Seasonal Self Care for Autumn
Recently, in the Northern Hemisphere, we celebrated Mabon, otherwise known as the Autumnal Equinox– a time when day and night are equal, where light and dark meet each other.
Mabon is also known as the second harvest festival of the Celtic Wheel of the Year. It is the start of the inward spiral, spinning towards the longest night and shortest day of the year. It's a time of shedding, of letting go and of turning inward. It is also a time of storing energy and harvesting what you planted. Equal parts reflective and celebratory in a way. With that said, it can be a tough time of year for our bodies and minds. The rush of summer can leave our heads spinning and the darkness can feel, well depressing at times.
That's what seasonal self care is for!
First, we must say goodbye to the flowers of summer. It’s time to celebrate each moment of blossoming this past year and each moment that came after.
How to Say Goodbye to Summer:
Pick the Last of the Summer Flowers and make a beautiful bouquet for your home:
Watch the Sunset:
Slow down: Summertime has an outward spiraling energy, a sense of go go go and more more more. Take this time to slow down and start the journey back inwards.
Autumn is a time of transformation and transition. All around us nature is letting go of summer’s abundance and bounty. Tomatoes are finishing up, beans are ready to harvest and calendulas are opening for their last bloom. The leaves start to change color and slowly but surely drop from their branches allowing the trees to turn their energy inward. The natural world starts to root down deeper, to build up reserves and turn more towards rest.This process allows for growth and release, release and growth.
The equinox can be seen as an energetic tipping point–day and night are equal, a moment where the earth finds balance. We are at a point where there is a balance of light and dark, life and death, our inner and outer worlds colliding. On this earth, the seasons there is a constant shift in and out of balance as the world turns.
Take this all into consideration as you shift your self care, nourishment and movement for the seasons. Allow there to be a push and pull, a little more and little less at the same time, slowing down and speeding up a bit.
Journal Prompts for the Autumnal Equinox And Beyond:
What abundance and bounty did Summer bring me? What can I celebrate and show gratitude for?
Slow Down, Turn inward, what is your heart really asking for at this moment. Nourishment, rest, play, sleep, movement?
What do I need to let go of in order to make more space?
Where can I slow down even more? What can I take off the list?
What do I need to shed? What is no longer serving me?
General Self Care:
Keep Grounding: Now more than ever, it’s important to get your feet in the dirt and grass. As the weather gets colder and we spend more time indoors and online, our bodies still crave the outdoors. One of the theories is that our skin contact with the earth allows electrons to spread into the skin as well as the body. Grounding is thought to improve sleep, normalize the day–night cortisol rhythm, reduce pain, reduce stress, shift the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic toward parasympathetic activation which in turn increases heart rate variability.
Dim the lights at night: Taking time to really sync your circadian rhythm is super important this time of year. This time of year, the sun sets earlier and earlier. 100s of years ago when there was no electricity, most people would naturally go to bed earlier in the autumn and winter and rise with the sun. Our bodies are meant to adapt through the seasons yet with modern technology and electricity, we can stay up all night if we wanted to. This time of year, start to dim the lights as the sun sets outside. It helps cue to your body to start to produce melatonin which helps you sleep better at night. YES, that means you will probably be sleeping more as autumn turns into winter and that is 100% totally good– in fact, even encouraged.
Morning sunshine: Very similar to dimming the lights at night, getting morning sunlight is essential fors syncing your circadian rhythm as the seasons shift. Getting morning sunshine on your face in the first hour of waking helps the body produce cortisol as you are waking up which is essential to get you moving in the morning. As there are less sunlight hours and usually more cloud cover this time of year, more time outdoors is needed to get the appropriate amount of cortisol. When it’s cloudy out, it’s recommended to get 20 minutes of sunshine on your face (without sunscreen). When it’s sunny out, 5 minutes first thing in the morning will do. This is also super important to help your body produce Vitamin D especially as we spend less time outdoors.
Love on your Lymphatic System: Summer is a time of abundance and sometimes that is an abundance of food, alcohol and treats. Nothing wrong with that, summer is a time for celebration. On top of that, as the seasons change our lymphatic system and body in general can get clogged and congested. Taking good care of the lymphatic system helps the body feel less congested and help your body support its natural detoxification process. You can learn the basics of the lymphatic system in my blog post Lymph 101. My favorite ways to take care of the lymphatic system are dry brushing, exercise, diaphragmatic breathing, walking, epsom salt baths and legs up the wall( a yoga pose).
Nourishment Tips:
Warmer, nutrient Dense Foods: Eating seasonally is an important part of taking care of our bodies throughout the year. Once again, thanks to our modern lifestyle and the ability to truck foods across the country most people don’t know what is in season in their area. Eating seasonally is not only good for your BODY but also good for planet earth. This time of year our body more nutrient dense and heavier foods. It’s also a good time to eat more cooked food compared to raw foods. Foods that are in season in the Northeast are Brussels sprouts, Celeriac, Chicory, Pumpkins, Butternut Squash, Shelling, Beans, Radicchio, Cranberries. Take a moment to research what is in season in your area or even more easily, head to your local farmers market and see what they have in store.
Bone Broth & Soups: This time of year can be very drying for our whole constitution: skin, eyes, sinuses, digestive system, etc. Bone Broths and Soups can be very warming and moisturizing to our whole body. Bone Broth are nutrient dense, easy to digest and rich in flavor and have many benefits for our overall health and healing. Bone broth is a great source of proteins and minerals which can help protect joints, boost gut health, maintain healthy skin, improve immune function and aid in a healthy metabolism. Soups are another great way to get warm, nutrient dense food into your body. My favorites for this season are pumpkin and butternut squash soup. I think I am going to have my resident chef, Chris, write up some of his bone broth and soup recipes.
Pumpkin Everything: It’s spooky season so I am just into pumpking everything– pumpkin coffee, pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin balls (I made this recipe on pinterest and loved it), pumpkin muffins (LOVED this ambitious kitchen recipe) YOu name it, I am trying it with no shame whatsoever. Pumpkins are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta carotene, and are also rich in fiber. So as silly as pumpkin everything may seem, it’s good for your heart and body too!
Movement Tips:
Twists, twists and more twists: You might sense a theme throughout this whole post– a shift to more nourishing rituals as well as slightly detoxifying and clearing. This is a time of year when we are processing a lot emotionally, physically AND mentally. A lot of people see it as a fresh start, but it is also a shedding and letting go so that you CAN have that fresh start. Whatever you are personally working through, your body feels it. As Jill Miller says “Your body thinks in feels” (one of my favorite quotes). When you’re working through things, you need to take your body with you. Twists of all kinds can help support the body as you process emotions, thoughts, food and more. In ayurveda, twists are used as digestive aids. In terms of the lympathic system, there are a LOT of lymph nodes in your gut and abdomen, twisting can help gently massage and stimulate these areas. Need some inspo for your twists? Check out my Twist it out Videos on Youtube!
35 minute Twist it Out Vinyasa Yoga Flow
2. Daily Walks: Walking is my number ONE favorite form of exercise these days. IT is easy, accessible and joyful. I can do it wherever I am in my cycle AND however busy/full my day is ( side note: I am actively trying to shift away from the word busy, I think too many of us use that as a crutch, but that is a post for another day). I try to get at least one fifteen minute walk in a day. It helps that I have my little man, Derry to encourage me (and sometimes beg me) to walk him. Walking twice a day for 15 minutes has been shown to improve metabolism and immune function. I also love walking because it gets me outside and into Mother Nature which we all need.
3.Deep hip release: we all hold sh*t in our hips. Yup, I said it. Ever felt like you wanted to cry in half pigeon in yoga? Me too, on a weekly basis……kidding. But the hips are notorious for holding a lot of physical and emotional tension. Most people that walk in my door complain of tight hips and after chatting for a bit, it also slowly sneaks out how much stress or emotion they are working through. Get into those hips my friends- release and move through what is going on!
Deep Hip Opening Yoga Flow
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Skin Care Tips:
Change Moisturizers: When I did my first 200 hour yoga teacher training, I learned about ayurveda and had my first ayurvedic consultation. She recommended during the change of the seasons to switch to a thicker moisturizer. Personally, I use fractionated coconut oil most days for my body moisturizer and I love it. My skin gobbles it up. I find that in the autumn and winter my skin craves more and more. So I switched to sesame oil from banyan botanicals and holy macaroni does it feel super super nourishing. Sesame oil might not be the right fit for your skin type, but in general switching to a thicker, heavier moisturizer this time of year can be really, really nourishing to your body and skin.
Dry Brushing: I wanted to elaborate on dry brushing a bit because it is one of my all time favorite self care techniques all year round and I have found myself craving it more these days. Lately, I have been dry brushing twice a day. Dry Brushing is using a boar bristle brush to gently stimulate the lymphatic system and brush off dead and dry skin. It’s a very gentle technique, you’re not try to scrape your skin off. For the lymphatic system, you want to use gently, strokes from your outer limbs towards the heart. For the legs, start at the feet and use short gentle strokes up towards the knees. I love to pay a little extra attention to areas where there are a lot of lymph nodes such as behind the knees, the groin area, armpits and neck. I also love doing small circular motions on my joints. Dry brushing helps stimulate the lymphatic system so your body can naturally detoxify and helps brush off dry skin cells. I use it after my shower but before I put on my sesame oil.
Body Scrub: This time of year, our skin can get drier and in my case, a little scaly feeling. I love using a homemade body scrub to clear off dead skin, gently exfoliate, stimulate the lymphatic system and moisturize my skin. Check out my favorite DIY Body Scrub.
I really truly have been loving this time of year– the food, the colors, the garden. It all feels so alive even as it dies. And maybe that is it– when we realize that there is a cycle of life and death, the world comes more alive. We stay present for all that is around us and within because we know these moments are fleeting. Fall is a juxtaposition of life and death, death and rebirth. It’s a reminder that things end and begin again. And mybat that’s why I love it so much.
Fall reminds me to rest, to turn in ward and to be still. It gives me permission to slow down while also honoring my roots. I feel more pulled to creative endeavors, writing, cooking and crafting– things that nourish my mind and soul, things that fill my cup back up. So after a busy summer and maybe even a busy start to the school year, what is going to nourish you? What will fill your cup up? Leave a comment below so we get some ideas flowing:)