Stay warm, grounded, and energized in the dead of winter with these 3 simple warming meditations…

Winter can leave us feeling cold, stiff, and well, just “blah.” The good news is that you can beat the winter “blahs” by seeking activities that warm your body and uplift your spirit. Many forms of exercise are great for achieving this result – including yoga! Vigorous workouts will help to improve circulation, warm the body, and boost your energy. But if you’re just not feeling up to something intense, you can also opt for a more gentle flow that will still get your blood flowing and your muscles moving by stretching and activating all of your muscle groups.

You may not think of meditation as a warming activity, but in fact, this is another way to help you stay grounded, comforted, and cozy during the winter months.

These three simple warming meditations can help to energize your body and mind, connect you to your intuition, and give yourself some much-needed self-care!

1. Breath Temperature Meditation

Becoming aware of the warmth your own body generates can be both comforting and grounding in the winter. A very direct and simple way to do this is to focus on the temperature of the air that enters and leaves your body.

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As your lungs breathe in air from your environment, feel the cool air pass into your nostrils or over your tongue and into your throat. As you exhale, feel the air that your body warmed pass back out.

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2. Torso Body Scan with Kidney Focus

Bringing mindful attention to the sensations of the torso helps you to appreciate and even amplify your own body heat. To carry out a seated torso body scan, feel your breath move into the lower belly and open receptively to the sensations there. Gradually move the awareness of the breath and sensations up through the torso. To intensify the sensations and warmth of this experience, place one or both hands over the area where you are focusing awareness. Feel the warmth where your hands meet your torso and send warm, loving energy inward with your hands.

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3. Hot Tea Meditation

Mindfully drinking hot tea is both a warming and centering practice… You can carry out your own simple version of a tea meditation by bringing mindfulness to each movement and stage of the tea making and drinking process. You can make tea for yourself or enjoy it with a friend. Try one or both of the brief meditations above prior to, during, or after a tea ceremony.

Choose a time and space, arrange the materials carefully, and brew the tea. Once your tea has brewed, pause to hold the warm cup and experience the heat seeping into your hands. Smell the tea, sip it slowly, and feel the warm liquid enter your body…

Read full instructions for each meditation at YogaBasics.com…