Autumn Advice from Ayurveda

If the autumn breeze has got you debating the thermostat already then read on… 

As the seasons turn, the balance of the five elements shift. As the ratio of the elements shifts different qualities; or perhaps different propensities and potential pitfalls become more prominent. In the summertime an abundance of solar energy (yes even in Newcastle!) bolsters the fire element within us. Everything is a bit hotter, a lot drier and energy tends towards upward movement. As autumn arrives we have often got some extra heat and some dry spots hoarded away in our systems. This natural imbalance will harmonise as we attune to autumn’s energies and offerings - but, if we jump straight into winter mode we risk missing this vital step and instead harbouring that imbalance for another season. 

Autumn arrives with changeable winds and polarised days. The afternoons are often bright and warm, yet the dark, cool mornings can quickly feel like a challenge. Not yet the cold and reflective qualities of vata that we move increasingly into over the last few months of the year but something a little more turbulent. Scattered winds leave our minds and airways irritated and distracted. The naturally stabilising element of earth shift into it’s cycle of decay and is hugs it’s resources back into its core, dropping its leaves and scattering its seeds; creating fertile ground for future possibilities, but leaving our system feeling less bolstered and more vulnerable. 

If we crank up the external heat too quickly, we might mislead our system into believing its got heat in abundance even as its reserves rapidly dwindle. Heat moves up and out, and even quicker in the drying conditions that heating systems create. Heat rising can trigger inflammation. Irritable joints and heart burn or even skin break outs and some shining emotions! Unaddressed dryness leaves our joints feeling clunky and our thoughts disconnected. This dynamic is aggravated by rapidly shortening days, paired with a return to routine that often means summertime pace is carried into the autumn months and the self defeating feeling of not achieving what you miscalculated you ought to have in a day leading to a general feeling of malaise (long before you turn the news on).

Thankfully Ayurveda offers readily accessible nourishing practices to soak up all the nourishment Autumn offers, whilst finding an internal balance as the elements shift. 

Commit to a Routine! 

As time contracts around you carving out time for the routines that really ground you can feel more challenging than usual, yet it’s never been more important! Simple preparation is often the key. Get your clothes ready before you head to bed, eat warm nourishing foods with plenty of time for them to digest, and perhaps even, choose an abrasive enough alarm noise that you simply can’t ignore! 

If you are prone to feeling sluggish this time of year Ayurveda says make your morning routine count most of all! In the early hours the qualities of kapha are naturally dominant but if we let them start to drag into periods that should be pitta driven then we quite literally dampen our inner fire. Sunrise vinyasa anyone?

Get your core really working! 

And by core - we really mean the whole midline of you! If you’ve been coming to classes for a while you’ll know how central a proper breath and core stability are in our sessions but here are a few key points. 

Surface heat does not guarantee inner heat, and outer heat is no replacement for a capacity to truly warm your core. When we think about moving often we default to thinking about our extremities. Movement is described in terms of limbs, rather than as a propulsion from and expression of the core and so it can be easy to fall into superficial and mechanistic ways of moving. Simply, If the breath isn’t an integrated part of the movement then we are most likely using our outer body to drive it rather than the core. You might hot and sweaty, but if you are panting you are depleting resources and not building them. Sure there’s a time for that! But Autumn is not it. 

We find true power when we are connected to the ground, our breath and our centre and it’s this kind of practice that truly nourishes our inner fire. Slow, strong and most importantly, sustainable!

You might have seen that our schedule from September until the end of this year has benefitted from the addition of a second functional strength class, a new core flow Tuesday mid mornings and an extra dose of dynamic vinyasa on Wednesday evenings - whilst of course, our favourites like deep flow, and power are in their usual spots!  If you are feeling like you just can’t stay warm at the moment consider booking into a core focused class, or perhaps, just pay a bit of extra attention to slowing down your movements and really completing your exhales. 

One sure sign you’ve got it really right is that as you settle for savasana the surface of your skin should feel a little cool, even though your core is warm! When we are stressed blood is redirected to the limbs and so our surface will feel warm, however, when we get that balance of challenge and rest just right we can work to our max, but as we settle down to rest our body will smoothly shift to parasympathetic dominance. You might hear a gurgle or two from the belly too! (It’s call borborygmus and is a good sign your bodies shifted its focus to your organs, plus it’s just a lovely word to say that doesn’t come up very often!) 

Make some space to slow down consciously. 

Yes. There are still task lists, but embracing the natural deceleration of autumn is an important part of harmonising your inner elements. Yin and restorative practices offer a slow, introspective approach that leaves plenty of space for reflection amongst poses that free stuck and stagnant energy in the body and leave your tissue feeling hydrated again. It’s not a trite metaphor to consider what you will be shedding and sowing this season too. Autumn is the beginnings of the dreams that’ll start to wriggle their way to the surface is spring time arises. So whilst you are blissed out over a bolster enjoy some space to contemplate… but don’t forget, these are slow growing intentions! You’ve got to plant them with patience. 

A final simple addition …

Switch out your usual choice of chilled beverage for something room temperature or even warmer to help support a strong digestive fire and keep everything running well! Sometimes it’s the littlest things that matter most!