You can shape your yoga practice to the particular needs and characteristics of the season. After a hot summer which invites a slower, cooling yin practice, it’s time to look to the elements to tweak and adjust your routine for a perfect fall yoga practice.
Gratitude
Celebrations of abundance and harvest mark this time of year. Food is fresh and at it’s most nutritious, having just been harvested. With the cooler weather, there is a general tendency towards staying inside rather than going out.
This is a time to invite awareness and gratitude for the abundance in our lives. Take stock of everything in your life, your blessings and what the summer has given you. You can bring this awareness into your meditation practice after your asana yoga practice to connect deeply to your inner landscape.
Letting Go to Get More
Much like the outer landscape at this time of year, there is a beautiful contradiction of sorts between the abundant gift of food from the Earth, and the surrender we see with the trees and plants releasing their leaves.
Once you have taken stock of what you have, ask yourself: “What do I need to let go of?” This is, of course, a very challenging practice, but the benefits are often tenfold.
Just as a tree’s leaves nourish the soil that feeds those very roots, letting go of old pain – especially grief and old attachments – will clear emotional and mental space, freeing you up for new, nourishing activities and relationships.
Nourish Your Lungs and Skin
Fall is the season associated with the lungs, large intestine and skin. In traditional Chinese medicine, Fall is associated with the metal element, which makes this season the ideal time to do a heavy metal detox.
It’s important to drink a lot of water and eat foods that support this process and enhance the vitality of these organs. Such foods include seaweeds, cilantro, almonds and kale. It’s best at this time of year to avoid dairy, meat, sugar, heated oils and wheat – which are said to irritate the lungs and colon.
Enhance Your Immunity By Breathing
The power of breathing can never be overemphasized. In this case, the particular yogic breathing practice called Sitali Kriya aids in detoxifying your lungs and boosts your immune system by fully oxygenating your blood stream. In this way, Sitali Kriya helps your body release waste, balances your glandular system and keeps your lymphatic system fast flowing to ensure deep detoxification and physical vitality.
Sitali Kriya
For best results, practice this yogic breathing technique for 10 minutes each day during the fall months. Sit in Easy pose, Sukhasana, resting your hands on your knees, and make an “O” shape with your mouth. If you can, curl your tongue or otherwise simply place the tip of your tongue behind your lower lip.
Now, inhale through your curled tongue (or lips) and exhale very slowly out your nose. Bring your full Dirgha breath (3 part breath) into the mix, and your lungs and body will thank you when the flu season hits.