Blue Monday: Moving Gently Through the Winter Blues with Yoga

January often asks a lot of us.

The festive brightness has faded, the days are still short, and nature herself is resting. Yet modern life rarely gives us permission to do the same.

Blue Monday, often named as the “most difficult day of the year”, can highlight what many already feel at this time: low energy, heavy emotions, lack of motivation, or a sense of disconnection. At Wild Wood Movement, I don’t see this as something that needs fixing — but something that needs listening to.

Yoga offers a way to meet these moments with kindness, presence, and support.

Winter Is Not a Problem to Solve

In nature, winter is a time of dormancy. Trees shed their leaves. Growth turns inward. Nothing is rushing, pushing, or striving.

Yet we often expect ourselves to remain the same all year round.

Feeling flat, slow, or emotionally tender during winter is not a personal failure, it’s a natural response to reduced light, colder temperatures, and quieter energy. Yoga invites us to align with this seasonal rhythm rather than resist it.

How Yoga Can Support the Winter Blues

Yoga works gently, from the inside out. It supports the body, breath, and nervous system, all of which are closely linked to mood and emotional wellbeing.

Nervous system regulation

Slow, mindful movement and conscious breathing help calm the stress response and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of us responsible for rest, repair, and emotional balance.

Reconnecting to the body

When mood is low, it’s easy to feel disconnected or numb. Yoga brings awareness back into the body, offering a sense of grounding, safety, and presence.

Supporting energy without depletion

Unlike high-intensity exercise, gentle yoga meets you where you are. It can restore energy rather than drain it — especially important during winter.

Winter-Friendly Yoga Practices

At this time of year, yoga doesn’t need to be strong or sweaty to be effective. Subtle practices can be deeply nourishing.

Slow, grounding movement

Standing poses done mindfully, with attention to the feet and breath, can create a sense of stability and inner strength.

Heart-space awareness

Gentle chest-opening postures invite breath into the heart and lungs, counteracting the inward collapse that often accompanies low mood.

Forward folds & floor-based poses

These shapes encourage introspection, soothing the nervous system and offering a feeling of being held and supported.

Restorative yoga & Yoga Nidra

Deep rest practices are especially powerful in winter, helping to rebalance the nervous system and improve sleep — a cornerstone of emotional wellbeing.

Let Your Practice Be Small

On days like Blue Monday, doing less is often more supportive than doing more.

A few minutes of breathing.

A short, gentle stretch.

Lying down and listening inward.

These moments still count. They are part of a wider practice of self-trust and self-compassion.

At Wild Wood Movement, yoga is not about pushing through or striving for improvement. It’s about meeting yourself honestly, in this season, exactly as you are.

A Gentle Reminder

If winter feels heavy, you are not broken.

You are responding wisely to a quieter season.

Yoga doesn’t promise to remove the darkness — but it can help you move through it with steadiness, softness, and care. Like walking through a wood in winter, there is beauty here too, even if it’s subtle and slow.

If low mood feels overwhelming or persistent, please seek professional support. Yoga can be a companion on the path, but you don’t have to walk it alone.

Namaste 🙏

Lindsey