Preparing for Autumn
Hi loves,
I've been enjoying the softer light and sometimes cool breezes that signal that Autumn is right around the corner. Although it's not here quite yet, I like to use the start of September as a time to prepare for the transition season coming into effect. Fall is Vata season in Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga), and is often experienced as feeling very creative, social, and open to the many possibilities of life. However, it's important to take time to balance + ground yourself during this time. There is so much Prana/air during this season (you can feel it as the winds start coming!) that you might find yourself becoming spacey, having a million ideas but never acting on any of them or completing anything, and also feeling a bit empty or raw.
A few tips to ground during this season:
Practice a daily routine. Creating a schedule for yourself during this time can feel very nurturing, and help you to enjoy the full benefits of this creative, social, + inspired time of year. Do your best to rise and sleep around the same time each day, eat consistently, create a routine for your exercise/self-care time, add some time in for creativity, and watch the magic of your life begin! With exercise and yoga, focus on longer holds and slower movements. Deep forward folds and poses that stretch your feet and legs will help to ground and root your energy, allowing you to be light + playful in a more sustainable way. Yin, soft + slow, and restorative practices are a great choice during this time of year! When exercising, focus on long, slow walks/hikes, swimming, and movements that allow you to enjoy your surroundings + environment.
Start meditating everyday. This does not need to be a "traditional" seated meditation. Perhaps it's starting every morning by going on a walk. You could spend the first 10 minutes of every day dancing your heart out. It could feel very grounding to start journaling every morning or evening. Or it could be as simple as sitting and focusing on your breath for about 10 minutes each day. This is also a very potent time to practice taking longer exhales (inhale for 5, exhale for 7), which can help to calm a scattered mind. If your nervous system feels okay doing short breath holds, you can try inhaling for a count of 5, exhaling for a count of 5, and holding your breath out for a few counts before repeating. Viloma breath with the interruption on the exhales can also help you get out of your head + into the present moment. For this breath, you would take a long slow inhale through your nose, then exhale out 1/3 of your air + pause briefly, exhale out another 1/3 of your air + pause, then exhale the final 1/3 of air (going toward emptiness in your lungs) and pause... Then take a long slow deep breath in through the nose and repeat for 5-10 minutes. If you want more guided meditations, check out my YouTube channel.
Incorporate grounding, warming foods into your diet--and make sure to remember to eat! It's really common during this time of year to get so busy that you skip meals. Nourish yourself with grounding foods like cooked grains, soups + stews, steamed vegetables, and more protein than you were getting in the summer! Make it flavorful and full of spice, and cook abundantly with ghee, olive/avocado/coconut oil, and savor the flavors in each bite. If you’re a smoothie lover like me, throw in 1/2 cup of oats before blending to make it more grounding and filling. Warming spices like cinnamon and turmeric are also great smoothie additions to add some heat and flavor!
Let me know if you start incorporating these things out and if you notice them helping you ground into this busy time of year. It's great to plan ahead--really start to prioritize these tools as we near the end of September and keep them going until we come into full-fledged winter.