Feeling Gloomy? Here's A Yoga Sequence To Cheer You Up

For many of us, winter is a time of darkness and cold, which can infiltrate our emotions and mood. If we habitually look to external factors to bring us happiness, we could be left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled. While feeling optimistic about life may seem challenging sometimes, it is important to remember that it is your perspective and perception that shapes your experiences and that you are still in control of your actions, and you have the power to change how you feel.

Now more than ever, personal practices to find peace are invaluable. Now is an important time to get out your yoga mat and connect to the light within. Cultivating the energy of the sun will uplift and energize you, enabling you to tap into your inner light so that you have a more positive outlook about your life and the world around you.

Inhale deeply, arms reaching high, and pause the breath at the top, hooking the thumbs above the head. For as long as the mind remains calm, retain the breath; bring the awareness to the heart center. When you are ready, release the breath, lowering the arms, and take a few deep breaths here, tuning in to the sensation.

Next, try this breathing practice, which energizes the Pingala nadi, which is associated with the sun, the energizing force of nature. Close the eyes and imagine your whole being filled with radiant light from the sun's rays as you sit tall. A feeling of inner vibrancy through every part of you. Breathe deeply. Place your left hand on your left thigh and lift your right hand with the second and third fingers tucked in toward the palm. Breathe out through the mouth and in through the right side as you close the left nostril with the ring finger; now breathe out through the left nostril as you close the right nostril with the thumb. Repeat, breathing in through the right, closing the left, and breathing out through the left, closing the right.

Keep going with this pattern, and if you want to you can establish a one-to-two ratio, so you breathe in for four and out for eight, breathing in through the right and out through the left each time. Continue for a minute or so. Finish off exhaling through the left and lower the hand down.