Yoga Poses for nourishing our Yin energy in Winter.

Winter is the season of Yin energy, it is a time to nurture and nourish from within. It’s time to let our Yang senses settle and create more time and space to bring our Yin elements to the forefront. This nourishment is aimed at keeping our internal organs, particularly in winter our kidney energy and Jing well reserved and far away from depletion.

According to TCM winter is associated with our Kidney organ and our Water element. Our water element is responsible for cultivating the fluidity within our bodies, the liquid quality of water embodies flexibility and force. It’s adaptive nature that reads within us, allows us to move around obstacles, always able to forge a new path ahead. Freely moving with the flow of life. 

Our water element and our season of winter is the essence of our Yin energy. The still, quiet and dark nature of it’s energy see’s us turning inward for nurturing during these cooler months. During this time of reflection and nurturing we see a time for transformation and growth. For renewal and restoration. 

Butterfly: 3-5 Minutes
Begin in a seated position slightly elevated on a folded blanket to lengthen through your spine. Bringing the soles of your feet together to touch, let the knees drop out wide. Send your heels further away from your pelvis to create a longer diamond shape with your legs. This broadens the experience for the inner thighs and the Kidney Meridian that travels here. Fold forward until your body’s first point of resistance (a feeling of stretch or tension) and allow your body to relax into the fold. It can be helpful to rest your forehead or chest on a bolster or block in order to find a sense of release and ease.

To exit the shape, inhale and slowly roll yourself back up to your seat. Pause a few moments in a neutral position to allow your body time to absorb the nourishment along your inner thighs. I often say, don’t move until you’ve watched any lingering sensation settle.

Modification: If folding forward here is not available to you for any reason, find a Reclined Butterfly to achieve the same stimulation and nourishment.

Wide Leg forward fold: 3-5 Minutes Begin in a seated position with a folded blanket underneath your sit bones. Open your legs as wide as they are willing to go – far enough open that you feel sensation along the inner thighs. If your hamstrings are tight, feel free to bend your knees and support the joints with a rolled or folded blanket. Hinge forward from your hips and relax. I recommend a prop, like a bolster, to bring the earth closer to you. Find relaxation here.

To exit slowly walk your hands back towards your pelvis and roll to your seat. Pause and allow sensation to settle. When you draw your legs back towards one another use the help of your hands to guide you.

Modification: You can find Dragonfly lying on your back with your legs up the wall if folding forward is not available to your for any reason.

Half Saddle: 3 – 5 Minutes Right and Left
Begin seated with your legs long out in front of you. Beginning with your right leg, draw your heel towards your outer hip. We are looking for sensation in the quadriceps and are stimulating our Kidney Meridian as it flows along our lumbar spine and perhaps along the inner thigh. This shape can be intense on our knees, so move slowly. If you feel sensation immediately, stay seated upright. As your body allows you may lean back onto your elbows or back body. The addition of the bolster under the length of your spine can offer a great amount of support.

To exit Half Saddle ground your palms next to your sides, softly engage your belly and press your self to your seat with your chin tucked towards your chest. After a pause here, shift your weight to your opposite hip to re-extend your right leg. Repeat with the left.

Modification: Saddle does not work for everyone. An alternative is a side lying quad stretch. Additionally, Sphinx Pose targets the same area of our Kidney Meridian and is accessible to most everyone.

Spinal Twists: 3-5 Minutes Right and Left
Roll to your back body. Bend at your knees and bring the soles of your feet to the floor. On an exhalation, melt your knees to the right. If your knees are hovering above the ground place a bolster or blanket there to support your weight. This also helps if you have any low back sensitivity. Here we are targeting our Kidney and UB Meridians along both sides of our spine and our torso.

To switch sides, softly engage your belly to draw your legs back through centre and melt them to the opposite side. Take any props you used with you.

Savasana
Following your spinal twists, let yourself drop heavy into the floor. Relax your body and mind into ease, absorbing the nourishment of the practice and the calming effect of deliberate rest. Savasana is the most nourishing and significant posture of them all, I urge you to stay here for at least 3 minutes.