Awakening spring energy: yoga practices to shake off winter

Winter can often leave us feeling sluggish. The shorter days and cooler temperatures mean we tend to turn inward, move less, and prioritise comfort over activity. This is natural and necessary, but with spring comes the energetic reminder that we thrive when vitality is welcomed back in. Yoga is one of the best practices for shaking off heaviness and reuniting with energy, so you step into the new season feeling lighter and brighter.

In this article, we explore practices designed to awaken energy: from energising breathwork and joyous backbends to playful balances and a few unusual tricks to help you shake things up. Whether you’re a long-time practitioner or dusting off your mat for the first time in a while, these tools can help you feel more ready to grow into a fresh new season.

Breathwork to ignite vitality

Bhramari – the humming bee breath

If kapalabhati is invigorating fire, bhramari is a softer buzz. This technique involves creating a humming sound on the exhale. As the sound vibrates through the body it can calm scattered thoughts, making it brilliant for gently balancing the nervous system.

How to practise:

Close your eyes and inhale slowly through the nose.

Exhale with a steady hum, feeling the vibration resonate in the chest, face, and head.

Repeat 5–7 rounds.

This breath may feel surprisingly playful, like creating your own spring soundtrack.

Backbends for renewal 

Backbends are known as “heart openers” for a reason. They expand the chest and lungs, free the breath, and help counteract the hunched posture forward bending winter (and office hours) can create. Backbends are also excellent for energy and sparking circulation.

Accessible backbends to try:

Cobra pose (Bhujangasana) is a gentle way to lift the chest and open the heart, great as part of a warm-up.

Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana) is a grounding yet expansive posture that strengthens the legs while also opening the chest.

Camel pose (Ustrasana) is a deeper backbend that also creates a sense of openness and courage.

Just a few minutes of backbending can help move you out of sluggishness and into vitality, helping you feel more awake and alive.

Balances to spark joy

Spring is a time of play and new beginnings. Balance postures capture these themes beautifully. Balances require focus, but they also ask you to adopt a light-hearted attitude (if you wobble, you simply try again).

Balances to try:

Tree pose (Vrksasana) asks you to root down through one foot while reaching upward, like a growing tree.

Half moon (Ardha Chandrasana) opens the chest and hips, and challenges focus and stability.

Crow pose (Bakasana) is a playful arm balance that builds core strength and confidence.

Balancing naturally stimulates both the mind and body, bringing in feelings of freshness and playfulness.

Add an unusual twist: shaking and free movement

While asanas (poses) are a core element of yoga, sometimes the most energising thing to do is to shake the body. Shaking is an ancient practice found in many cultures, and more recently has been used in modern somatic (body-based) therapies to release stored tension and revitalise energy.

Try this simple shaking exercise:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

Begin to bounce gently through the knees.

Let the arms flop loosely, with shoulders soft and jaw relaxed.

Gradually allow the shaking to build up, letting it ripple through the whole body.

After a minute or two, pause and notice the tingling sensation that follows shaking.

The playful nature of this practice often leaves people laughing and buzzing with energy – it makes an excellent complement to a yoga practice.

A simple spring awakening sequence

Here’s a short sequence you can try:

Cat-Cow stretches – 6 rounds to mobilise the spine.

Sun Salutations – 3–5 rounds to warm and energise the body.

Cobra or Upward Dog – hold for 3–5 breaths.

Bridge pose – hold for 5–8 breaths.

Tree pose – hold each side for 5 breaths.

Crow pose (optional) – play with it for 30–60 seconds.

Gentle shaking – 1–2 minutes.

Bhramari breath – 5 rounds to finish.

The combination of breathwork, movement and play provide a complete spring awakening.

Spring thoughts

As the natural world around us bursts into life, we can mirror this awakening in our own bodies and spirits through yoga. It doesn’t need to be complicated – even a short practice can help dissolve winter and invite a bright new sense of vitality. As you step into this season of growth, may your practice remind you that you, too, can blossom and expand.

If you would like to try yoga lessons in your own home or at Mount Martha Yoga, contact the studio owner, Emily. She is a private yoga teacher near me who also offers corporate yoga and can create the perfect practice for any occasion you have in mind.