By 'Ayurveda' standards, autumn is considered the Vata season. Vata energy is associated with the elements of space, air and movement, which make sense, since fall weather generally presents drier, windier conditions, vata energy is associated with our body’s nervous system and is the cause of the frenetic energy that creates prickly attitudes and makes it difficult to produce focused thoughts with clarity. On a physical level, this is the time of year many of us notice drier, rougher skin and a few more pops and cracks in our joints. This is the time to increase your Chia seed and lemon drinks, full of omegas to help your joints stay well oiled.
To balance out this super-charged energy, we need to focus our attention on getting more grounded, calm and balanced. So I have been changing my yoga practice and my classes, when spring turned to summer, we now need to flow with the season and switch up our asana practice which is an enjoyable time as the heat increases we increased the heat in the body and stronger invigorating postures. At this time need to modify any overly kinetic yoga practices because vata energy can very easily become chaotic.
To promote more stability and serenity in our practice, if we normally practice a flowing vinyasa, it’s important to slow down the pace. Exhausting ourselves only makes us crankier and more depleted. By practicing more standing poses, especially balancing poses, we increase the focus on our foundation and gain more overall stability. Holding poses just a little longer creates a feeling of rooting into the earch, which on a psychological level is reassuring – we don’t feel so “flighty.” Practicing “groundedness” draws the mind inward and calms the nervous system. Eg Lots of Trikansana, side angle postures, & Tadasana's
This week we are focusing on Slowing our practice with meditative restorative yoga, hatha Bikram, Iyengar-style and Yin yoga with the ultimate goal to experience a deeper feeling of sthira (stability). Yin poses also have the added benefit of bringing attention to and more relief to the deeper connective tissues within and around the joints. We all need that.
Other poses to add to our Autumn practice are twists, inversions and easy backbends. The wringing action of any twist is calming to the spinal nerves and also stimulates the digestive system, which oftentimes gets stagnant in the Autumn and leads to indigestion, bloating and other intestinal disorders. Inversions help to focus frenzied scattered energy back toward the earth, giving a deeper feeling of support. Backbending poses open the chest area and can build up a bit of internal heat, which is very beneficial as the warmer temperatures of early Autumn cool off.
Making pranayama (breathing practices) a habitual part of our yoga practice promotes a more restful nature overall. In my YogaFit Classes you get the opportunity to learn Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) which is a highly beneficial breathing exercise to clear out and relax the deep, subtle energy channels within the body. And ujjayi breathing deepens the breath and, like backbends warms the body as it pacifies an agitated nervous system.
When it comes to getting the best out of your body and mind I strongly believe it's well worth spending time looking at clean nutrition and yoga/relaxation breathing techniques and working out how to fine tune your own body.
You may even find increased slightly warmer foods along with the raw way of life may suit you over the change of season, using vegetable soups and earning healing teas.
What works for one body type may not work for the next, however ancient practice that is holistic and healing for the digestive system and mind plays a huge role in keeping your body full of energy and vitality. That's why they call it the Yoga glow healing from Inside out.
Blessings
Nicky
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