Winter blues?  No need!  It's not really just a lack of sunshine, although, yes, we all feel brighter in the sun.  

Oftentimes these feelings of sadness and lethargy stem from lack of exercise and endorphins.   If  you aren't one for much exercise, when it's cold and snowy and you aren't even walking outside much, the blues will hit you the hardest.   That's especially true if you start to lug around another 5 to 10 extra pounds of fat on your body.  (PIck up a 5 lb free weight and carry it around for an hour everywhere if you want to test that!) 

Beyond that, lack of movement will also increase the stiffness and aches in your joints in winter, which makes you even less likely to want to move and do anything.  But guess what, movement is exactly what you need to feel better!  And proper use of free weights will increase your range of motion, make daily living activitites and household chores more manageable.  Free weight exercises actually help your joints to strengthen while helping the muscles gain flexibility (especially if you workout with a yoga sculpt class or total body trainlike I teach here).  Your upper and lower extremeties work in tandem, you send extra blood flow to those joints, and you have better balance and a stronger core.  Need I say more?!

I couldn't agree more. Not only does yoga help you physically -- but the latest research (see my feature below!) shows it's great for everything from chronic back pain to heart disease.  The research also clearly shows that yoga greatly relieves depression.  

In fact, this picture (right) is the first thing I see on my Iphone as a gentle reminder to keep a loving heart and appreciate all of God's gifts.  I hope you'll join me on the mat this week, for my special happiness and gratititude yoga sequence which will also greatly benefit your back and help bring fresh blood flow to your achey winter joints. See Yoga this Week and my feature below for more inspiration on why now is the time to try a class.  If you've never practiced yoga please know that JKFY is a nurturing place for many to first experience the beauty and benefits of yoga with classes from therapeutic to advanced.  Call me with any questions, anytime or reply back to this newsletter and I will help you any way I can. And remember, no matter how bleak it is outside, we can all choose to see the beautiful in our life.  Sometimes we just need a teacher to open that curtain to love and light.  ~ Jackie