood circulation across the body
2. Child Pose (Balsasana)
Child pose improves your breathing and in turn, helps to relax and unwind your body especially when you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
How to do it?
- Sit on your knees and kneel.
- Rest your buttocks against your heels and lean forward.
- Allow your back to relax and extend your arms to bring them by your side.
- Lower your forehead to the mat.
- Hold this pose for 5-10 breaths.
Benefits:
- Calms the mind and promotes relaxation
- Improves concentration and focus
- Reduces anxiety
- Reduces body fatigue
- Increase blood flow to the head and neck region
3) Tree Yoga Pose (Vrikshasana)
Vrikshasana pose helps to maintain body balance by replicating the steady stance of a tree and thus helps reduce the stress hormone levels (cortisol) in the body.
How to do it?
- Stand straight and keep a one-foot distance between the legs.
- Flex your right knee and keep your right foot up on the left thigh. The sole of the right foot should be positioned flat and firm near the root of the left thigh.
- Ensure that your left leg is straight. Keep in balance.
- Take a deep breath and raise your arms over your head from the side. Join your palms in Namaste mudra (a hand-folded position).
- Look with a steady gaze in front of you and maintain a steady balance.
- With slow exhalation, gently bring down your hands from the sides.
- Repeat the same with the alternate leg.
Benefits:
- Calms the nervous system
- Brings about a sense of tranquility and relaxation
- Improves the sense of body movements, action, and coordination between nerves and muscles.
- Improves concentration
4. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Mountain pose facilitates the development of strength, serenity, and a sense of empowerment. This is an amazing asana to balance the mind and beat the winter blues.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet slightly apart with weight balanced equally on both feet.
- With each inhalation, lengthen your spine and try to reach the crown of your head by raising your arms in an upward direction.
- Raise your heels and step onto your toes to progressively shift your weight. Try to maintain equilibrium while remaining still.
- Breathe and stay in the pose for 20 seconds.
- Exhale and release your arms and feet to come back to the starting position.
- Perform this pose 2-3 times.
Benefits:
- Boost mental strength
- Activates the entire body’s nerves
- Removes lethargy from the body
- Promotes overall body awareness and mental clarity
- Improves blood circulation across the body
Yoga is a natural way to strengthen and heal not only your physical body but also your mental well-being. You are advised to spend at least 30 minutes a day practicing yoga, which is a great supplement for mental health conditions. Also, consider arming your mood with exercise, meditation, a healthy lifestyle, a regular sleep schedule, and a nutritious diet. Always consult your healthcare provider for diagnosis and therapy if you believe you may have SAD or depression.
You can seek further help on this topic from our Sports Medicine Specialist at Ask a Doctor-24X7
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Disclaimer: Information provided on this page is not intended to substitute for proper medical advice provided by your healthcare professional. This is only for informational purposes.
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