Well-being Column

WELL-BEING COLUMN Well-being tips for Autumn and Winter

Francesca Bonfiglio is a local yoga teacher and has offered to share tips and ideas on yoga and well-being for our Newcastle Life Magazine readers.

Here she offers tips on how people can incorporate this into their daily life for some mental and physical well-being.

Moving into the Autumn/Winter season can leave some people feeling less than energised and motivated so I wanted to share with you some top tips that I’ve learnt on my yoga mat to help you feel a little more you this winter.

Movement

It can be so tempting to hibernate and be slower than usual over the cold months but actually getting the body moving in a vigorous way can be the antidote. Whether that is a sweaty workout or a fast-paced yoga practice, this movement will bring heat and energy to your body really lighting a fire from within. Daily movement can keep your body supple so even ten to 15 minutes of gentle yoga will help you and your body to feel more open and stretched. This is especially important if you spend much of your day sitting down. Not only does yoga benefit you physically but it also benefits you mentally too. Spending some time in the quiet; meditating or moving your body through yoga postures can give you mental clarity and allow you to get to know your body better so you’ll feel more in tune with yourself.

Breathing

A simple awareness of your breath; how it moves, how it feels, how it works can be really beneficial to your emotional state. When we live in a high stress environment, whatever that may look like for you, our body’s nervous system kicks into the fight or flight response which triggers involuntary changes in the body to help you deal with your environment. These can look like the breathing and heart rate speeding up causing an increase in blood pressure, the muscles becoming more tense, more oxygen being sent to the brain increasing alertness, the senses becoming sharper and hormonal changes triggering the release of glucose and fats into the body to keep energy high. Living in this fight or flight state consistently will keep your body constantly on edge. However, taking control of your breathing, even spending five minutes every day focussing on how it feels in the body, can help the body to calm down. It can be as simple as closing the eyes, putting your hands on your belly and bringing your attention to the breath for a couple of minutes. This awareness on the breath will trigger the rest and digest response (parasympathetic nervous system) which will slow the body leaving you feeling calmer and more relaxed.

Nourishing

Nourishing the body inside and outside, in whatever way that resonates with you will make you feel happy and uplifted every day. Whether that is with hearty food, hot baths, winter walks or films on the sofa find what nourishes you and make time for it each day.

Francesca Bonfiglio, My Yoga Space