Beating the Cold: How Yoga Can Help Generate Body Heat

Yoga offers a number of practices that can be used to combat cold weather and beat the winter blues. One of the most effective ways is to do Suryanamaskar, Agnisar kriya, and pranayama in the morning and Agni Kriya and Swana pranayama in the evening. These practices help to energize and vitalize both the body and mind, generating heat within.

Suryanamaskar, also known as Sun Salutation, is a series of 12 asanas that are combined to make half a round of the practice. It is a scientifically designed combination of poses that includes forward-backward bending and manipulation of the spine. It stretches all muscles in the legs and arms, targets the digestive-endocrine system, and activates the thyroid glands, all of which stimulates and awakens heat and energy within. Doing 24 poses makes one full round.

It is important to combine the practice with breath control. For example, the first five rounds can be done with a series of inhalation and exhalation in each pose. The next five rounds can be done with holding the breath within. With practice, one can even do 48 poses in one breath. This helps remove blockages in the flow of blood, improves respiration, and clears the way for prana, the vital life force, to flow easily in the whole body.

Yoga can also help to remove blockages in the flow of blood, improve respiration, and clear the way for prana, the vital life force, to flow easily in the whole body. Spiritually, it awakens the sun within and stimulates energy, heat within. When done dynamically, it can make a person sweat profusely even in severe cold.