Embrace Fall
In the Find Balance this Fall post last month, I shared a bit about Vata energy that increases around this time of year. According to Ayurveda, yoga's sister science, the Vata dosha is made up of the elements air and ether and is characterized by qualities such as dryness, coolness, and mobility.
Outside, you can see Vata energy everywhere: the wind blowing through the trees, the crisp dry leaves swirling across the ground, the cooling air, and the shifting light. I experienced this while on a nine-mile hike in the White Mountains of NH last week. The wind on the ridge was fierce, the air was cool, and at times, we felt like we were walking through the clouds. We were lucky to have a break in the weather on our way down for some nice views of the hillsides blanketed in orange, yellow, and green.
If you feel overwhelmed and ungrounded, engage in self-care and nourish your body with warm, cooked foods, spices, and rich oils. This is also the season for slow, gentle yoga and grounding routines that act as an achor against the autumn winds.
We have a couple of options available to help you embrace fall with open arms.
Join our fall series of Yoga to Thrive classes to build body awareness, enhance mobility, develop strength, and improve balance. Yoga to Thrive is a comprehensive practice that combines various yoga styles (vinyasa, yin, and Self-Awakening Yoga) and integrates myofascial release and strengthening exercises to help you age gracefully, preserve your range of motion, and avoid injuries. Join us on Tuesdays, October 20 and 27 and November 10 and 17, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Register for one class for $15 or all four for $48 by completing the registration form here.
Use this Autumn Grounding Yoga Nidra to help you align with the changing season. This session combines deep body relaxation and a soothing autumn forest visualization. Release old attachments like falling leaves, cultivate daily routines of nourishment, and root down into the warm, supportive earth. Grab a warm blanket, settle in, and give yourself the gift of deep, restorative rest this fall.
Remember that while life is in constant motion, each new beginning offers the chance to let go and grow. Embrace the unknown with an open heart and mind, trusting that something wonderful may be on the horizon.
Just as the trees willingly shed their leaves, trusting that letting go is necessary for future growth, autumn invites us to release our attachments, our busy schedules, and the tension we hold in our minds.
Letting go isn't always easy, so I'll leave you with this poem by Danna Faulds for inspiration.
Let go of the ways you thought life
would unfold; the holding of plans
or dreams or expectations – Let it
all go. Save your strength to swim
with the tide.
The choice to fight what is here before
you now will only result in struggle,
fear, and desperate attempts to flee
from the very energy you long for.
Let go. Let it all go and flow with the
grace that washes through your days
whether you receive it gently or
with all your quills raised to defend
against invaders.
Take this on faith: the mind may never
find the explanations that it seeks, but
you will move forward nonetheless.
Let go, and the wave’s crest will carry
you to unknown shores, beyond your
wildest dreams or destinations. Let it
all go and find the place of rest and
peace, and certain transformation.
Comments