Hello
I hope you are well and that the transition into autumn has been good to you so far.
I love this time of year for the change in the trees and plants, the colours, pumpkin scones and yummy soups and the opportunity to get cosy with big jumpers and fluffy socks. I also like the invitation that this time gives to slow down. Summer is wonderful but it can be so busy and full on and as autumn comes it feels like life is saying “slow down, you can rest if you need to.”
I’m a naturally busy person and slowing down doesn’t always come easy so I am grateful for noticing the change of seasons and the reminder to rest.
Of course this time of year isn’t for everyone and it’s not always easy. It is colder, wetter and darker and that can be a challenge for us all at times. From the point of view of Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga that focuses on health through holistic balance) autumn is a time when Vata energy is high. What this means is we can sometimes feel more unsettled or anxious at this time as we move through the seasonal shift from summer to winter.
Vata is associated with the wind element is all about air and space. To balance out this energy it can help to do things that help us feel more grounded and connected to the earth. Below are a few of my favourite grounding practices for when I feel unsettled or need to come back into the moment.
Feel the earth beneath you – I’m sure I have probably said this a million times before but this is really my first go to practice when I am unsettled or lost in my head. Really sinking into the sensation and feeling of my body on the earth (or whatever surface I’m sitting/laying/standing on) can help no end in starting to feel calmer.
Nadi Shodhana and Ajapa Japa – These are two pranayama breathing practices that I do pretty much everyday. It doesn’t need to take more than a couple of minutes to completely shift how your feeling. The first, Nadi Shodhana, is the alternate nostril breathing which I think I have shared here before and there is a post on my blog here which explains what it is and how to do it.
The second is Ajapa Japa, in it’s simplest form this is breathing in time to a short mantra, I personally like So Hum, which means I am that. As you breathe in say to yourself So and as you breathe out say Hum. Personally I like to do this after Nadi Shodhana and I imagine the movement of my breath, and the mantra, travelling up and down my spine. So imagine breathing in through your tail-bone and up your spine to your head saying So, and then imagine breathing out from your head, down your spine and out your tail-bone, saying Hum.
Connect to your root chakra - The root chakra is all about the earth and feeling grounded. Any practice that helps you to connect to and balance this chakra will help you to feel more ground, settled and less anxious. For more info on the root chakra and practices that connect to it check out this post.
Move your body – One of the best ways to reset and get out of your head is to get into your body and move. Focus on the sensations of your body and breath rather than your thoughts. Not only does this change of focus help us break the cycle of an overactive mind but when we move we can release tension and stress hormones from our bodys, leaving us feeling calmer and brighter. Everyone has different needs when it comes to movement but if feeling more grounded is your goal you might find slower and stronger movement to be beneficial. This could be slowly moving between Warrior I and Warrior II, Inhale into Warrior I and exhale to Warrior II, continue to repeat this from one to the other. Or a slow and mindful Sun Salutation.
If you’re feeling particularly flighty, anxious or unsettled sometimes you need to meet that energy first before you can slow down or be still. If this feels like you then a minute or so of bouncing, jumping and shaking can do wonders. You’ll regularly catch me shaking like a total loon when I have stressy or anxious energy to let go off. Let go of worrying whether you look silly for a few moments and let your body shake it off. Imagine shaking off your stress just like the trees are letting go of there leaves.
Letting go
As well as signalling a time of rest autumn also offers us an opportunity to let go of things that aren’t serving us. All around us nature is letting go, trees are shedding their leaves and plants are dying back to the ground to settle into the earth for winter’s rest. Nature does this with such grace and beauty and we could all take a lesson from this. We often hold on to the past for much longer than is useful. As we move through this changing season we can take the opportunity to pause and ask ourselves what we want or need to let go of. Maybe it’s old thought patterns or habits or past experiences that still effect us now.
Journalling can be a wonderful way to get in touch with our inner wisdom and find out what it is that we need to let go off. The act of writing things down can sometimes really help in the releasing process too. Sometimes it’s enough just to get the thoughts out of our heads and on to paper. You might even make a ritual of burning or throwing away the paper afterwards to help strengthen the feeling of letting go.
You could start with some prompts such as ‘what am I holding onto that I no longer need,’ ‘what habits or patterns of behaviour are holding me back’ or ‘what past experiences still effect how I feel today.’ Or you might prefer to try free writing, simply start writing without an agenda and see what comes out. It can feel silly at first but I always find that before long thoughts and feeling come out on to the page.
If writing isn’t for you you could spend some time getting quiet and meditating to ask yourself what is holding you back and what you need. There’s a short meditation on my Youtube channel here that might help you.
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