Autumn yoga

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun"
     - To Autumn by John Keats  

I don't think any of us are in doubt that autumn is upon us. From the admittedly wonderful balmy summer, temperatures dropped on the 9th September and have barely made it over 15C since. Is it too early to put the central heating on? Or perhaps try some heating Tummo meditation...

On 22nd September (this Sunday) Earth's axis of rotation is exactly parallel to the direction of its motion around the sun, meaning that the length of the days and nights are equal - this happens once here at the autumn equinox and again in the spring. As we move past this and the nights start to draw in, the possibility of a last blast of warm weather fades too and this can leave us with a feeling of loss. No more summer! But this is a wonderful opportunity to practice letting go. Acknowledge these seasonal changes and notice how we respond to them. Don't hold on. Autumn is also a time of refinement, getting rid of things that are not serving us, and focussing on what's important.

So in all this it's important to allow our daily habits, yoga/meditation practice and food choices also to change. To help tailor your yoga practice for autumn, we can make it calming, warming, strengthening, and consistent. 

In Chinese medicine the lungs and large intestines are the two organs most associated with autumn. To open the meridian lines associated with these organs, cat-cow movements, bridge, cobra, wheel, any chest and arm/shoulder openers, all work very well - and of course any breathing practice works directly on the lungs. From the Ayurvedic system (of which I know very little), warm soups, spiced ginger tea, and root veggies would seem to be the autumnal foods of choice. Makes sense!

Autumn can also bring with it a cold or flu - like the one I've just had. I found keeping my yoga practice consistent and regular helped a great deal with keeping my energy up. Just a short, gentle practice each day through the rough achey, nosey stages kept my body ticking over and the symptoms at bay. I was also gargling plenty of Propolis - a natural bee product that's extremely good at healing infections and combating colds/flu. I think that helped a lot too.

Spring comes with its flowers, autumn with the moon,
summer with breezes, winter with snow;
Free your mind of all idle thoughts,
And for you how enjoyable every season is!
     - Mumon Ekai

The fall bonsai exhibit at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. Toshio 2008