September - A time of transition
In 23 days we say goodbye to the Summer (I know, what Summer!?) and welcome Autumn.
Right now, we are experiencing a period of transition.
Transitions are hard because transitions involve change and we don’t often welcome change. We are creatures of habit and change is unsettling. For families September may symbolise transition more as school starts again, a new term, a new cycle, getting back into the routine, parents adapting back to daily life.
Or it may just feel slightly overwhelming as we move into the last quarter of the year, we may have this sense of time is moving too quickly, like we have run out of time. Perhaps a feeling of not achieving certain things we had of hoped by this point in the year. BUT it’s often not until we take the time to reflect that we realise how much we may have done and how far we have come.
It’s already clear that the transition is upon us, the nights are drawing in, the evenings bring a chill. We see the wild, warmer days of the vibrant (or not so!) Summer leave us, and welcome the comforts of Autumn in.
“Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is.”
~ Seth Godin
Autumn Equinox arrives on Saturday, 23 September.
The word "equinox” comes from Latin and means “equal night,” referring to the roughly 12-hour day and 12-hour night that occurs only on the two equinox days of the year.
On the equinox we honor the balance and interaction of the light and the dark. Just like the relationship of Yin & Yang, we appreciate and find gratitude for both aspects as one can not live without the other.
As we consciously link our awareness to the cycles of nature, our understanding of our own cycles of life begin to deepen. We are always experiencing ebbs and flows of constant ever changing states of being. The seasons teach us change is healthy, change supports our own growth.
The season of Autumn represents the harvest time of year, a time to acknowledge growth and expansion. Our lives too go through cycles of growth, harvest, death, and rebirth just as we see in nature.
Autumn is a time to make more space internally, to paying attention to our inner world. We get creative, not in the doing, not in the 'yang energy of summer', but in the slowing down, in the contemplations and visions of what's to come. We make space internally, by allowing all of what wasn't created or is not allowing us peace, to fall away.
To honour and experience the seasonal shifts with ease , I hold and host themed Retreat Days with another Yoga Teacher at The Bisley Yurt. We offer a choice of two days around the Solstice or the Equinox dates. A day to explore the energy of the particular time of year, learn different breathing and Yoga practices, and explore the healing frequencies of Sound.
Next up: September 30 ( 2 spaces remaining) & October 1 (sold out).
“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly”.
– Henri Bergson
Establishing a routine can help you adjust to a transition and help create consistency.
TIP: Start small and build up, don’t strive for unrealistic goals. If you want to start waking up earlier, try 5-10 minutes earlier each day and build.
Try same/similar sleep and wake times
Eat warming nourishing foods, soups, earthy foods and increase natural oils
Reduce foods that are cold and dry - this ‘Vata’ time of year is about adding to the digestive fire
Avoid foods that are processed and refined
A daily walk, even better to start the day getting outside in fresh air
Move your body! Manage stagnant energy, exercise the heart, strengthen the body, connect to you
Meditation, or create intentions for the day or week - can be great addition to your routine
Try journalling: Feel heavy in thoughts, racing mind, doubting yourself, want to move towards a goal? Write to understand and to free the mind
Wishing you an easeful and peaceful transition as we soon move into Autumn.
Enjoy a changeup of routine and more rest as we slow down.
Make sure to keep nourishing your mind, body and soul.
Have a wonderful September friends.
J x