Autumn Self-Care Tips
Happy fall y'all. A new season invites us to align with the power of change. In Northern Michigan, up yonder above the 45th parallel, trees are turning color and shedding leaves. It’s Mother Nature’s haute couture version of Paris fashion week. For folks in southern or desert climates, autumn changes are more subtle. Yet, same qualities of cool, dry, windy, and subtle prevail.
Cooler temperatures beckon warm clothes and ciders. Dry winds change plant’s growth cycles. Leaves dry up and blanket the ground. You may notice your skin becoming dry and itchy. As daylight hours wane and trees release their summer wardrobe, nature reminds us to slow down, turn inward, and reflect.
Nature innately knows how to adapt to change. Observing her cycles and patterns can help you move through change with more clarity, ease, and enjoyment.
Mastering the practice of moving thru life changes, be it job, relationship, or seasonal, with focus, ease and grace, creates a fit body and clear, creative mind.
What life changes right now feel exciting or overwhelming? Are you entering a new season in a job, relationship or geographical location?
The change of seasons is a perfect time to learn how Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga and art of self-care, improves everything from workouts to sleep, digestion, mental clarity, emotional balance, and creativity.
Fall is the perfect season to embark on an Ayurvedic self-care reflection and rest adventure. Ayurveda offers easy, powerful ways to best optimize fitness and well-being during seasonal changes.
Here’s my favorite fall self-care tricks and treats. Weave a few into your daily routine, and watch how daily self-care investments accrue into lifelong well-Being benefits.
TIPS to HARVEST HOLISTIC WELLNESS
1. Strengthen Core in Tree Pose. On next hike, or, in backyard, stand next to a tree that is changing colors and shedding leaves. This yoga tree pose strengthens core muscles and core beliefs.
How to: Feet hip distance. Root legs downward from upper thighs to toes. Lengthen trunk- your core muscles upwards, through sternum. Notice breeze and birdsong. Align with autumn tree’s natural rhythm of both rooting down and letting go.
Inhale: Root into new mental, emotional, and spiritual patterns that will nourish your growth. Be aware of earth’s stable energy. Trust all universal rhythms and changes have potential to transform and support your dreams and goals.
Exhale: Release thoughts, emotion, or beliefs that no longer feel nourishing.
Note (especially for pitta types): Leaning against tree pose for support is not cheating. It’s about receiving help and improving sense of stability during life changes.
2. Nourish with Apples. Make homemade applesauce or mulled cider using warm, grounding spices like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and star anise. Use ground spices for applesauce; whole spices for cider. Apples help release summer heat that’s accumulated in body, and, support digestion. Treat yourself to a cider donut too!
3. Create a Bat Cave. Make a cozy nook to retreat for 10 minutes a day, where you rest and recharge body and mind. Unplug from neon lights of smartphones and laptops. Close eyes and welcome dark stillness of your inner world. Wait. Watch the inner light of your soul start to glow. I promise you’ll emerge revitalized and ready to deal with the jokers in your Gotham City.
4. Ayurveda Oil Massage. Autumn winds are cool and dry, causing dehydration and irritation in the skin. Invest in a few minutes of Abhyangha 2-3 times a week before showering and stoke a youthful glow. Abhyanga is Ayurvedic self-massage using warm herbal oil. It lowers stress, improves immunity, stimulates lymph system, and improves skin tone and texture.
Click here to print how to do this powerful at-home spa therapy.
Order daily massage oil from Banyan Botanicals. Organic, fair trade, and appropriate for all dosha types. Click here. This link saves you 15%. Use my wellness affiliate code KELLEN15 at checkout.
5. RDA of Fun. Remember to include the important element of fun. Do mountain climbers in a pile of leaves. Bench-press a great pumpkin 20 times. On walks or jogs, sprint to catch a falling leaf. Regular playtime supports body’s immune system and stokes an attitude of gratitude.
BIG hugs…
Kellen
Ps. Curious how a customized Ayurveda seasonal routine helps you more effectively and easily achieve wellness goals and career dreams? Let’s connect. I’ll carve $20 off on an Assets & Liability Portfolio consult when you book before October 1, 2023. You can schedule anytime between October 1 - November 1, 2023.
