Thrive into Autumn!

The wheel is turning in the plant kingdom. 

There are little hints all around that the seasons are changing, cooler nights, darker mornings, and the leaves on the trees have begun to turn the colors of the sunset. 

Temperature fluctuations become noticeable, with summer-like heat one day and cold and rain the next. 

Plants once vibrant and green, or flowering are "going to seed" and casting their hearty offspring into the warm earth. 

In preparation for the coming cold, energy the plants use for growing moves into the roots.

  

As the seasons change, if we tune into the plant kingdom, its signal is for us humans to follow by nourishing and caring for our bodies.

How many of us begin to feel the shift in our bones only to end up with a cold or flu? 


We may feel run down,"under the weather" or simply tired.   

via herb companion

Maybe our digestive system gets sluggish or we wake with puffy eyes and stiff joints.

The reality is, we are connected to our natural world and the more we are able to care for ourselves in a way that is interwoven within the rhythm of this vibrant world, the better and healthier we will feel during the change.

We can do this by taking a few extra steps and raising our awareness just a bit, during the transition. 

Here is an offering of ideas and hints to thrive into the slower, changing days of Autumn.

REST:

Get in bed earlier. This sends a signal to your body that it is time to slow down from the fast pace and long days of summer. You may naturally feel the shift inside your body, and feel your eyes drooping earlier than you are used to. Try to listen to your body and give it the rest it needs.
Crawling into bed even 15 minutes earlier will help with the change and 1 hour earlier is ideal. I even recommend spending a few nights outside (in your tent) sleeping close to the earth.  If this is not possible, take your blanket out under the golden falling leaves and have a little autumnal nap.

via whidbeycamanoisislands.com

NOURISH:
Eat foods that are in season now. You can find lists online or if you have a farmers market in your area, check into what plants, vegetables and fruits are available in the Fall months.The shift into Fall calls for heartier foods and warming spices, soups, roasted root vegetables, warm teas, healthy oils, freshly cooked warm foods, good protein, and stewed apples. These are just a few examples. 
Eating healthy, fresh, seasonal foods is an everyday essential not just during the seasonal change.
Don't forget to drink lots of fresh water!

via Firefly Yoga

EXERCISE:

Give yourself lots of permission to slow down. Take time to cultivate a sense of gentleness within the body. Stretch. Take a walk outside and drink in the color of the sky, the trees, the plants. Move with your breath. Tune in and ask your body how it would like to be active.Don't pressure yourself to do as much or push as hard as you do in the bright summer months.
Balancing and detoxifiying yoga poses are especially helpful this time of year.Try these suggestions: Yoga Journal Balance Sequence and Yoga Poses for Detoxing the Body

TONIFY:
Make a High Mineral Tea (nettles, oatstraw, red clover, alfalfa, red raspberry,rose hips) and sip it throughout your day. There are many lovely Fall plants such as yellow dock root, elderberry, burdock root, horseradish root, and spinach, that can be eaten or made into medicines such as yellow dock tonic, elderberry syrup, or a "last" greens pesto. 
These will help support your immune system while giving your body a little extra umph.

RITUAL:
Set intentions. Play with your intuition. Make time for Self Care. Practice simple ceremonies. Light a candle or watch the sun rise. Connect to and talk to the plants or a special tree, ask them for a healing or some fall wisdom. Drum. Create art. Write. Cultivate a sense of inner awareness. Listen. Meditate. Attune to the changes in weather.Ask for a healing dream before bed. 


Many spiritual traditions have their New Year during the Fall. It is an excellent time to contemplate the letting go of anything no longer serving your highest good and making room for the new.

LAY ON THE EARTH:
Spend 20 minutes everyday outside on the earth. It will help with much that ails you!