Thursday, October 7, 2010

Change....

This time of year is so amazing.... I always love fall. Well, maybe it is a love/hate sort of thing. I LOVE summer (OK, so that is not something that my friends and family will find as a surprise) and I am not ready to give up those wonderful warm rays of sunshine, the beautiful light, the flowers and the fun we have outdoors... not to mention wearing FLIP-FLOPS. But as an easterner, I simply love the reds, oranges and yellows of the trees, the crisp air, the CHANGE in the air. And Halloween. Thanksgiving: sharing & gratitude.

Also, I do so love winter... LOTS of snow: skiing, snowboarding, cold air making your nostrils stick together, hot coco, snuggling under the covers... even shoveling snow. I LOVE shovelling snow, yes that is strange. I know.

It is just such a bother to have to change from one to the other when I am not ready.

But when are we ever ready?

Change can be disorienting, so uncomfortable.... but also so exciting.

Transitions..... breathe through them... embrace the change.

In my practice I use this time to shake things up a bit. I find I need to look to different poses to engergize and engage me. In summer I look to cooling poses. At the change of seasons, twists are always good although I prefer them in the spring. However, I still am attracted to those twists... they are just slower and more meditative, perhaps reclined. Helps to increase the blood flow to vital internal organs.

In fall I focus on de-toxing, but my practice is more gentle. As always the yummy forward folds, energizing back-bends, the wonderful Warriors. The air-ways may need some support so I find I am also attracted to a deeper breathing, full and slow Ujjayi Pranayama.

Perhaps that is the urge to ponder, share and embrace the gratitude for all that we have in our lives. All that challenges us, all that makes us be the best we can be.

___Update after yoga class_______________________________________________

Somehow that topic of change came up in my noon class today, perhaps because a few of us were feeling a little creaky, maybe a little sore. So we had a slow, meditative flow practice, focussing on grounding through sitbones when sitting, through our hands & feet in other poses. Coming back to centre between sets. Moving mindfully through our sun salutations and when need be modifiying poses to make sure we were right where we needed to be..... ahhhhh....... ommmmmmmm.


I love my yoga community.

Namaste

1 comment:

  1. I agree that fall is wonderful, especially in October, when the air is crisp but not yet chilly. I also agree that adapting one's practice by season is wise. I tend not to gear down my practice during winter (or when I'm not 100%) but would probably benefit from more variety and seasonal change. I once wrote a blog post on this very topic: http://yogaspy.com/2010/03/03/hina-matsuri-cherry-blossoms-and-seasons/.

    Happy pumpkin season,
    YogaSpy
    http://yogaspy.com

    PS I wear flip-flops indoors all year round, but in winter I need to add socks, specifically Japanese toe socks with a place for each toe! They're now made by yoga and also running sock makers, but they are really traditional Japanese tabi socks.

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