15-Minute Yoga Challenge – Find inner balance in one month

Most of us try to be just as productive and active throughout the winter as we are in the summer. If we don't manage this, we quickly start berating ourselves, especially after the first few weeks of the new year, when the initial motivation for our resolutions may have waned. In reality, however, it's perfectly natural to need more rest during the darker months. An extra half hour to an hour of sleep is a normal need for our bodies in winter.

The main reason we often feel sluggish, tired, and unmotivated during this time is the lack of sunlight due to the dense cloud cover and short days. Yoga can help us find the peace and quiet we desperately need in winter and provide the energy we need to get off to a great start, especially at the beginning of the new year.

In this article you will learn how to reduce fatigue and bad mood – especially during the many gray and wet days – with just 15 minutes of yoga per day, which exercises are particularly suitable for this and why it is worth taking on our 15-minute yoga challenge.

Shape the new year with yoga

Yoga promotes the release of the feel-good hormones endorphin and serotonin . During the winter, your body produces too little serotonin due to the lack of sunlight; however, these hormones are essential for waking you up and giving you energy. Even just a few simple exercises a day can brighten your mood and help you in many other ways as well.

Yoga can also strengthen the immune system, which is under particular strain now in cold and wet weather. You can learn more about this and how yoga can alleviate cold symptoms in our blog post "Yoga Against Colds" .

15 minutes of yoga a day – your new routine

Perhaps you know the feeling: You'd like to exercise regularly, but by day three, the thought of jogging or the gym makes you want to stay on the couch. Especially when it's still cold and gray outside, but the tea is so warm and the blanket so soft, exercise isn't always very appealing. A yoga challenge can be completely different. But why?

Quite simply, our yoga routine consists not only of exercise designed to make you sweat and challenge you, but also of rest, mindfulness, and meditation . Often, on a particularly uncomfortable day, after a few gentle stretches and neck circles, you can relax with a blanket in the Shavasana pose.

On days when you want to recharge your energy , you can challenge yourself with more active yoga flows. This variety and diversity will keep your motivation high and ensure you always look forward to the next day.

The important thing is to find a routine . This will help you build a habit that can support both your physical and mental health in the long term. Just 10-15 minutes a day is enough to establish your yoga practice and make it a part of your everyday life .

A major advantage of this challenge is that you don't have a set daily schedule; instead, you can choose and combine exercises according to your own needs. So, each day, tune in to your body and discover what you need. Then all you have to do is unroll your mat and immerse yourself in the yoga experience.

Yoga for strength

This yoga challenge thus becomes a journey dedicated to many different aspects of your physical and mental health. One of these is strength . The various exercises strengthen not only mind but also body, enabling us to achieve both mental and physical goals. These two exercises are particularly well-suited for this:

• Warrior Pose – Virabhadrasana : As the name suggests, this asana helps us build strength. In its three variations, you can primarily strengthen your legs and back. The chest and lungs are expanded, and the abdomen, groin, and legs are stretched.

• The Boat Pose – Paripurna Navasana : This position strengthens the back, abdomen, and hip flexors while stimulating internal organs such as the intestines, thus promoting better digestion. For those with a sensitive tailbone, a foldable yoga mat is recommended for this asana. The mat can be folded in half under the lower back for added support. Foldable yoga mats from brands like LUVIYO, such as the Oasis All-In-One Yoga Mat , are well-suited for this purpose.

Yoga for inner peace

In yoga, the focus shifts from the outside world to the inner world, because that's where our relationship with ourselves begins, and consequently, how we treat others. Maintaining inner peace is often difficult in everyday life, and the hectic pace of both work and personal life often leads to stress. Our yoga challenge aims to counteract this. The following two exercises are particularly well-suited for this purpose:

• Chair Pose – Utkatasana : This powerful pose helps you find your inner balance and reduce stress. A controlled, flowing movement combines with deep breathing and finally comes to a standstill, where a challenging position is held. This allows you to quiet your mind and focus on the energy within you.

• The Sun Salutation – Surya Namaskara : This exercise consists of various upward and downward movements controlled by the breath. These include poses such as Mountain Pose, Forward Bend, Downward-Facing Dog, and Cobra Pose. The sequence of movements stretches and strengthens many muscles, releases tension, has a calming effect, and warms your body.

Yoga for flexibility

In yoga, flexibility isn't just about your body's range of motion . Through meditation, an important part of a yoga challenge, you learn how to acknowledge your thoughts and then let them pass without clinging to them. This allows your mind to become more flexible, and you can learn not to be controlled by negative thoughts and emotions.

• Camel Pose (Ustrasana ): This asana is performed on the shins. If you have sensitive knees, a foldable yoga mat can be helpful. It trains the flexibility of the abdominal, back, and shoulder muscles, as well as the psoas, and stretches the chest. The exercise also activates energy and helps to open the heart and mind.
• The Standing Straddle – Prasarita Padottanasana : An advanced asana that is very well suited to stretching your lower back, hips, and the inner and backs of your legs. It deepens your breathing and is said to help release emotional baggage.

Yoga for Mindfulness

A mindful yoga routine leads you to consciously take time each day to focus your attention on your body and mind. You become aware of changes , but also consistency, in your yoga practice. This helps you learn to consciously perceive and reflect on things, people, and situations in the external world, as well as thoughts and feelings within yourself. The following exercises, which you can easily integrate into your daily routine, can also help you with this:

• The Mountain Pose (Tadasana) : Like its namesake , this exercise represents steadfastness and stability. The deep tranquility of the position allows you to fully concentrate on your breathing, calming your mind and completely dedicating yourself to the here and now.

• Alternate nostril breathing – Anuloma Viloma / Nadi Shodhana : This breathing exercise , in which you breathe alternately through the right and left nostrils, is said to help harmonize the two hemispheres of the brain. The various forms of yogic breathing – Pranayama – have a positive effect on the nervous system and help to direct your attention inward. With deep, slow breathing, you can learn not to be guided or distracted by fears, thoughts, and impulses, but rather to consciously focus your attention on your breath again and again.

Yoga for every day

Strength, inner peace, flexibility, and mindfulness – the new LUVIYO challenge offers you the chance to listen to your body and decide for yourself which exercises are right for you each day. With this daily routine, you'll soon return to a state of serenity and tranquility that your mind and body need, especially during or after winter. So relax, take a deep breath… and let's get started.