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Winter Wellbeing: Gentle Ways to Support Your Body and Mind Through the Season

Winter naturally encourages us to pause, soften our pace and turn inward. Shorter days and colder temperatures can shift our energy, leaving many people feeling tired, heavy or slightly out of rhythm. When we work with the season instead of resisting it, winter becomes an opportunity for deep nourishment, calm and restoration.


This guide brings together evidence-informed practices that can help you feel grounded, connected and supported through the colder months.


Nourish with Warmth

During winter, the body commonly seeks warmth and comfort. Evidence suggests that heat therapy may support circulation, ease muscular tension and promote relaxation, particularly in colder conditions (Hill et al., 2023).


Warming foods and routines can be especially soothing, such as slow-cooked meals, hearty soups and herbal teas containing ginger, cinnamon or turmeric. Keeping areas like the neck, lower back and feet warm often brings a natural sense of safety and steadiness. Warmth can help soften the nervous system and encourage a feeling of grounded stability.


Warming foods and routines can be especially soothing, such as hearty soups

Honour a Slower Pace

Nature rests in winter, and it’s entirely normal to feel the urge to slow down too. Research indicates that adequate rest may help regulate stress responses, support emotional wellbeing and nurture a calmer internal state (Crosswell & Epel, 2023).


You might find it supportive to create gentler evenings, reduce overstimulation and give yourself permission to rest without guilt. Slowing your pace allows your energy to replenish and helps you meet the season with more ease.


"Winter isn’t a season of pushing - it’s a season of replenishing."

Gentle Yoga for Grounding

Restorative, Yin and slow-paced yoga practices can be especially grounding in winter. Studies have shown that these styles may reduce both state and trait anxiety, supporting emotional balance and a calmer nervous system (Somere et al., 2024).


Grounding winter practices may include:

  • Slow intentional movement

  • Forward folds and hip-opening postures

  • Ocean breath or three-part breath

  • Restorative shapes supported by blankets

These gentle approaches invite your body to unwind from within, helping you stay centred when the world feels darker and quieter.


Gentle yoga pose with soft lighting and warm tones

Massage for Winter Wellbeing Reset

It’s common to carry more tension during winter, especially around the neck, jaw and upper back. Massage has been shown to promote relaxation, support circulation and reduce anxiety by stimulating the body’s natural calming responses (Massage Therapy Journal, 2023).


Winter-supportive treatments may include:

Massage offers both physical and emotional comfort - something many people appreciate during the darker months.


Lymphatic Care for Winter Lightness

Lower activity levels, heavier foods and seasonal colds can leave the lymphatic system feeling sluggish. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a gentle technique shown to encourage fluid flow, support immune pathways and promote a sense of lightness and clarity (Physiopedia, 2024; Vallet, 2023).


Potential winter benefits of MLD include:

  • Reduced puffiness

  • Improved fluid movement

  • A lighter, clearer sensation

  • Deep relaxation through rhythmic touch

Many people find MLD especially supportive during winter when the body often feels heavier or slower.


Massage therapist providing a relaxing treatment

Cosy Grounding Rituals

Winter is a wonderful time to create grounding rituals that help soothe the nervous system and encourage a sense of inner warmth.


Supportive winter rituals may include:

  • A warm bath with magnesium salts

  • Reading or journaling by candlelight

  • Using a hot water bottle on the lower back

  • Gentle morning stretches

  • Enjoying a mindful, unrushed cup of tea

These small seasonal practices can help you reconnect with yourself and bring more ease into the darker days.


A Season for Deep Rest

Winter can be one of the most restorative phases of the year. When you allow space for rest, your body, mind and energy have the chance to recalibrate. Supporting yourself now may help you move into spring feeling more balanced, centred and resilient.


If you’d like to explore how holistic therapies can support your winter wellbeing, our holistic therapist Caitlin, offers a range of nurturing treatments, including massage therapy, lymphatic work and Kobido.



Written by Caitlin M. 

Holistic Therapist  References

Crosswell, A.D. & Epel, E.S. (2023) ‘Deep Rest: An Integrative Model of How Contemplative Practices Influence Health’, Journal of Health Psychology, [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11003855/ 


Hill, J.E. et al. (2023) ‘The effectiveness and safety of heat/cold therapy in adults with musculoskeletal pain’, Public Health Review, [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11147455/ 


Somere, K. et al. (2024) ‘The effect of Yin yoga intervention on state and trait anxiety’, Clinical Mental Health Journal, [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10973109/ 


Physiopedia (2024) Manual Lymphatic Drainage, [online] Available at: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Manual_Lymphatic_Drainage


Vallet, M. (2023) ‘Research Update: Manual Lymphatic Drainage’, Massage Therapy Journal, [online] Available at: https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/research-update-lymph-drainage/ 


Yoga Journal (2025) ‘Why You Need a Restorative Yoga Practice This Winter’, Yoga Journal, 20 January. Available at: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/need-restorative-yoga-practice-winter/ 



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