Seasonal Living with Yoga: Aligning Your Practice with Nature
In today’s world, it’s easy to forget that we’re seasonal creatures. Our homes stay at a steady temperature, our food choices depend on what’s in the shops, rather than what’s growing nearby, and we can be just as busy in the depths of winter as in high summer. But ancient yogic and Ayurvedic traditions knew better - they recognised that we feel and function best when we live in sync with nature’s rhythms. Ayurveda even has a word for this: ritucharya, the seasonal routine. And modern science agrees - research in chronobiology shows that everything from our sleep cycles to our digestion shifts with the seasons.
One of the most beautiful things about yoga is how it can adapt with you. Summer’s long, hot days might call for slow, cooling flows and pranayama techniques like sheetali (cooling breath). Winter’s quiet, darker months might be a time to lean into yin yoga, restorative shapes, and meditation. In Spring, you might be drawn towards more movement as your internal energy rises (check out our Practice Project yoga challenge if you need accountability), and steady strong holds in Autumn to calm the mind. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika reminds us that how we practice should match our current state - and the season you’re in is a big part of that state. Rather than setting unbreakable rules, you learn to listen and respond to your body’s natural cues.
It’s not just movement that changes - the way we eat and the rituals we choose can shift too. Ayurveda recommends eating seasonally: think crisp salads, cucumbers, and melons in the heat, and slow-cooked root vegetables and warming spices in the cooler months. Simple rituals help mark these transitions: a morning sun salutation in spring to welcome the light, or a longer yoga nidra in winter to rest more deeply. Modern nutrition research even shows that seasonal eating can benefit your gut health and support immunity.
Winter especially invites us to slow down. The shorter days and cooler weather are nature’s way of saying, “Rest now, restore.” In yogic philosophy, this is the energy of tamas - stillness, grounding, and replenishment. It’s a season for restorative postures, meditation, and calming pranayama. Then, as spring unfolds, rajas (the energy of movement and renewal) begins to rise. This is a wonderful time to reawaken your body with dynamic flows, cleansing kriyas, and energising movement, and to come out of your shell and connect with others (we’ll be exploring connection in September’s Inner Reset event).
Ayurveda’s three doshas - vata, pitta, and kapha - give us another layer of insight. Each dosha is affected by the seasons in different ways. For example, winter’s heaviness can increase kapha, so you might balance it with uplifting movement and warming spices. Summer’s heat can stir up pitta, making cooling foods and soothing yoga your best friend. Knowing your dosha, and the qualities of the current season, is like having a personal guide for your wellbeing - one that helps you move through the year with ease in your self-care.
When we live in tune with the seasons, we give ourselves permission to flow with nature rather than push against it. Our practice becomes more than poses - it becomes a way of listening, responding, and caring for ourselves in a way that feels both instinctive and deeply nourishing. Whether it’s slowing down in winter, or rising with the energy of spring, yoga offers a framework for living well all year round. In living seasonally, you find small, beautiful ways to align your body, mind, and spirit with the rhythms that have always been here, quietly guiding us.