Winter Yoga in Provence : my selection of yoga poses
Updated: Jun 28
Yoga poses to practice in winter and vocabulary - Discover my favorite poses.
I have been a yoga teacher for children for 3 years. For a year and a half, I have also been training as an adult yoga teacher. I am offering you today a session that we can share during your immersion in Provence, by our side. If yoga is not your thing, I hope this article will help you learn some vocabulary that will be useful to you
I always start the session with a breath.
I. Yoga Poses to practice in Winter: My favourite poses (yoga in Winter in Provence)
1. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama: alternate breathing (yoga in Winter in Provence)
What are the benefits of Nadi Shodhana? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
It balances the left and right hemispheres. It also helps to harmonize the nervous system.
How to do it? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
You position your right hand in front of your face. Your index and middle finger are between your eyebrows, at the level of the 3rd eye. You will use your thumb to close the right nostril and the ring finger to close the left nostril.
You start by inhaling through both nostrils. Then you exhale to the left, blocking the right nostril. Then you inhale on the left until 2 (your right nostril is blocked). You do a full retention of 6, then exhale through the right nostril, blocking the left nostril this time, counting to 4. If the rhythm does not suit you, I invite you to adapt it. Then you repeat the operation as long as you wish.
What points to contract? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
I invite you to converge your eyes towards the skull, to turn your tongue against the palate and to contract the bottom (yes, yes) in order to allow your mind to focus on these points and on the count of the breaths.
2. Seated foward fold pose or Paschimottanasana in sanskrit (yoga in Winter in Provence)
How to take the pose? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
Sit down, legs straight. Your back is straight.
Inhale as you raise your arms to the sky.
Exhale as you bend your body forward. Depending on your flexibility, you can grab your feet, ankles, or touch your shins. The head can rest on the legs.
On an inhale, raise your chest vertically and on the next exhale, bring your hands back to
your thighs.
What are the benefits of this pose? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
To begin with, it allows you to stretch the whole body but especially the back of the legs and the back.
This pose also relaxes the hips and back muscles.
It smoothes the blood circulation.
It allows a gentle self-massage of the organs which brings relief and relaxation.
Last but not least, it allows us to refocus on ourselves.
3. Tree pose or vrikshâsana
A pose that seemed so difficult to me at first and that I am really starting to appreciate. A pose that has many benefits from all points of view. It also allows from a spiritual point of view to make the link between heaven and earth. This is the tree where Vrikshasana.
How to do it? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
For the legs:
The left foot rests on top of the right thigh
To start, you can put your left foot on your right calf
For hands and arms:
Hands may be at side with thumb and forefinger together
They can be joined in front of the chest by equalizing the pressure between the 2 palms
The arms can be stretched skyward just like the branches of the tree
For the rest of the body:
Contract the abdomen
Contract the gluteal muscles
Hold for as long as you can while maintaining some comfort in the pose, then return to the starting position by bringing the foot back to the ground with control.
Perform the pose simultaneously on both sides.
If you are doing the tree pose for the first time or if you are new to yoga, you can keep the knee forward or put your foot on the calf.
How to breath? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
In the beginning, as you can... With a little practice, you can try breathing for 1 count on the inspiration and 2 counts on the exhalation. You can increase as you go.
How long to hold the pose? (yoga in Winter in Provence)
You can hold the pose as long as you want by setting yourself the goal of reaching 5 minutes for each side at the end of the year, for example.
4. Cat pose or Marjarisana in sanskrit (yoga in Winter in Provence)
Marjariasana is known as the Cat Pose. This pose relaxes the spine.
Get into table pose (more commonly known as all fours): hands under your shoulders. As you inhale, raise your head to the sky and relax your stomach. As you exhale, pull your stomach in and lower your head.
Cat Pose is said to be one of the most effective yoga poses when it comes to correcting bad pose in life.
When you start yoga, it is important to respect your rhythm and to do poses that prepare your body for more complex poses.
5. Corpse pose or Savasana in sanskrit (yoga in Winter in Provence)
This posture is simple. It is ideal for relaxation. It does not require any physical effort. However, it has real mental benefits. It helps to release tension. It is often performed at the end of the yoga class.
Lie on the floor on a yoga mat.
Your back is against the floor.
Your legs are straight and slightly apart, as are your arms.
Your palms are turned towards the sky.
Your eyes are closed.
Breathe naturally.
It looks simple. Yet a real difficulty exists: staying awake on the one hand and remaining relaxed when your thoughts cross your mind.
Good practice!
II. Vocabulary around yoga
Faire du yoga: to do yoga
Un tapis de yoga : a yoga mat
Une posture : a pose
Se détendre : to relax
Une séance : a session
Inspirer : to inhale
Expirer : to exhale
Une respiration : a breath
Respirer : to breath
Un muscle : a muscle
Des hanches : hips
Un dos : a back
Une jambe : a leg
Un bras : an arm
Une langue : a tongue
Assouplir : to soften
S’asseoir : to sit down
Levez la tête : to raise your head
Relâchez le ventre : to relax the belly
Contractez les abdominaux : to contract the abdominals
Les bienfaits du yoga : The benefits of yoga
If you come to my place for an immersion stay in Provence, I will make you discover the different aspects of Provence: the landscapes and the scents, but also the culture, the gastronomy... while helping you to improve your French. See you soon in Provence!
Virginie In Provence