By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed
In the Northern
Hemisphere, it is quite common for Yoga practitioners to experience a downward
turn in their mood as the days continue to grow shorter and shorter. With the
brief amount of sunlight available to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere
during the heart of the winter, a drop in mood is quite common as serotonin
levels begin to diminish in the brain. Serotonin is one of the "feel
good" neurotransmitters in the brain that helps to keep your mood bright
and optimistic.
If your serotonin levels
drop in the winter due to a lack of sunlight, you may feel much less motivated
to accomplish your goals and your mood may be much more pessimistic than usual.
Chronically high levels of stress and anxiety can also substantially drop
serotonin levels in the brain. This can be especially true during the holiday
season. If you are overwhelmed, stressed, do not get enough exercise or sunlight;
you may experience a substantial drop in your mood over the next couple of
months.
If you choose to practice
Yoga several times a week, or even on a daily basis, you will improve you are
strength, flexibility and peace of mind. You will also improve your
cardiovascular fitness if the intensity level of your practice is in a moderate
aerobic range. Many aerobic forms of Yoga, such as Power Yoga, will raise your
heart rate substantially and help you to improve your strength and
cardiovascular fitness.
However, if anxiety and
stress are exacerbating symptoms of depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder,
incorporating Yin poses into your regular Yoga practice will help to balance
your nervous system, allow your body and mind to release stress and tension and
restore your vital life force energy. The practice of Yin Yoga poses is
substantially different than the practice of vigorous Power Yoga sequences. Yin
Yoga can be considered a softer, more passive and receptive form of Yoga.
The practice of Yin Yoga
utilizes the natural process of release and unfolding through the gravitational
pull on the body. Many Yin poses are practiced in a restorative fashion with
bolsters, blankets and blocks. These props help the body to unwind and release
stress and tension without strain. By incorporating Yin poses into your regular
Yoga practice, you will allow yourself to rest and unwind in a gentle fashion,
which will help to mitigate the effects of anxiety and stress on your body and
mind.
* Malasana or Garland
Pose
Malasana, or Garland Pose,
is very effective for increasing a sense of spaciousness in the front upper
torso, elongating in the Achilles' tendons and for stretching out the
shoulders, neck and lower back. If you are currently healing from a knee injury
or a lower back injury, please practice Garland Pose carefully. If practicing
Garland Pose causes you pain, please practice Cat-Cow or Extended Child's Pose
instead. Both of these poses will also stretch out the front of your torso,
neck, shoulders, and lower back. Garland Pose is usually practiced after a
series of Sun or Moon Salutations and standing asanas.
When you're ready to
practice Garland Pose, lower yourself into a squatting position on your Yoga
mat. Keep your knees hips' distance apart. Place your hands in Prayer Position
and apply slight pressure to the inside of your thighs. At the same time, apply
slight pressure to the outside of your elbows with your knees - If your
Achilles tendons are very tight today, place of rolled blanket underneath your
heels for support. In order to practice Malasana or Garland Pose in a Yin Yoga style, clasp your hands together and place them at the base of your
skull.
Gaze down at a point on
your Yoga mat just in front of your feet and keep your elbows pointing down.
Breathe deeply and fully, remembering to inhale and exhale smoothly and
completely. Do not actively pull on the back of your head, simply allow the
weight of gravity to release stress and tension throughout your neck, shoulders
and lower back. Hold this Yin-style Garland Pose for three to five breaths.
With your next inhale, release your hands and place them back into Prayer
Position. With your next exhale, release the pose and move gently into Extended
Child's Pose before continuing on with the rest of your Yoga practice.
Virginia
Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty
years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a Yoga and
health-related freelance writer and academic support specialist.
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