Time to Slow Down

Autumn has come with all it's glorious colors and subtle reminders it's time to slow down and prepare the body and mind for a colder climate. Diet, sleeping practices and yoga shift into a new, slower more mindful gear, or at least they should. Unfortunately for many of us, the Autumn signifies a time when projects and routines gear up again. Kids need to be reluctantly shuffled out the door, deadlines begin to loom large and holidays start to hit us immediately. It's hard to slow down when the schedule continues to fill with more and more obligations as the weeks go by. The older I get the more responsibilities I have and the more I'm asked to do both personally and professionally. Finding a balance isn't easy and keeping a balanced routine can be near impossible. I may have discovered what works for me, but it can be hard to fuse what others need of me and what I feel I need to do to stay balanced. The Autumn is a time of great and beautiful change but also draining and can cause daily agitation. Here are a few things to consider which may help make the transition a bit smoother:

• Autumn is predominantly a cool, dry, windy season. This applies to the weather and our internal physical state. This is a good time to apply lotions and oils to the skin.
  

• Autumn is a time when we are especially vulnerable to feeling tight, dry, and rough. Insomnia and joint pain are also common at this time. Include warm herbal teas and try to decrease your caffeine intake. Try yerba maté to give yourself a little lift throughout the day without the adrenal burn from caffeinated coffee.

• It is common to feel ungrounded, spacey, fidgety or unable to focus.

• A yoga practice should include a lot of sitting poses, slow sun salutations, legs up against the wall ( inversion) and spinal twist to calm the system.

• According to ayurvedic medicine, apples help draw heat out of the body. Heat accumulates over the Summer and can cause digestive distress in the winter season. The pectin in apples also helps to clean and heal digestive mucosa. Eat as many apples as you like in any form you find desirable.

• Try to get to bed a little earlier.
  

• Practice slow nostril breathing through the right nose to help increase the immune system.

• For more information and ideas please read Autumn Prescription.

Be well and try not to be too hard on yourself during this change