Backbends to Beat the Winter Blues

Winter is well on its way and I'm sure like us, you will start to feel the urge to go into a weary and dreary  hibernation mode. As it suggests in Patajali Yoga Sutras, when faced with not so positive states of the mind and body, it is best to do the opposite! When our shoulders are up by our ears with cold, chests and hearts closing, and the body is feeling heavy with the cold dampness of the rain........ the best energising, heating, heart opening, sun shining pose is a backbend!

​Top Benefits of backbend
-Improve Posture
Backbends open the shoulders and chest, a regular practice can greatly improve your posture. If you work at a computer all day, you are more than lightly to be rounding your shoulders and curving forwards, a back bend will help counteract the harmful effects of this.
-Improve your breathing
 Once our chest starts to open, there is more space created for our lungs, allowing for deeper breathing and thus more oxygen flow through the body. 
- Improve your mood
Back bends get your blood pumping and heart racing, it warms and energises the whole body. In Yogic Philosophy our Chakras (energy centres) are located on the front of the spine, when we bend back, all of there energy centres are activated. In particular the Anahata Chakra (where we hold our emotions and give and receive love). This is we why often hear the term opening the heart.

So in these gloomy winter months or if your feeling in need of some feel good energy add some invigorating, energising backbends to your day!