Throughout Spring and Summer, my yoga practice was light, upbeat, and in the early morning hours. Especially come mid-Summer, I found myself routinely waking to hydrate, get my yoga clothes on, and head-out to practice before the sun. Late-Summer came to a close this week for the Fall Equinox when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length. I felt my body take a shift as it transitioned slowly into new, nourishing routines.
Instead of waking to head-out (a very active quality that compliments the yang energy of Summer), I find myself lingering on my morning walks with the dog, meditating, and slowing down. The mornings are cool and my body takes a longer time to loosen-up from sleep. I also find myself hungry in the morning, which contradicts the lightness of my early meals the past couple months. Spring and Summer didn’t ask more than a morning smoothie or juice for me to feel my best, and now Autumn requires a little more density in the belly to stay warm and grounded. I find myself reaching for oats, grains, and in-season fruits and vegetables to start my day.
My yoga practice is shifting from sunrise to noon after I’ve had my morning walk, digested my breakfast, and focused on some work. It feels right to let it be at mid-day when my body and mind are sharp, fully awake, and itching to move. Within my practice, I’ve intuitively felt my body’s call to twist and lengthen the abdominal and intestinal areas. This is most likely due to the energetic qualities of transitioning into the autumn season. It’s time to digest, and this can be in terms of food, but also to other aspects of life like thoughts and feelings.
Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy teaches that the Stomach is the receiver of nourishment and physically impacts the Pancreas and Spleen organs. This is a good time to focus on stimulating these meridian lines to encourage the digestion, of not only food, but also energy blockages caused by stuck emotions, feelings, thoughts, and memories. This season requires a shift in perspective from our outer-landscape and encourages us to turn inward. This inward focus brings thoughts and feelings to the surface that need clearing before entering the darkness and solitude of the winter season.
This is a great time to take inventory of your life, habits, rituals, and routines. Decide which are nourishing and beneficial to act-on and allow all other aspects to fall away. Incorporate more movement into your yoga practice, especially during the waxing moon, and maybe take up activities that make you sweat; such as running, pushups, and other sports. Keep up the momentum to digest all that needs clearing and to avoid build-up of any kind. We want to empty ourselves over the next few months to allow space for thought and dream-states come winter.
During the Waning Moon or low-energy days, turn to yin yoga for postures that stimulate the Stomach, Pancreas, and Spleen organs, and avoid congesting foods such as refined sugars, processed starches, excessive alcohol intake, and animal-milk products. These substances are difficult to digest, can result in mental disturbances (i.e. depression, anxiety, and irritability), lower the immune system, and cause imbalances in the Spleen (the Spleen may be calling for sweetness in this season, so look for natural sweeteners like honey or dates). Couple the highly intuitive nature of the yin yoga practice with meditation exercises, like Yoga Nidra, that will calm the nervous system and shift the gaze inward.
I hope this was a helpful guide to transition with grace as we move forward into the Autumn season. Wishing you well along your wellness journey! Namaste.