Small Ways to Make a Big Change This Autumn
/Namaste Yogis and Yoginis,
September always has me on the run. And even though there is an excitement to the freshness of renewed schedules, new notebooks (for my List Of Things To Do), and reorganizing drawers and closets, it is also an important time for relaxation and slowing down. Under the fresh start of September there is an undercurrent of nostalgia; a complex intertwining of change and reconnection, good-bye and hello.
As we transition between the expansion of summer and contraction of winter, we move through the autumn Equinox. It is a moment of pause to exhale into the ebb and flow between light and dark.
The Equinox, which falls on September 23, 2015, has long been considered a highly spiritual time. A time for reflection, self-transformation, and recommitting to that which is most important to us. A moment of pause to exhale into the ebb and flow between light and dark.
“It is a moment of pause as we exhale into the ebb and flow between light and dark. ”
It is time to pause, even though you may feel like accelerating into September. It is time to nourish our roots, building our inner resources, like a tree pulling in sap. This will help preserve energy and boost our immune system for the eventual transition into winter.
As you launch into the fall remember: A Little + Often = A lot. To help you stay grounded, I have packed this issue of Yogalicious and every blog this month with small changes you can add to your daily and weekly routine.
Even a few little new habits now can support your health, help you to consciously create your autumn schedule, and recommit to what is truly important to you this season.
With gratitude,
Jillian
SMALL WAYS TO MAKE BIG CHANGE
Take a Short Walk Outside Everyday
Find a park or an area with some tress or seasonal vegetation. As you walk enjoy the smell of the air, notice the change in the environment. Most specifically, observe how the leaves change each day throughout the month. Each evening spend a few moments journaling about what you noticed today.
Have a Few Hours to Spend in Nature?
Plan a trip to the woods, or a park. Bring a journal. After enjoying the environment and taking a mindful walk, find a spot to sit down in. Relax, and look around. Find a tree to observe, and contemplate: if the tree was your teachers, if all the trees where your teachers, what would they tell you about change? Journal about what you learned from your tree teachers.
Practice the Art of Giving Thanks
On your hike out in nature, or as you walk, notice what makes you feel grateful. Notice the temporary reality of what you are enjoying. Mentally extend your gratitude towards your point of interest, as you see it and feel it. For being here now for you to partake in. Before bed, journal about your gratitude.
Clearing For Change
Eliminate clutter in your home. Instead of creating a super long list of fall jobs around your home, pick only one cleanup project you have been thinking of doing. Usually we have such a long list of things to do around the house, we either barely get to any of them, or rush through all of them. Instead, truly enjoy completing just one – feel the accomplishment and notice the change. Enjoy this new space in your home and in your mind for new energy and inspiration to flow in.
Do It Again, And Again, And Again
In general, try to stick to a regular routine; get more sleep, use less stimulants, do daily yoga. I know it sounds like a lot of things to concentrate on, but these simple techniques can help to keep you feeling grounded, steady, and healthy all season long!
And remember, even small changes - just a little bit, every day will equal big changes.
A Little + Often = A Lot.
On Grounding in Groundlessness
“It’s not impermanence per se, or even knowing we’re going to die, that is the cause of our suffering, the Buddha taught. Rather, it’s our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation. Our discomfort arises from all of our efforts to put ground under our feet, to realize our dream of constant okayness. When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment, or awakening to our true nature, to our fundamental goodness. Another word for that is freedom — freedom from struggling against the fundamental ambiguity of being human.”
