Menace of the Duvet Monster
Right, hands up — who’s already had that inner battle with the duvet this week? 🙋♀️
The darker mornings creep in, it’s colder, busier, and suddenly yoga feels like a nice idea for someone else. Your brain pipes up with the classics: Stay in bed. Skip today. You’ll catch up tomorrow.
Trust me, I get it. I’ve been there. Some days it’s full-on CBA (can’t be arsed). But here’s the bit you don’t want to hear: that resistance isn’t the reason to quit. It’s the reason you need practice more than ever. (Sorry, not sorry).
Why Winter Makes Yoga Hard (Ayurveda 101)
Ayurveda, the sister science that umbrellas Yoga and Meditation, teaches that winter naturally pulls us into heaviness. Energy slows, tamas creeps in — inertia, dullness, the big “meh.”
It’s normal. But if we let it take over, we end up sluggish, disconnected, flat.
That’s why rhythm matters even more in winter. Just like you swap salads for stews and sandals for boots, your yoga needs to adjust too. A cookie-cutter practice won’t cut it — you need rhythm that works for this season and your life.
From Heaviness to Discipline (Octavio’s Wisdom)
And this is where my teacher, Octavio Salvado, drops the hammer: yoga isn’t about waiting until you “feel like it.”
He says practice isn’t about “love and light” at all — it’s about building self-respect by showing up, especially when it’s hard.
That winter heaviness Ayurveda describes? That’s the exact moment to lean into discipline. To stoke the inner fire, even if it’s just a spark.
Because every time you show up when you CBA, you’re proving to yourself you can be trusted. You’re earning your own respect. And when self-respect grows, love and light stop being slogans — they start shining through you naturally.
Or as Octavio says: all the “love and light” talk without discipline is like switching on one of those fake log lamps and pretending it’s a roaring fire. Sure, it looks cosy, but it won’t warm your bones.
Do the Stuff You Resist (Integration in Action)
So, don’t just do the easy stuff. Don’t cherry-pick the asanas you like or the meditations that keep you comfy. Do the ones you resist.
Because it’s not really the posture you hate — it’s the bit of yourself it shows you. And if you keep avoiding it, you keep avoiding that part of you.
Stick with it. Repeat it. Over time, the charge fades. The resistance softens. And suddenly, you’re not fighting yourself anymore — you’re whole. That’s the integration piece, and it’s the medicine of winter.
What’s This Got to Do with the YL Winter Timetable?
Everything. Because rhythm is what carries us through.
That’s why I’ve been listening to you all and reworking the timetable from October. Just like you change what’s on your plate and what you wear in winter, you need a practice rhythm that fits this season of life.
- For some of you, that’s online mornings so you don’t have to trek out in the cold.
- For others, it’s evening classes once the kids are down.
- Some of you love Saturday mornings.
- Some prefer a cosy App reset with incense and a cuppa.
None of it is wrong. What matters is you’ve got a rhythm — and you stick with it.
Your Winter Rhythm
So here’s the nudge: what’s your rhythm this winter? Not the fantasy one. The real one you can actually commit to. Morning? Evening? Studio? App?
Share it in the poll that’s just dropped inside the YL App or send me a comment to josie@yogalocal.co.uk. I’m building the Winter timetable with you, not for you. This isn’t about stuffing more classes in — it’s about creating a rhythm that supports us all to stay steady when resistance is loudest.
Because here’s the truth: no timetable, no teacher, no App can make you do it. At the end of the day, it’s you versus your CBA.
And when you show up anyway? That’s when the magic happens. That’s when you earn your own respect. That’s when yoga starts to feel like home.
✨ DO THIS NOW: NO MORE CBA!
- Reflect: What’s your winter rhythm? Send to josie@yogalocal.co.uk
- Share: Add your voice in the App poll/discussion.
- Stay tuned: October timetable reveal → built with your feedback.
