To help deal with the current wet weather pattern, I’ve decided to re-purpose an earlier post called’Rainy Day Practice’. Do poses from this sequence to help alleviate that pesky condition called S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder). The program below is designed to generate heat,  dry out internals organs and put a smile on your face.

Masked Lapwings in the Wetlands

Keeping up dampened spirits

We’ve been experiencing the wettest weather we’ve had in a very long time. This June, I’ve measured 150 mm of rain and the month still has a ways to go.

The weather forecasters have been predicting even more wet gloom for next week, too.

When conditions have been wet for a period of time, it gets to you. Your clothes won’t dry, your house smells damp and you may even begin to feel your body becoming heavy with dampness.

What can a yoga practitioner do to keep her spirits up and to maintain optimum health?

A specialised rainy day yoga practice

Here’s a yoga practice that will create balanced energy, enhance your mood, and eliminate excess dampness from your inner organs. It’s a strong practice so make sure that you respect your body’s limits. You may want to adapt some poses.  For instance, do the abdominal exercises with bent legs.

I’ve used the Sanskrit words (the language of yoga!) for the names of the poses. These can always be referenced in various textbooks, i.e., Light on Yoga, by BKS Iyengar.

Warm-up phase

Do any of the lying down abdominal exercises in Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. These are the poses in the Abdominal/Digestive section that will serve to warm up your internal organs and strengthen your core!

Dynamic:

Adho Mukha Svanasana to Adho Mukha Virasana x 6

Step-back lunges x 6, Tadasana/Uttanasana/Lunge/Adho Mukha Svanasana/Lunge/Uttanasana, Tadasana

Then, integrate the following standing poses with lunges:

Trikonasana

Parsvottanasana

Prasarita Padottanasana

More abdominal exercises:

Legs on wall at 60 degrees, raise legs to vertical x 6

Lying down, knees bent at a right angle, feet on wall, hands clasped behind head, “crunches” x 5

Dolphin Pose

Preparation for Sirsasana or classical version of Sirsasana

Setu Bhandasana Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana

Halasana

Cool-down phase

Ardha Jatara Parivartanasana

Chair Bharadavajasana

Chair, standing marichyasana

Paschimottanasana

Marichyasana 3

Viparita Karani, 5-10 minutes

Savasana, 5-10 minutes

Bhastrika pranayama