As the days begin to get shorter, the autumnal equinox brings the balance between the light and dark phases back into balance. The evenings are getting closer, and our mornings are getting darker. This season is about getting rid of what no longer serves us. It’s about following nature’s guidance and starting to focus our attention on ourselves. So how can we use the practice of yoga, sophrology and naturopathy to reflect the changing seasons?
What can yoga do for you this fall season?
It takes more time to settle into our postures and give the body the time it needs to relax and restore. Use this time to focus on yourself, what you really need, and what you are ready to let go. Just as trees shed their leaves, you can also get rid of what you no longer need.
Say welcome to fall:
As the weather gets colder and wetter, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get up and move your body all over the place. Adding static and strengthening poses to your practice will help build internal body heat. Working on strengthening postures helps build the inner resilience you need to weather the storms that colder seasons bring.
Take rest when you need it:
This is the season of slowing down, as we say goodbye to the heat and energy of summer, fall encourages us to recognize when it’s time to rest. Throughout your practice, show compassion and kindness to yourself and strike a child’s pose (Balasana) whenever you are called to rest and reconnect.
Make yourself comfortable:
If you can’t make it to your yoga class, create a cozy sanctuary in your home. Bring cushions and soft blankets into your space. Light a scented candle or incense, and use a lamp, fairy lights, or a Himalayan salt lamp to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Sophrology: an escape to a universe of well-being.
Through a unique combination of breathing, relaxation, movement and positive visualization, you learn to connect to your inner resources to overcome stress-related issues (sleep problems, anxiety, burnout) often caused by excessive thoughts. and the rumination of the past. It also helps you support your personal development (build confidence, find purpose, develop self-awareness) so that you can access a higher level of well-being in your daily life.
Focus the mind:
We have all been there at one time or another, this state of overactivity of the mind where nothing seems to calm it and where it turns into an uncontrollable agitation that prevents us from enjoying the present moment, from sleeping or from finding clarity. With sophrology, we give the mind a target to reach in practice, either by listening to the sensations generated by the movement, by visualizing a color, an image or a positive result, or by using the breath to release tension.
Through this, the mind slowly but surely shifts to a more focused and calm state. People who try sophrology for the first time often say that they quickly reach this state of calm by following the sequence of guided exercises. Unlike other meditative practices, sophrology does not require you to set aside a specific time during the day to sit in silence and “empty your mind” of all thoughts. On the contrary, sophrology is easy to implement, you can take a few moments at any time of your busy day and the practice will naturally soothe you and help you achieve a state of calm and serenity.
For moms, sophrology can bring a sense of calm amid the chaos – helping them keep their cool even in the midst of the most tumultuous tantrums!
Naturopathy: listen to what nature has to say!
Naturopathy can help us get through the fall smoothly by adapting our diet, our sleep and our physical activity to this new season. So let’s take advantage of the pleasure that autumn offers us through the magnificent colors of our trees, hedges and forests and bathe in its beautiful golden light.
Choose foods that stimulate the lungs and promote the evacuation of phlegm. These include: chestnut, leek, mushrooms, celery, spinach, radish, cucumber, rice, sorghum, millet, tofu, garlic, shallots, olives, honey, apricots, figs, grapes, oranges, pears, apples, lemons, berries, almonds, walnuts and pine nuts.
Also, put foods on your shopping list that support your gut. These include beets, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, fennel, eggplant, lettuce, pumpkin, buckwheat, sesame seeds, black pepper, nutmeg , bananas, grapefruit and beautiful seasonal rhubarb.
If you feel like you need a little boost, add these two supplements to your daily diet: Vitamin C to boost your immune system and magnesium (also found in extra dark chocolate) for you help you feel calm, aid digestion, soothe muscle aches and help you sleep. Autumn invites us to slowly (and mindfully) sip hot cups of herbal teas before a good night’s sleep.
