Prepare the air and the body
Give the radiator twenty minutes before the mat comes out, and wear layers that move. Cold muscle is cautious muscle; the first forward fold should be half its summer depth and held longer.
Begin on the floor where it is coldest, seated with the palms over the eyes, letting the body read the room. Warmth at the start prevents the small strains that make winter practice fade by February.
Slow is the winter speed
Count the breaths rather than the poses. A sequence of six movements done warmly outperforms a sequence of twenty done stiffly, and leaves the back happier the next morning.
Keep a blanket over the legs during the closing sit. The stillness at the end is where the practice settles, and in winter it cools quickly.
Published by the Lunaneve journal.