Building a Better SELF This AUTUMN
Working WITH the SELF and the SEASON
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this time of year correlates with the lung and large intestine channels that run though the chest and arms. and are associated with sadness and grief and letting go. Use this time of transition and transformation during Autumn to create a greater ease in your ability to balance taking in and letting go – as is represented in the lungs and the large intestine.
Like the trees in autumn, as they start to draw their energy inward and their leaves change colour as they prepare to release what no longer serves them for the winter, so too we as humans can bring nourishment back within, and let go of what no longer serves us. This is a beautiful time to check in with self and ask the question, What does a ‘better self’ look like? With the end of this cycle, we too can turn inward and release the comings and goings of life.
“Devotion to self and doing for yourself first will give you the drive to achieve your goals and fulfil your purpose.” Annette Noontil
Reassess and re-set your goals after turning inward and seeing what it is that you really want. Remember you have potential to achieve and be successful. Keep your goals in mind and go for it one step at a time. Regardless of what ‘better’ is to you right now, thinking and moving with loving kindness and building a regular yoga practice can be the key here. Gaining the ability to tune into what you need in that moment has many advantages and is well worth practicing.
To get to this point, many of us need to build into and sustain a regular practice, through many ups and downs and keen moments filled with motivation and others with great gaps between our practice stints. This is all okay. It may take years but the key is to continually come back. Coming back to rediscover what works for you right now.
When yoga becomes your happy place, your reward and something you look forward to, it becomes easy to make happen. When you integrate what you learn on your mat into your every day life, when you truly see the value and impact yoga can have on your life, your practice becomes sacred. Like a life giving force. Something you value so much, you put it first. At this point, choosing and doing the aspect of yoga you want or need, becomes second nature. It becomes true medicine to both your physical and mental health.
Find an aspect or type or stage (limb) of yoga that you like, that suits you and work on that. One that you do feel like doing. There is always something. From there you will grow. Work within your likes to some extent. Work with what is easy to ‘take in’ or do. As you feel any resistance - resistance to change, resistance to new things, resistance to ideals or belief systems you hold, resistance to hard work, resistance to facing your fears - become aware of this. Be gentle with yourself. Don’t give up when things get tough, learn and become aware of what is limiting you in that moment and perhaps change your goal. Gradually, the gaps between your regular practice become smaller and less frequent. As you move through challenges you are growing more than you know.
As you build the strength on one side of your leg or shoulder, you gain flexibility on the other, as you fail and fall, you learn that it’s not the failing that matters, as you strengthen your core, you strengthen your self esteem and empower yourself to make better decisions as you connect and strengthen your solar plexus region. As your physical journey continues, so does your mental and emotional one. One leads the other as they work together… and eventually you may feel interested in growth on a spiritual level.
Here an emotional strength and resilience develops like no other. Balancing loving kindness and discipline becomes easier. Becoming aware of when you are copping out, letting old patterns creep back in or being lazy… and when you actually need the break or have an excuse good enough that is worth losing what you gain when you practice.
May your yoga practice assist you in creating greater balance and ease this Autumn so that you tap into and develop your best self – releasing what is no longer serving you. Practice with loving kindness and remember that regular conscious deepening and slowing the breath helps to relax the nervous system and communicate to your body that you are safe. Change, sadness, grief, and letting go can be connected with emotions of the heart. By stimulating the lung and heart channels, we encourage these emotions to be processed and released, preventing any stagnations of energy due to suppressing or holding onto emotions. Maintain slow deep breathing allows any emotions to be released without attachment.
Honour what is released with a sense of compassion. As we let go, we create space for growth. By turning inward we create rest and relief physically, emotionally and mentally. As we face challenges and changes in life and when we let things go, we may encounter resistance. The neck, shoulders and hips are the most common areas we hold tension and stress.
Through our practice, may we invite openness to encourage us to move forward with clarity.
Welcome in feelings of being ready to change with an open mind and heart.