When did shoveling go out of style?

It's not happening so much in my neighborhood, that's for sure. Every day I'm hunched over walking to the train, watching each step as I nearly wipe out on the pavement. When the wind is brutal, I try to pull my head into my coat like a turtle, look down, and try to forget the next 10 minutes of my life. Enter backache, neckache, and everyone's favorite: The Winter Blues!

Cold weather like this calls for what yogis term "Heart Opening." Sounds like I'm gonna whip out a chain saw but it pretty much means backbending. Roll your arms back and stretch out the front of your shoulders for starters. When you bend backwards you stretch open the front of your body – your heart.

Do whatever you can to twist, breathe, bend and stretch all areas of your ribcage and you'll feel freedom from that tightly wound ball of hats and scarves you were just earlier today.

More about backbending and heart opening:
http://www.msmindbody.com/03-28-06-Heart.html
http://yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories/backbends