Embracing Spring's Chill: Overcoming Spring Blues (SAD) with Yoga Asanas, Breathwork, and Meditation May 3 2026
- rockbriarfarm
- May 2
- 3 min read
Our calendars have been telling us it has been spring for over a month now. As is typical in New England, many days still feel like winter. In fact, damp, dreary “spring” days can feel worse than a sunny, snowy winter day! At least during the winter months, we have holidays, hot chocolate and decorations! As winter wears on, the malaise sets in and we begin to anxiously look for signs of spring. I am always deceived by the early snow drops and crocus, the peeper frogs and the occasional unseasonably warm day. Then the dreary, rainy cold days come back, and I find myself digging flannel pajamas out of my “put away” boxes, wearing heavy socks and spending more afternoons reading or cooking than gardening.
My husband asked me today why he feels so cold when it is spring! I have heard this term called “winter whiplash” which makes so much sense. We get a tease of sunny days only to be yanked back to the doldrums with a dreary, wet day. While scientists do not know why the low light of winter causes us to feel low, we do know that shorter, darker days bring on seasonal depression. Add daylight savings time in March to the already dreary weather, and additional irritation from lack of sleep can arise.
So, while we wait for consistently warmer, sunnier days, what do we do to feel better? Lean into our practice of course! Exercise (the asanas) can help improve mood by boosting serotonin and dopamine, reducing stress hormones and increasing endorphins. Regular exercise can also help combat lethargy and increase energy levels. While we may drag ourselves to our mat, there is no doubt that after our practice we feel energized and happier.
The added benefits of yoga versus other forms of exercise are breath work and meditative aspects. Breath practices like Kapalbhati (Skull Shining Breath) and Nadishodhana (Alternate Nasal Breathing) are both beneficial combatting the blues. Kapalbhati is invigorating and can boost energy and clear mental fog while Nadishodhana helps balance the nervous system and promotes a sense of calm. Meditation can help shift our focus from negative thoughts and help nurture a sense of inner peace. I often find the most success with meditation when I try a short 5 or 10 minutes of guided meditation or mindfulness, especially if I am doing it alone rather than a group setting.
This week we will practice some heart opening and cleansing twists to counter any lingering winter blues and invite the spring sunshine in with sun salutations. We will also try flowering lotus pose to invoke the beautiful spring flowers that are blooming everywhere.
For more on meditation and breathwork I hope you find the following helpful.
This YouTube video by the Mindful Movement is a wonderful 5-minute guided meditation. They have many more options on their site.
I have expressed my challenge with pranayama in prior blogs. While researching this topic, I watched many videos and tried various techniques. I found a bit more confidence after my research and practice and look forward to continuing the practice. The video following closely resembles the way I learned Kapalbhati but I learned a very helpful tip watching this instructor. She explains to not worry about the inhale which I found extremely helpful-it happens naturally. Previously, I got hung up on the rapidity of the inhales and exhales and found this tip very helpful.
I love this simple video demonstrating Nadishodhana.
Meditating on Spring – Daffodils by William Wordsworth
Every year during spring I turn to this lovely poem that I first learned as a child. I love how Wordsworth confesses that during darker times (perhaps winter) he imagines the beautiful fields of joyful flowers. One of my meditation focal points is envisioning fields of blooming spring flowers, and this poem certainly invokes them.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company:
gazed ‘and gazed' but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
See you on the mat,
Namaste,
Julia Anne
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