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10 Tips to Flow and Let Go with the Autumn Season

By August 30, 2023October 23rd, 2024No Comments
By Ashley Bradshaw
Founder, Lead Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Coach, Registered Yoga Teacher

Have the vibrant, burnt shades of orange and yellow touched trees in your area?

Transformation is all around us in nature with the leaves changing color and falling from the trees, crispness in the air, and days getting shorter. These are all signs of Mother Nature beginning to turn inward in preparation of the winter season. Even if you haven’t experienced these changes, with a powerful connection to nature, our body intuitively knows that transition is ahead.

Our body does take a minute to adjust to the changing environment of shorter days and cooler weather. Times of transitions like this can often leave us feeling uncertain or unbalanced.

It’s important for us to flow with the seasonal change rather than resist. The way we move, breathe, and eat can all help us flow and transition with the season to live and maintain a sense of balance in body, mind, and spirit. The combination of warm, balanced eating along with yoga and meditation will enable you to flow and let go with the autumn season.

Through change we stay grounded during this transitioning season.

10 Tips to Flow and Let Go with the Autumn Season

Nutrition-Style

You may be noticing that you are naturally desiring more warm, hearty foods as your climate begins to change with the season. Many intuitively adopt seasonally appropriate habits without even being conscious of doing so. As we transition to the cooler climate you may have more thoughts of warm breakfast cereal or getting a cup of hot soup for lunch. These foods help to balance the body in the cooler climate.

  • Focus on Moist & Warming Foods with spices and served hot. Like stews, soups, and root veggies. If you do have fresh salads include warm toppings like…
    • sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash
    • hearty grains like quinoa or brown rice
    • your favorite warmed bean
    • sauteed or steamed non-starchy vegetables like onions, kale, or endives

When choosing soups (canned or out to eat) stay mindful of the sodium and fat content. Creamed based soups may be higher in the not-so-healthy fat – saturated fat – with heavy cream, butter, or whole milk that may be added during preparation. Choosing a hearty broth-based soups may be more ideal. On the same note, creamed and broth-based soups both can be high in sodium. Stay mindful of this and work to find balance with the food you complement it with. Ensure adequate fluid intake to follow!

Crock-pot anyone?!? Prepare your own homemade soup so you know exactly what is in it. Modify the ingredients as needed to lighten the sodium and fat content!

  • Choose root vegetables to enhance your connection to the Earth.
    • Turnip
    • Parsnips
    • Sweet Potato
    • Ginger
    • Rutabaga
    • Kohlrabi
    • Jicama

Curious what’s in season? Click Here to get the list I curated, emailed to your inbox

  • Be Experimental with warming spices! This doesn’t necessarily mean spices that make your mouth and face warm : ) but rather ones like…
    • Cardamom
    • Cinnamon
    • Clover
    • Cumin
    • Ginger
    • Nutmeg
    • Oregano
    • Paprika
    • Black Pepper
    • Turmeric
  • Warm up with hot drinks! A cup of hot tea, chai, hot water with lemon and ginger! Cozy up with a warm blanket, a good book, and enjoy yourself a hot beverage. Maybe experiment with sprinkling in some of the warming spices.

Life-Style

  • Harvest the Fruits of Your Labor And Release What No Longer Serves You (a.k.a. settle into the new habits you developed and let go of those you did not attain this year).
    In the Spring we plant seeds of healthy living!The Summer we revisit the seeds we planted (by then, ‘plants’) and tend to them by pruning away old stuck habits, redefining intentions, etc. to allow space for the new habits to grow and focus our attention.In the Autumn it is time to harvest the fruits of your labor. Release the thought of these new habits as ‘goals or intentions’ and allow yourself to fully settle in and reap the benefits of your hard work.Old habits are hard to modify so I am sure there are a few seeds you planted in the Spring that never reached fruition, and that is okay! Let those plants, those intentions go for this season, give them back to Mother Nature. Release what no longer serves you. Have gratitude for what you did achieve and allow yourself to settle even deeper into your harvest.To help you release what no longer serves you and let go of the plants (a.k.a, intentions) that did not reach fruition, let’s take a moment to reflect on your experience.

    • Is there an even deeper rooted obstacle of the intention you planted that needs tending to first?
    • Upon reflection, was it realistic for you to achieve?
      • If not, why? Based on your answer, is this something that would best serve you to completely let go of? Can you give it to Mother Nature so you can focus your attention on what is realistic next time?
      • If yes, what obstacles held you back? Self limiting thoughts? Not making it a priority? Maybe a death in the family or health scare? Etc. Will you revisit planting this seed in the spring?
    • Was the intention you planted too loosely defined? Does it need to be more action oriented?

You can also turn to your yoga and/or meditation practice to journey inward to release and let go of what no longer serves you.

  • Stay Consistent with your yoga practice. Practice at the same time every day and for similar lengths of time. This will help to not only build routine, but to also help you remain positive and calm in body and mind through the holiday season.

Need help staying consistent with your practice? We got you! Click Here to get your Free Yoga with the Seasons Calendar and easily stay on track with your practice…because life happens. — Supporting you on your journey with some loving accountability 🧘🙏

Adapt a meditation practice to allow the time and space for yourself. Taking a moment for stillness will promote you feeling centered, present, and connected with yourself. Setting up for the true journey inward during the winter months ahead. Here is a meditation playlist to get you started.

Body-Style

As the seasons change, shifting the focus of your yoga practice to match the season can help your body transition through the seasons with ease and grace.

  • Intention of Yoga Practice.
    • As mentioned in the Life-Style section, a yoga practice with the intention of letting go and releasing what no longer serves you will help you to be one with Mother Nature as she is also releasing and preparing to turn inward.
    • Invite in gratitude as you flow. As you enter poses like child’s pose, pigeon pose, warrior I, high or low lunge, easy seat, etc. take the opportunity to bring your hands to prayer honoring the divine within and bringing to mind something you are grateful for in your life.
  • Incorporate key elements into your practice to help ease the transition like…
    • Restore (to embrace the yin nature of autumn)
    • Heat (to warm the body and keep circulation flowing)
    • Energize (to balance out the desire to stay in and hibernate with energizing postures)
    • Twists (to boost the immune system and flush the body of accumulated toxins)

Not sure where to get started?

We offer a variety of free offerings as well premium yoga programs available for purchase to help you flow and let go with the autumn season.

Maintain harmony mentally, physically, and emotionally.

With all of this said, your body will instinctively crave balance. Trust your instincts on the recommendations provided and always do what feels right for you to flow and let go with the autumn season!

Alright my friends, now go savor the day, take a moment for yourself, enjoy the warming foods of the season!

B R E A T H E

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