Time to get hold of a sweater and a pair of long trousers-- autumn has arrived! Pumpkins and apples have actually changed berries and melons, and the morning sun is rising a little later ... however wait, what does this have to do with yoga ?!
With a new season upon us, yoga can be a fantastic tool to assist our bodies adjust to the cooler weather and shorter days. The word "detoxification" gets thrown around a lot in the health community, but it"s not always about eschewing strong foods in favor of stylish juices and hunger pangs. In the Ayurvedic tradition, cleaning and detoxing during the changing of the seasons is an essential practice that keeps our bodies healthy and aligned with nature. Since autumn is all about slowing down, we can take a cue from the period and "detoxification" the busy, full energy of summertime. This does not imply doing anything severe, but rather deliberately reducing the mind and nurturing the body with basic meditation practices, pranayama and gentle asanas.
The following list details some ways you can begin to purify the body and align with the fall season. By just incorporating some easy asanas and breathing techniques, you can support your physical, mental and spiritual wellness as we change into the next part of the year.
1. Support your digestive system. During your asana practice, incorporate some turning postures to awaken the digestion organs and eliminate waste from the body. In the Ayurvedic tradition, seasonal shifts are prime time for detoxing, which can just indicate enhancing your digestive function as the foods we eat change in accordance with the weather condition. This can involve dietary modifications, like eating more grounding, warm, easy-to-digest foods. It can also indicate integrating yoga poses that help food digestion-- that"s where twisting is available in. (Be sure to wait at least one hour after eating before starting your yoga practice.)
Try this: After a few gentle warm up poses, move into some standing postures and add some standing twists like Parivritta Utkatasana (Chair Twist) or Parivritta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose). Throughout your cool off, attempt a seated turning posture, such as Marichyasana, or “Marichi’s pose.”
2. Nourish your mental and emotional self. While summertime is a time of heat and movement, fall is a cooler, quieter time, it is advantageous to deal with the seasonal shift in contrast to versus it. Take even more time to unwind and unwind by incorporating some mild and corrective asanas into your yoga practice. After practicing the above suggestions, close your practice with a mild inversion such as "legs up the wall" position, before an extended Shavasana. Mild and restorative postures are soothing to the body, and assist to de-stress and relieve the mind. Selecting gentle inversions will also promote the digestion system by reversing the blood flow to the digestive organs, increasing circulation in the feet and legs.
3. Make time for pranayama. For some, the most tough part of any yoga practice is sitting still and focusing on the breath-- yet it can also be a powerful device for concentrating the mind and aligning the body with spirit. Pranayama is Sanskrit for "extension of the breath" or "growth of the life force," so in regards to reducing anxiety, the breath is your finest ally for "broadening your life force." As we move into a slower season, utilize your breath to assist your capability to slow down and center yourself. Taking a few extra minutes daily for seated meditation with attention to the breath is yet another method to ground the spirit, move our focus internally and stay lined up with the earth as it streams into a brand-new season.
Do you feel the energy shift of fall? How do you find yourself changing your practice?
Autumn Yoga: 3 Tips to Help You Greet the Season
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