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

Autumn Prescription

Today as we hiked in the woods there was a feel in the air and a noticeable increase in the number of leaves changing colors or already falling. The change is happening and before long we’ll be thinking about hats, gloves and scarves. September is still summer, late summer but an excellent time to begin to shift gears for cooler months to come. There are some very nice practices which ready the body for a shift in temperature and lifestyle.
Sleeping

This is a good time to ground the body through resting more and setting a regular routine. Ideally retiring at 10 and awakening at 5 or 6 a.m. From 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. the liver is purifying while you’re sleeping, so it’s important to help the system rejuvenate and cleanse by giving yourself a routine sleeping pattern.
Eating

Every season is associated with one of natures 5 elements. In Autumn the metal element is at its peak, which governs the energy of our lung and large intestine health. Consider adding some of these foods to support your lungs and intestines as well as help ground and nourish your mind:
Pumpkin, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, winter squash, spinach, parsley, parsnips, kale, turnip, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, daikon, radish, pickles, adzuki beans, millet, barley, brown rice, fennel, kuzu (Japanese arrowroot – clears and tones lungs/colon), watercress, seaweeds (excellent to regenerate mucous membranes) ie kombu/arame/wakame.
Flaxseed oil (use in smoothies or add to foods), fenugreek spice.
Stewed apples and pears (peeled) with brown rice congee/porridge.
Mandarins
Marshmallow tea, raspberry leaf tea, green tea.

The Fall is the best time to enjoy local fresh apples. According to Ayurvedic medicine, apples help draw heat out of the body that accumulates over the summer. Heat can dry out and cause digestive distress in the winter season. The pectin in apples also helps to clean and heal digestive mucosa. A fun autumn Ayurvedic prescription is to eat as many apples as possible over a period of several weeks.
Drinking

It’s wise to look after your lungs in preparation for winter. The lungs are sensitive during Autumn, as the air quality changes to more cool and dry. Keep up your hydration with sufficient warm fluids like herbal teas, green tea, fresh ginger tea and liquorice tea. Dryness also affects our skin, so massage yourself after showering with good quality oils.
Yoga
Beneficial yoga asana includes pawanmuktasana ( wind relieving poses), all inverted poses where the head moves below the waist, all twists as this helps to regulate the intestines, slow sun salutation with breaths in each pose and extended shavasana (corpse pose) for proper grounding.

A kinder, gentler season

About a month ago I was walking one of my dogs and took a nasty little fall and ended up with a slight injury to my rotator cuff. Added to this I have had a bit of a chest cold which has left me feeling tired and wanting to crawl in my comfy bed with a good book. Gentle is the word of the day this season. Gentle, slow flow. After a month hiatus from yoga I'm starting back, dropping frequently into child's pose. As the season changes I feel a deep appreciation for the colder weather, happy to slow down watch the leaves turn color and fall to the ground. Slowing down, listening to my body and actively seeking more peaceful days has brought the realization I have not been listening to my own needs or following the rhythm of my body. Once again its time to step back, spend time in the kitchen, do more breath work, drink less coffee and spend more time being instead of doing.

Wishing everyone a passive gentle day.

Reflection on Change

10,000
Ten thousand flowers in spring,

the moon in autumn,

a cool breeze in summer,

snow in winter.
If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things,

this is the best season of your life.

We Men

Crank up the heat and clean the house

The beautiful and amazing Sianna Sherman

demonstrating a backbend.

Autumn is a great time to crank up the home fires and clean house before the snowy cold days are upon us. Backbends and twists incorporated into the practice are most beneficial in the Autumn season. Backbends open the heart chalkra and invigorate the body. As daylight decreases many of us find our energy has diminished somewhat from the Summer and need a little extra lift. Twists are a counterbalance for the spine after practicing backbends. Twists wring out toxins stored in our abdominal organs adding fresh oxygenated blood back in. This squeeze and soak action is nourishing and strengthening, preparing us for the long cold days ahead.

Backbends bring flexibility to the spine and build strength along the muscles of the back. Benefits include stretching the quadriceps (front of thighs), opening the groin area, stretching the chest and opening the shoulders. As a result of stretching the front of the body, the lungs, liver, stomach and intestine are lengthened which improves the efficiency of these organs. Breathing is also easier and posture is improved. It is helpful to prepare for backbends with postures that open the shoulders, quadriceps and hips. After a backbend, counter pose with a gentle twist or if you prefer downward dog.

Twisting poses are excellent when trying to maintain health, cleanse the body or return to a healthier state. Benefits of twisting include stretching the muscles of the back and chest, adding flexibility to the hips, improving digestion and massaging internal organs. Twisting poses rotate the torso vertically the length of the spine. There are two factors to remember when engaging in twists; One is a sense of foundations. While one side of the body is twisting the other side must ground itself as a counterweight. Use props such as blocks when necessary to help maintain a counterweight. Second, when twisting, work on maintaining a long spine. In the beginning this may not be possible. As you continue to practice lengthening the spine, the back will strengthen and there will be an increase in range of motion making the spine more flexible and amiable to stretching out. When engaged in a twist the abdominal organs are compressed and contracted. As the body moves back to center the organs are released adding fresh oxygenated blood in while squeezing out toxins. This is both stimulating and cleansing for the organs.

Next time we'll explore Gomukhasana, an excellent way to open up the shoulders and heart while preparing for backbends.

Be well,

Miss. S