Hello lovely Yoga Mamas,
Winter is settling in here in Australia. In some parts of our beautiful, vast land anyway - I didn’t actually notice winter one bit when I spent it in far north Queensland a few years ago! But even if the temperature doesn’t fill you in, I’d love to remind you that - despite the fast pace of modern life and the temptation to keep rushing with it - this is a season that invites a gentler rhythm. A chance to slow down, soften the edges, and find comfort in the small, steady moments.
Winter has a way of drawing us inward. Not in a heavy way, but in a deeply nourishing one — a reminder that rest is not a pause in your growth, but part of it. Rest and reset, as for the relative dormancy of a winter garden, is an integral part of each year. Spring will come, blossoming will happen, but now, here and now, it’s time to settle, breathe, and welcome the chance to find sukha – ease.
There’s a beautiful concept I’d encourage you to consider:
“Your breath is your first home — and your movement is how you inhabit it.”
This month, we’re leaning into that homecoming.
Our poses this month are all chosen with one intention: comfort. Comfort for your spine, comfort for your breath, comfort for your nervous system, and comfort for the season you’re in.
If you try these any of these practices and they feel supportive, please like and subscribe on YouTube – every interaction helps other Mamas seeking this support to find it too. And as always, remember you can explore more – including full-length yoga practices - inside my online courses: Pre‑conception Peace, Pre‑natal Presence, and Post‑natal Poise.
🌿 Monthly Inspiration: Wintering through movement (with a familiar friend from yogic philosophy)
Winter is the season of:
- slowing down
- unwinding tension
- softening and finding ease
Softness does not equal sinking. It doesn’t mean losing your spark or slipping into inertia — something many women quietly battle during winters, especially if it’s combined with a TTC journey not going to plan, or in early pregnancy with severe morning sickness, or early motherhood when the transition is hard anyway…and then the extra difficulty of going outdoors with the little one kept warm enough (but not too warm) makes it harder.
Some of you may remember that earlier this year we explored santosha, the niyama often translated as contentment. And winter is the perfect moment to return to it.
Santosha isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about finding one small thread of steadiness — one thing that feels supportive, nourishing, or comforting — and encouraging yourself to let that to be enough for now.
This winter, you might explore santosha off the mat by asking:
- What is one small thing that feels good right now?
- Where can I soften without collapsing?
- What can I appreciate in this exact moment, even if today is hard?
It might be the warmth of a cup of tea, the weight of your baby’s head on your shoulder, the quiet after bedtime, or the feeling of your breath expanding your back ribs.
Santosha is not passive. It’s an active, compassionate practice — a way of choosing softness without slipping into stillness that feels heavy.
This month’s poses are chosen to help you practice that same principle in your body: gentle, spacious, deeply supportive shapes that meet you exactly where you are, whether you’re preparing to conceive, growing your little one, or rebuilding strength post‑birth.
🌸 Pose of the Month
Pre‑Conception: Supported Wall Squat (Malasana) – see it on YouTube
A deeply grounding yin posture that nourishes the pelvic bowl and calms the nervous system.
Place a block or pillow against a wall, then come to a comfortable seat on it.
Feet rest flat on the floor hip-width apart - or at any comfortable distance - knees high.
Let the wall support your spine.
Place a bolster or stacked pillows in front of you and rest your forearms, chin or forehead on the support.
No bolster – no problem – try folding your arms on top of your knees, or even pull over a chair and stack some pillows on it to get the right height.
Not comfy? Rest the hands wherever comfortable and try chin mudra (thumb and forefinger touch, other fingers remain straight, pointing away from body).
Let your hips be heavy, your breath slow, and your jaw soft.
Stay 1–3 minutes, allowing gravity and warmth to melt tension, and your energy to centre itself in the lower chakras. Option to imagine a warm, white light circling within the pelvis, nourishing those important organs.
Benefits
- Encourages blood flow and warmth through the pelvic bowl
- Supports hormone balance and cycle awareness
- Gently opens hips without strain
- The head support down‑regulates the nervous system
- Creates emotional grounding and winter comfort
- A beautiful yin posture for women preparing to conceive
Contraindications
- Avoid deep squatting if experiencing acute knee or hip pain (option to cross your legs instead)
- Bring feet wider or higher if pelvic heaviness increases
- If continuing into pregnancy, ensure feet are wide enough apart to accommodate Bump with no pressure/squashing
Prenatal: Supported Down Dog Variation (chair or block) – see it on YouTube
Creating lower‑back comfort, breath space, and ease — especially in the third trimester.
Stand facing a sturdy chair. Place your hands or forearms on the seat (or the back of the chair if you need more height).
Feet are hip‑width or wider, toes slightly turned out.
On an exhale, soften your knees and hinge forward from your hips, letting your spine lengthen and your belly rest comfortably between your thighs.
Let your head hang or rest your forehead on your forearms for extra support.
Press the belly gently back towards the thighs if comfortable.
Stay for 5–10 slow breaths, feeling the gentle traction through your lower back.
Benefits
- Provides a safe, elevated gentle inversion, helpful for larger Bumps
- Eases lower‑back tightness and sacral discomfort
- Creates space for breath in the back body
- Reduces tension in neck, shoulders, and upper back
- Supports digestion and lymphatic flow
- Encourages grounding and nervous system softening
Contraindications
- Avoid if experiencing dizziness when folding forward/inverted
- Keep head above heart if experiencing blood pressure issues (low or high)
- If reflux is present, stay more upright or use a higher support
- Ensure no pressure or compression around Bump
Post‑Natal: Supported Child’s Pose (Bolstered Balasana) – see it on YouTube
A deeply comforting winter posture that supports 360° breath, pelvic floor recovery, and emotional ease.
Kneel on your mat with a bolster or two stacked pillows placed lengthwise in front of you.
Gently fold forward, walking the hands along the bolster until you come to rest with the belly and side of the face on the bolster, buttocks resting on heels.
Option to widen the knees if not comfortable. Another option is to use a block or pillow to rest the forehead on.
Let your arms drape comfortably alongside the bolster or wrap them around it for a sense of containment.
Breathe slowly, letting your back body widen and your belly soften into the support. Stay 1–3 minutes, or longer if it feels nourishing. Be sure to turn the head to the other side half-way through!
Benefits
- Supports 360° breath by gently closing off the front body, reducing the tendency to “leak” pressure through the abdominal midline
- Takes gravity off the pelvic floor, allowing it to soften and recover
- Encourages breath to move into the back and sides of the ribcage, areas often stiff from hours of feeding, rocking, carrying, and holding
- Releases lower‑back and mid‑back tension
- Creates a sense of emotional containment and safety
- Supports nervous system down‑regulation and rest
- Beautiful for early post‑natal recovery and winter comfort (also great for your next pregnancy - just leave space at the end of the bolster for Bump and widen the knees + add more height with extra pillows on the bolster as Bump size increases)
Contraindications
- Avoid deep hip flexion if experiencing acute knee pain
- If pelvic heaviness increases, try bringing knees closer together or moving forward on the bolster so the whole torso is well supported
- If recovering from c‑section, ensure the fold is gentle and pain‑free
- If lying forward feels uncomfortable, add more height under the bolster
💬 I’d love to hear from you
If one of these poses helps you feel more comfortable, more grounded, or more at ease this winter, please reply and let me know. Your reflections help shape this community and guide the practices I create for you.
And if you’re craving longer, guided practices that weave breath, comfort, strength, and emotional steadiness together, my online courses are always here for you – ask me any questions you have about them, and rest assured I’ll respond personally.
🌿 Until next time
May your breath soften your body, your body welcome comfort, and your comfort remind you of the Mama you are becoming.
With love,
— Emma
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