Snouga is more than a trend. Here’s how it changed yoga for me.

“Please don’t crack.” That was me, silently pleading in my new ski pants as I stretched one leg up the frozen ground on Downward Dog. I tossed the thought aside and concentrated instead on holding onto the board when a bark startled me. Labradoud passed from student to student, board to board under the smiling eyes of his owner and the laughter of our class.

It was my first snooze session and I already knew that one of my challenges was learning to pause.

I am a yoga novice. I took a few yin yoga classes, mostly in college about ten years ago, though after going out like a light, in Savasana under a wool blanket, I was too embarrassed to go back. Until this January. The warm glow of the studio windows caught my eye as I stepped out of the subway station on a cold winter evening. One scan of the QR code later and I was signed up for my first hot yoga class. Then came power yoga. So this is yoga (no sleep this time). I quickly connected to connect with my body and shut out the world for a moment.

So when I have a supplement for the snowga class free by the slot The soul of popjust a few blocks from my home in Montreal, it didn’t matter that I had never thought to train in the winter. I signed up anyway.

What I Learned from Practicing Snouga

A few days later, I bundled up and left my apartment on a 14°F morning and went to a nearby bakery for coffee and roasted chocolate ravioli as fuel for my first snowga class.

I arrive at the designated part of the park according to the map I was sent, and within minutes 20 people have gathered in winter clothes and armed with yoga mats. We all started chatting (“First time?”), complimenting gear (one guy had a giant waterproof blanket draped over several boards) and giving approving looks (there was more than one giant Stanley thermos). The sense of community I felt after a few classes at my studio—the kind that comes from recognizing faces and greeting fellow regulars—appeared here almost immediately.

our teacher Amythe Paris-turned-Montreal yoga teacher started the class by saying, “If you can’t do things indoors, don’t worry. We’re outside, it’s different.” I really wanted to repeat the things I knew inside out. I wanted to work on my condition and technique.

Yes.

Snowga’s environment completely changed the game. The snow-covered ground was rough and I could not lay my cloth flat on the bumpy ground. My balance was challenging in a way it never was on the flat, smooth wooden floors of my regular indoor studio.

My body also felt uncomfortable as I tried to stretch under a thick sweater, ski pants, and a large shirt layered over my regular yoga clothes. I forgot my sunglasses so the sun was blinding me from time to time while the tip of my nose was slowly going numb from the cold. And my glove had a hole in it and the snow had found its way inside.

“Listen to your body and have fun,” says Amy. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t briefly dream about the glow of hot Himalayan salt, freshly brewed Rooibos Earl Gray and the temperature of my indoor studio. Just a quick second. I close my eyes and repeat his words to myself like a mantra. Suddenly I knew she was right. I just have to go with it. A little snow on my gloves and the creativity of my cold cloth to take its smooth shape is not important. The important thing was that the sun warmed my face, the chirping of birds, the crunch of snow underfoot, the laughter of the children on the sled, and the sound of the city with the sound of tires. It all came together to form an amazing racket of comfort and background to my practice.

Also, unlike many indoor studios, there are no mirrors outside, which makes it a little easier to “turn inside,” as Emii says, despite everything going on around us. Without constantly checking yourself, it becomes easier to let go of the perfection of the pose and just enjoy the moment. I felt at one with my garden, my neighborhood, my city and myself.

Snowga doesn’t just fly in Montreal; is expanding all over the world. On Instagram, the hashtag #snowyoga reveals a growing community of practitioners who embrace slow movement in the cold. Studios across North America, incl Wayzata Public School System in Minnesota and Bohemian Bliss Yoga Studio in Ontario, offers winter snow yoga classes. Guided practices also found in resorts, resorts and outdoor clubs in the country Norway, Icelandand Swedenshows that the appeal of snowga is far beyond any city. And influencers like @kristina.flows and @yoga_with_camilla regularly recount their outdoor winter experiences.

Spending an hour doing yoga outside in the winter has some surprising physical benefits. Sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D, which we get less of during the dark months and can even alleviating the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Exercising in cold temperatures can also increase endurance according to sports medicine physician Adam TenfordeMD. Studies also show that it can help body fat burns stored calories. Also, snowga has a playful side with all the sliding, sliding and falling. Snowga is not only fun, but also good for your body and mind.

However, for our instructor, snowga is all about letting go. “Instead of struggling with what we cannot control, snow yoga teaches us to let go of the motions of the city, the weather, and all the things in life that we cannot control,” she said. “Unlike an indoor studio where we can control the temperature, lighting, etc.”

Amidst the chaos of external sounds, temperatures, and textures, I can find peace in accepting the chaos and spontaneity of it all. Everything is much more alive.

The essence of snowga, according to Amy, “is a moment when you move your body and come closer to accepting yourself and loving yourself.” This is a lesson we will take with us after the snow melts.

How to train Snowga

Amy will be there if you’re passing through Montreal teaching Saturday classes until March. But you don’t really need a class – you just need yourself and the outdoors. I recommend a few thin base layers that are easy to pull off, a slightly loose waterproof jacket for unrestricted movement, and a pair of sunglasses. And don’t forget to check your gloves for holes.

• Go outside in the snow, whether it’s in the garden, on your balcony, porch or stoop.
• sit down Suhasana (Easy Pose) with open shoulders. Feel grounded and focus on feeling more centered.
• Take a deep breath of cold air, fully surrender to your experience.
• Start moving your body to warm up.
• Gradually add your favorite poses and just notice how they feel both different and the same.