In yoga and meditation, we so often talk about letting go. Releasing. Creating space. That less is more. And while we often talk about all of this in relation to emotions and thoughts and habits, this tangible experience of “letting go of needing my stuff” was so transformational that it gave me new insight into all the baggage we hold onto.
Read MoreSeptember races in, pushing us to a starting line. We launch eagerly into new commitments and rededicate ourselves to routine. Yet, along with the excitement of what is to come, we may also experience nostalgia, and sometimes anxiety for what we leave behind. While it is a time of new beginnings, it is also a time of letting go and release. For me, September has always felt profound in this way, offering both a time for change and reconnection; good-bye and hello, transition and transformation. In short, autumn is a masterful teacher of change and transition.
Read MoreDetoxing in the fall may sound counterintuitive. After all, spring—Ayurveda’s other optimal time to detox—is our cultural cleaning season, whereas autumn feels like a time to hunker down and get back to work.
“In the spring, it’s about shaking off the weight of winter and getting revved up for summer, and we’re good at that,” says Ayurvedic consultant Scott Blossom.
Read MoreChange, self-initiated or not, moves us through a transition zone which creates a sense of groundlessness. The scary in-between state of letting to go of what we’ve always known and/or done to allow for something new (a new habit, pattern, way of thinking or acting) to emerge. It’s like being in flight between trapeze bars. It takes skill, dedication, and courage to relax and trust into this groundless state.
Read MoreVata is the "Air" element characterized by wind, movement, coolness, and dryness. In autumn and early winter Vata is the dominant energy both around and within us. It is also dominant through times of change and transition, as we age, and in various other 'ungrounding' conditions.
Read MoreDetoxing in the fall may sound counterintuitive. After all, spring—Ayurveda’s other optimal time to detox—is our cultural cleaning season, whereas autumn feels like a time to hunker down and get back to work.
“In the spring, it’s about shaking off the weight of winter and getting revved up for summer, and we’re good at that,” says Ayurvedic consultant Scott Blossom.
Read MoreFor me, September has always felt profound in this way, offering both a time for change and reconnection; good-bye and hello; transition and transformation. It is the ultimate time to pause. In fact, nature uses a big pause right now - between the expansion of summer and contraction of winter, she provides us with a moment of balance – the Autumn Equinox.
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