Monsoons Making You Lazy? 5 Easy Asana’s To Lift Your Mood

Ah, monsoon! The smell of wet mud, grey skies and misty air. The kind of weather that makes you want to stay in bed all day. 

As beautiful as the monsoons make everything, they play havoc on our fitness routines. Morning runs are replaced by snoozed alarms, yoga classes are skipped for simmering cups of chai, and gym sessions are traded for binge sessions in bed.

But have you ever wondered why you turn into a sloth the moment the rains set in? 

Don’t blame yourself for being lazy, there’s science at play!

When it rains, the air gets dense and heavy with the extra water vapour, which lowers the air pressure, causing a relative decrease in its oxygen content. This lowered oxygen causes our brain to slack and we feel slow, low and lethargic.

Additionally, the monsoon also increases humidity, which makes the body work harder to main homeostasis. This may leave you feeling lazy and sleepy.

The next time you’re struggling to get moving on a rainy day, perform these easy-to-do asanas and seize the day.

1. Head to Knee Pose (Janushirasana): Great for starting out your workout after some light warmup, the Janushirsana thrives on how simple it is to pull off. Start by sitting with both legs in the forward direction, and pull your left leg back, so that the heel is as close the pelvis as you can manage. Breathe out, and bend forward with your upper body, and try to touch the head to your right knee, while gripping your toes with both hands. Hold for 10 seconds, and change the leg. It will massively improve your core strength and stamina and get the blood flowing through your body again
   
   
   
   " Natasha on our PUre Align yoga mat
   
   
2. Upward Facing Dog Pose (Urdhvamukhasvanasana): The upward facing dog pose is one of the simplest, but most effective yoga poses. Simply lie down on your stomach on a yoga mat, place both hands in line with head with your elbows pointed up, and push your upper body towards the sky. Lift your hips, knees, thighs and torso off the mat, engage your core and pull your shoulders away from your ears. Urdhvamukhasvanasana engages your core, back and shoulders, awakening the larger muscle groups and improving circulation of blood between various organs. 
   
   " Juhie in an upward facing dog on our PUre Align yoga mat. For more about her practice click here
   
   
3. Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana): The cow face pose is an unusual one, and one of the simpler yoga poses, that is nonetheless very effective at waking up your arms, calves and back muscles from their rain-caused lethargy. Sit upright on a yoga mat, and slide your right foot under the left knee until it reaches the outside out the left hip. Place your other leg on top of this one, and push as far back as comfortable. Now, extend your right arm, and bend it downwards so that it touches the back. Simultaneously, extend your left arm from below, and try and grip your arms together. Hold this pose for 10 - 15 breaths, before releasing, and repeating for the other side.
   
   
   
   " Urja holding a Gomukhasana on her Autumn Yoga Mat. For more about her practice click here
   
   
4. Warrior Pose (Virbhadrasana): This set of 3 poses is the ultimate full-body yoga sequence. With just 3 variations it targets every major muscle in your body, all while being easily doable for practitioners with little or no experience. Stand in the centre of the yoga mat, facing the longer side, and separate your legs to distance of about 1.2 – 1.5 m. Turn your upper body to face one direction. The foot facing forward should be kept parallel to the long edge of the yoga mat. Turn your other foot by 90 degrees facing inward, so that it is perpendicular to the long edge. Kneel forward on your knee, while keeping your upper body perpendicular to the ground. Then attempt the three variations.
1. Virbhadrasana (Warrior) 1: Join both arms above the head
2. Virbhadrasana (Warrior) 2: Extend both arms to the sides
3. Virbhadrasana (Warrior) 3: Turn your body to face the longer side of the mat, and extend both arms above your legs
   
   
   " Iona teaching her students Warrior 1 in our recycled Yoga Wear
   
   
5. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana): An excellent relaxation pose, that nonetheless keeps your body active and ready, is the fish king pose. Sit comfortably on your yoga mat with both legs stretched forward, and place your palms beside your hips. Fold your left knee and slide the foot under the right thigh until it is underneath the right hip. Bend your right knee above the folded leg, keeping and angle at your knee. Tuck the leg behind the left knee, and grip the right ankle with your left hand. Place your right hand behind you, as far as you can reach, and stretch your spine as much as comfortable. Hold for about 10 seconds before repeating with the other side. By giving a lateral stretch you energise the spine, just what you need on gloomy days.
   
   " Sahiba in an assisted Ardha Matsyendrasana on our PUre Couture Mat

We’ve chosen these specific asanas because they can be performed by everyone, at any time, using little or no equipment and needing little or no prior experience with yoga.

The next time you’re feeling slow or low, try these 5 easy asanas for 10 - 20 breaths each and feel your monsoon blues chased away!