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Today’s blog is all about transitioning into the Fall season. We started down this road last week when I showed you a couple of yoga poses that are perfect for balancing the energy of the season! We dive deeper today as I share simple lifestyle practices from Ayurveda to ease into the season with greater love and alignment.
What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is a sister science to yoga. It is a holistic system of well-being that traces its roots back to the Vedic era in India (thousands of years ago!). Ayurveda sees all of Nature, including ourselves, as being composed of 5 basic elements – ether, air, fire, water, and earth. These 5 elements govern our body (on the physical, mental, and emotional levels), the seasons, weather, time of day, foods that we eat, and more! What does this have to do with feeling good in the Fall? For this, I will give an example. My own body-mind constitution is Vata-Pitta; Autumn is the season governed by Vata (air and ether). Since Vata is in my constitution and it also predominates this season, the Vata in Nature can exacerbate the qualities of Vata within my body and mind. These qualities are dry, rough, cold, mobile, and light. These qualities can give rise to dry skin, restless mind, constipation, feeling ungrounded, and anxious. I have always noticed that I feel a bit unsettled and ungrounded as I transitioned into the Fall season, but I never knew why until I discovered Ayurveda! Now that I understand this dynamic of excess air/ether in the climate exacerbating those same qualities within myself, I have specific tools from Ayurveda that I can implement every Fall to help ease my transition into the season. Here are some of those tools that you can also use today: 1. Oil Massage To counter the dryness of the season, Ayurveda offers us Abhyanga, a daily self-massage with oil. Sesame oil is generally a great option this season! 2. Eat Root Vegetables Eat food that grows close to the Earth. These foods naturally carry grounding qualities of heaviness and moisture that help counter the qualities of excess Vata (light and dry). Examples of such foods are carrots,beets, potatoes, and pumpkin. Cook these vegetables in soups for added moisture and easy digestion. 3. Grounding Activities Examples of grounding activities include restorative yoga asanas gentle walks in nature, and spending quality time with friends and family. Leave a comment to let me know how these practices work out for you! Need further guidance specific to your constitution? Schedule your complimentary coaching call here Keep Reading: What is Ayurveda? Yoga Poses for the Fall Season Letting Go Nature has begun Her transition to Fall. At this pivotal time when Nature begins to shift Her seasons, Ayurveda says it is important for us to pay attention and adjust our routines likewise. Yoga can help us with this transition by moving from our more vibrant physical practices of the summer to more energetically grounding practices. Today, I will show you two poses that are really great for grounding the cool, dry, and mobile energy of the Fall season, which Ayurveda characterizes as the Vata dosha.
Leave a comment below letting me know how you enjoyed these poses! Did you run into any challenges or have any questions? Were you able to tap into that feeling of grounding? Sending you so much love! Keep Reading: But What if I’m Not Flexible Yoga in 5-Minutes or Less 3 Poses to Wake Up the Spine Imagine waking up every morning with a sense of excitement and a smile on your face. Imagine waking up before your alarm goes off and jumping out of bed because you just can’t wait to get your day started! Okay, okay, I know this can seem a little far-fetched, but let me explain. A morning practice is anything that you do in the morning to uplift and inspire you for the rest of the day. It could be as simple as expressing gratitude for the day, setting an intention, breathing with awareness, going for a walk, sipping on tea, reading a book, or listening to the birds chirping outside. Having a morning practice gives you time just for yourself to do something that you enjoy before jumping into the demands of your day. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
My own morning practice started when I was only 12 years old. I was inspired by my father who would go running at 4:30 every morning, and I decided that I wanted to join him! I set my alarm clock the night before, would climb out of bed in the morning, get changed and meet my dad at the bottom of the stairs to run with him. I loved it! Since then, my morning practice has evolved and now includes a combination of movement, breathwork, meditation, and reading. You can read more about the evolution of my morning practice here Now that you know my journey with a morning routine, including the excitement and challenges along the way, learn my top 3 reasons for starting a morning practice Are you ready to give it a try? If so, check out these 3 simple tips for getting your morning routine started as early as tomorrow!!*** Leave a comment below to let me know how it goes for you!! What was the most helpful tip for you in this blog? What are your greatest challenges towards starting a morning routine? Sending you so much love! ***Need an extra boost to get started on Monday mornings? Join Holly for Sunrise Yoga every Monday at 6am EST live-streamed to your living room! Reserve your spot here Keep Reading: Live with Intention New Year, New You 3 Poses to Wake Up the Spine |
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