Fall: A Blustery Season: Finding your Ground!

Winnie the Pooh: Happy "Winds-day", Piglet.

Piglet: [being blown away] Well... it isn't... very happy... f-for me.

Winnie the Pooh: Where are you going, Piglet? 

Piglet: That's what I'm asking myself, where? 

[he is lifted into the air by a gust of wind] 

Piglet: W-Whoops! P-P-P-Pooh!

Winnie the Pooh: [grabbing Piglet's scarf] And what do you think you will answer yourself? 

Fall is a season of transition. As nature beings, we are invited to be in rhythm with this dance, whether subtle or intense depending on our location in the world. The days get shorter, the evenings and nights cooler, the leaves turn and fall. Sap flows in the tree trunks and plants store nutrients in their roots, preparing for the cold and frost. It is Vata season - a season where the energies of wind and space are aplenty: cool, dry, light, mobile, changeable. It is a season where our body is asked to adapt, both to the changing light and the changing temperature, adjusting metabolic rate and cellular activity to meet the needs of the winter season. 

Like Piglet on a blustery Fall day, many of us feel a bit more ungrounded this time of year. We may even be asking ourselves, where are we going? Our minds may feel a bit more scattered. Sleep may feel lighter than normal. The schedule sometimes feels out of our control. Those prone to anxiety or worry may notice it heightened during this season. This is Fall, a season of transition.

Just as a tree has particular chemical signals in response to light and cold and season change that adjusts the sap flow, the concentration of nutrients in the roots and the change of energy from blossoming and bearing fruit to retreating, losing the leaves and appearing dormant; our bodies use chemical messengers (hormones) to signal the changes needed to adapt our metabolism to the changing season. Our adrenal and thyroid hormones are the most responsible for assisting with seasonal adaptation with the adrenals playing a larger role in the Fall and the thyroid in the Spring. By bringing a grounded, stabilizing, steadying energy to our daily habits in the Fall, we can support our adrenals in making a smooth transition and help prevent symptoms like overwhelm, insomnia, anxiety and even Fall/winter colds and flus. 

As with all seasons, some people will be more affected than others, but the energy of the season will touch us all and paying attention to the daily routines that bring balance to your body and mind will ease the sometimes tumultuous transition energy. 

A few tips for finding your ground, for tethering your scarf, for allowing for the settling that is necessary to answer the question… Where are you going? 

•       Warm water and teas

•       Warm baths

•       Sesame oil massage

•       Grounding and sweet essential oils such as ylang ylang, rose and vetiver

•       Warming spices such as cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon

•       Warm foods (soups, stews and curries)

•       Root vegetables and squashes

•       Cooked foods rather than raw

•       Healthy fats

•       Slowing down when you eat

•       A mindful and consistent sleep routine

•       Saying no to a few things you might otherwise say yes to

•       Laughter

•       Play

•       Connecting time with those you love

•       A walk in the canyon, forest or beach

•       A little slower, steadier pace to your exercise routine

•       Limiting electronics, especially in the early morning and in the evening

•       A daily practice of gratitude, mindfulness and meditation

•       Deep breaths