We are now only five weeks away from Autumn Equinox and already I am starting to feel the shift coming, as the nights are beginning to grow darker so too my energy is beginning to shift as well. Can you feel it?

At the Autumn Equinox there is a shift of emphasis from outward achievement (Yang qualities) to inner reflection (Yin qualities) and contemplation. Sometimes we can struggle at the change of seasons to adjust and this can unbalance us, especially in autumn when Vata energy (air) runs high.

As this subtle energy begins to shift out in the wider world and in nature so too our routines need to change to adapt. It is important at these times of change to ask ourselves what we need? What would help us feel better?

Often the body can be ready for change and for the pace to slow down a little. However the mind and spirit can still be clinging on to the memories of summer and the powerful energy that brings, which can leave us feeling a little edgy and unbalanced. A small shift in routine can make a big difference to how we feel and at times of transformation and change in our environment, or within our own lives, it can be really helpful to have time to connect outside to nature, inviting us to mirror the pace of the seasons from the inside out. Setting some time aside daily for walks can often answer the inner call we have to slow down and tune into what is going on around us, inviting us to align more easily to the new Autumnal energy that is coming.

As a lover of more quiet, feminine yoga practices I really enjoy the Yin energy Autumn brings with it, one that has a mixed resonance of both beginnings and endings with leaves falling from the trees making way for new growth. It’s a time that invites us back home to ourselves to reflect and reconnect with our roots, just like the trees do at this time. Historically, Autumn was a time for celebrations with harvest festivals to give thanks for the fruits of the earth. However, this gratitude was often tinged with melancholy with thoughts moving to the arrival of darker times of Winter and colder weather.

TAKE ADVICE FROM A TREE – LAY DOWN ROOTS AND GROW FROM THERE

It’s often a time when our mind moves to thinking about our year, what has ended and what is beginning. It’s a good time to reflect on what we have personally harvested so far in the year, to give thanks for everything and everyone who helped us on the way and to also plant some seeds of intention for the months ahead. Reflective practices like this can be really helpful in cultivating a sense of completeness or wholeness within ourselves, an antidote to the daily rush from task to task to complete our to-do lists.

Given time and space to really embrace this time of year, we can start to fully appreciate its beauty.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE

If we resist the change too strongly, we can end up depleting ourselves. At this time of year when the temperature drops, the body needs to be nourished by the food we eat and the exercise we do.