The Granite Belt is such a beautiful part of the world to enjoy Autumn - and one of the very few places in Queensland where we can observe Nature transitioning through her cycles. Living in a rural landscape affords us the opportunity to fall in step with the seasons more naturally, and to surrender the high energy of summer and start to prepare for the colder darker days of winter.
The closer we stay to these natural cycles in our daily living, the more our wellbeing is enhanced, and it is important that this change in speed is reflected in our daily yoga practices. The analogies of “nesting” and “returning to the hearth”, reflect a natural desire to turn inward, and dive more deeply into the quietening practices of meditation, full body breathing, and slow yoga postures that flow smoothly, are held longer and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. What a nourishing way to spend a cool, breezy day.
Autumn is often the season that our natural state can be disrupted by an increase in the air element, or vata. In yoga, our dosha or constitution is dominated by one of three elements - vata (air), pitta (fire), kapha (earth). The change in temperature, the dry conditions and the winds associated with Autumn, can often exacerbate our vata dosha. This may leave us feeling restless, “spacey”, out-of-step, and can be reflected in our yoga practice through a sense of “holding on” , rushing through our practices, and difficulty finding a sense of stillness.
Our Autumn schedule at Yoga Tree offers classes that will include vata calming practices, to create stability - which can then be an entry point for quieting the mind, and may assist with insomnia. Our large intestine can be implicated when our vata dosha is out of balance, and practices that stimulate the intestinal fire, such as twists, and bhastrika pranayama may be incorporated into classes, and may relieve constipation and enhance our ability to let go.
Autumn is the perfect time to surrender more gracefully to the mysteries and complexities of the natural world and to offer our bodies minds and spirit time to rest, reboot, and renew. Majella and I and the team at Yoga Tree look forward to sharing these beautiful practices with you.
Photo Credit: Susie Higgins