What is going on in nature and in our bodies during the Autumn season?

It is important to understand how to bring harmony to our entire being by harmonizing our outer world - the season and its elements, with our inner world - our organ health, emotions, and cozy feelings.

We can look to the wisdom of nature for some tips. After all, she has been thriving for over 3 BILLION years, so I think she is pretty worthy of some observation and note taking!

Autumn is a time when we observe the leaves falling from the trees, reminding us to let go of what we do not need to prepare for a time of drawing inward, hibernation, and focusing on what truly nourishes us. So, that being said, it is a good time to finish up those projects we began in the spring and summer. We can step back, be proud of ourselves, and honor all we accomplished and experienced in those more active, extroverted seasons. Now is the time to begin more internal projects that involve cultivating the intellectual, physical, or spiritual aspects of our lives.

The element of the fall season is Air. It is easy for us to understand when we observe a big gust of wind (air) that blows through the trees and encourages the beautiful dance of the leaves as they fall gracefully to the ground. We might observe this element of air within our own being in the form of shifting from one idea to the other, un-focused attention, or even being physically warm, then cold. But, while we cannot change the seasonal weather shifts, we can maintain internal balance by adjusting our lifestyles to counter the predominant Air element in nature. We do this by incorporating yoga poses, food and lifestyle choices that naturally hold the opposite qualities and balance the Air quality present in our lives. Allow yourself to pause, relax, get cozy and focus on what will balance and nourish your mind, body and soul throughout the colder months.

Each season has corresponding pair of organs. The organs of focus for autumn are the lungs and large intestine. Each organ has an expression of an emotion as well. For fall, being an air seasons, one of the main organs is the lungs. Emotionally, when we feel out of balance or simply are not breathing fully, the tendency is to experience feelings of grief. However, if we stay balanced through this season, concentrate on simply breathing deeply and fully, we experience positivity. We can understand this, as it is the lungs’ job to bring in fresh, new, inspiring positivity in the form of oxygen. The other organ of the fall season is the large intestine. When this organ is out of balance or ill, it encourages us to look at our emotional capacity to let go and use discernment. When we are not living in harmony, we see these qualities turn to clinging and judgment. We can understand this, as it is the large intestines job in our body to decide what is useful for the body and what can be released via elimination.

Please stay tuned for my next blog posts on how to use nutrition, yoga poses, meditations, and herbs to stay healthy, happy, and in perfect harmony through the seasons!

LOVE!

~ Anne-Lauren