This time of year, I live for all of it. The tea and golden leaves; a cornflower blue, cloudless sky; bright and crisp apple days filled with the intensely beautiful reminder of life’s temporary-ness.
I went for a walk with a dear friend earlier today, and am still feeling so deeply nourished…
There is a part of ourselves that yearns to be seen, the same part of ourselves that seeks reconnection through Yoga, that can only be lifted out of our heart through friendship. Our true friends are the most meaningful mirrors we have into seeing ourselves from another perspective.
While our mindfulness practice can help re-orient our way of being so that we stay in closer touch with ourselves, nothing compares to the trust of a friend, sharing and reflecting.
Going for walks in nature this time of year honors the steadying quality of tethering our energy to the Earth in order to counterbalance the sweeping change taking place all around us. Meeting ourselves with grounding energy on our mat, we practice Yoga to adjust with the seasonal shift and work on postures and acupressure points that root and re-steady us.
The kidney pathway is a great place to start, as this energy center begins at the bottoms of the feet. Complimenting the kidney pathway by gently opening and expanding through the stomach and spleen pathways regenerates and builds digestive fire to resist cold-weather dampness and stagnation.
Foods that compliment Spleen energy include winter squashes and nuts (try adding walnuts to a nice squash & sage pasta!), and seasonal curries that incorporate favorable spices; cinnamon, cloves, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin and brown mustard seeds are all wonderful seasonings to incorporating to warm and support our digestive fire during this time. For breakfast, enjoy making some slow-cooked oats with spicy cinnamon, and be sure to make plenty of time to allow your system to rest.
Allow your digestive system to rest more than in the summer months. Try to have a light breakfast around 7AM, a bigger lunch between 11 and 1, and savoring a small meal of curry or soup before 7pm. This follows the meridian cycle of eating, and also helps us adjust to a new circadian rhythms; the lack of available sunlight affects our metabolic system as well as our emotional awareness too.
If you struggle with seasonal affective disorder, lean in to the abundance of time to rest and recharge. Sip tea, read books, let your energy be gathered in and stored. Our body prefers to follow the cycles of nature too.
