Short grey days when the sun has difficulty reaching us even when the skies are blue. Keeping rugged up and preserving our energy, following the clues that nature gives us. We should always respond as our environment dictate. In an oriental view of the cosmos, everything including the seasons are governed by five elements. These are water, fire, earth, wood and metal.
Winter is said to be governed by water.
In winter, therefore, a large part of our yoga will be based on expressing the water element, which is concerned with flowing, dissolving energy. It is the dormant time of the year when deep change takes place. We should take note to follow the same pattern, internalising our energy and examining our depths. Each element also governs certain systems within the body. The water element is said to govern the kidneys and bladder, which in traditional oriental thought refers not only to the physical but the mental and spiritual aspects of our being.