The Energy of Autumn –by Ayeshah Khan (Akasha School of Yoga)

In the fall, nature conspires to appeal to our senses. The brilliant colours, the rustle and crunch of dried leaves beneath our feet and the smell of autumn harvests. It is a time when the nights are drawing in and nature is slowing down with shorter days and longer nights. In nature, autumn reflects dryness and there is a feeling that the earth’s energy is truly gathering inwards in preparation for “letting go” for the winter. It is hard not to take in every moment.

Some Daily Habits to try for Autumn:

Tune into seasonal energy –Energetic theme of a typical Autumn day is about doing less and focusing inwards, be consciously aware of your thoughts and moods, monitor areas of your life where you might be pushing yourself or others too much, try and be enthusiastic and positive in your actions while holding onto your principles and keeping commitments.

Start the day with 8 FULL breaths –to energise yourself and your brain. Try this now -Close your eyes and observe mindfully as you take slow, deep breaths in and out through the nostrils. When you are done you will feel calmer, more centred and more focused. Your breath is a relaxation tool that never leaves you. You can access it at work, while running errands or whenever you feel stressed.

Mucus control –Avoid getting colds, flu’s and chesty coughs by matching the dryness of autumn within your own body. Avoid mucus forming foods. Start the day with a ginger and lime infusion.

Dry skin brushing/moisturising – work upwards towards the heart and moisturise with a cream with the least amount of chemicals in it.

Start to wear warmer clothes –skimpy clothes in the winter encourage the body to put additional fat onto it to keep it warm.

Eating in Season

Some Ayurvedic physicians warn that consuming genetically engineered foods could cause a "crisis of consciousness"—a stale, numbing effect on our senses. So this autumn try and introduce seasonal produce that match the Season we are in.

Diet:

Enjoy more spices to keep up the internal temperature and stop mucus forming.

Avoid sugar, wheat and above all dairy products and orange juice as they are mucus forming which is not good at this time of year.

A typical Autumn food list:

Apples, apricots, pears, carrots, celery, chestnuts, walnuts, grains, mushrooms, onions, turnips, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, ginseng

The cooking style for Autumn:

Prepare and cook foods for a longer time using methods such as roasting, pressure cooking, steaming or boiling

General fitness:

Lots of wide arm-opening stretches or yoga back bends to increase lung capacity. Work on yoga breathing techniques (pranayama)

Make your autumn exrecise routine a little slower and more refined.

Surrendering to Silence

William Butler Yeats once said, "We can make our minds so still like water that beings gather about us to see their own images and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even a fiercer life because of our silence." Just being in present awareness, at ease in our own quiet hearts, can make us a reflecting pool, and those who gather around will tend to see their own images. There is a presence that transmits itself loud and clear, if we attune to it. Rather than straining to quiet the mind in meditation, simply relax into the quiet that contains the mind.

By Ayeshah Khan, Akasha School of Yoga (http://www.akasha.org.uk/)