Transitioning into Autumn
As Autumn graces us with cooler days and shorter evenings, it offers a chance to pause, reflect, and prepare for the inward focus of winter. In this season of transition, we find ourselves at a fascinating crossroads: the physical decay of Autumn blending with the symbolic renewal of Easter, drawn from the Northern Hemisphere’s spring energy. This duality reminds us of nature’s cycles and how they mirror our own lives. Dive deeper into these seasonal shifts and learn how to nourish your body and mind through practices rooted in yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
April is here and the season of autumn has arrived. Autumn is beautiful pivotal season between the Yang, active and out there season of summer and the more Yin or introverted season of winter. With the turn of the season comes a subtle shift in our day to day lives. It will begin to become a little cooler, the days a little shorter and that cosy feeling begins to set in as we prepare for the depths and introversion of winter. In Autumn we allow ourselves time to reflect, take stock and begin to pace ourselves in preparation for winter. Interestingly however, for us here in the Southern Hemisphere, Autumn also brings the Easter holidays. Chocolate (yay), time with our loved ones and for some of us this time holds special religious significance. Historically, this tradition came from the Northern Hemisphere where Easter represents the newness of Spring, which has a totally different energy. In Spring we think of baby animals being born, flowers blooming and new life on every level of our great ecosystem, including new beginnings within our own personal lives. Hence the concept of the Easter egg which is the ancient symbol of new life. Contrastingly, Autumn is related to decay, the falling of leaves, the shedding of the old, along taking stock of Summer’s harvest in preparation for cooling effects of Winter. So in some ways we have two Seasons happening at once on different levels in our lives in the Southern Hemisphere. Spring represented by Easter and Autumn are almost opposites, however they are also similar in that they are both transitory seasons for the strong polarising forces of summer (Yang) and winter (Yin) . In some sense we see these two seasons happening at once. We experience the physical season of Autumn but also see the metaphorical celebration of what spring represents with Easter. The point? In the yogic traditions we try to understand the microcosm (being us), by virtue of the macrocosm (the planet) and vice-versa and use this information to support our wellbeing. This basic philosophy observing nature to understand yourself better forms the basis of the ancient health systems of both Ayurveda and TCM. A simple way to begin this journey is by simply noticing the Seasons, how they relate to one another and how they affect your life. Over time this gives us insight into our own inner cycles and their correlation to the cycles of Great Nature. So if you have a moment this April catch your breath at some point notice the change of Season and the qualities associated with these changes then take a moment to reflect on where the same kind of process or quality occurs in your life on some level.
