We hope that your transition into fall is going smoothly. The junctions of the seasons are particularly important times to pause, reflect and adjust our lifestyle and diet to suit the changing climate. According to Ayurveda fall is the "child" of summer because in the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere the summer heat dries out moisture stored in the earth from the winter and spring rains. As this heat recedes it creates the fall conditions characterized by cool, windy, and dry weather.

Like the earth, our bodies love the expansion and freedom that summer provides. As the weather becomes cool and dry and trees begin to drop their leaves Nature begins pulling her energies inward in preparation for the winter. From the Ayurvedic viewpoint we are wise to flow with this transition by eating nourishing, alkaline foods such as savory vegetarian soups and porridges for a week or so to gently ground and detoxify our bodies. Include plenty of root vegetables, celery, leafy greens, moderate amounts of caramelized onion, grains such as quinoa, and legumes like mung bean and lentils in your recipes. Thyme and basil are wonderful fall seasonings for soups and have a particular affinity for supporting the health of the lungs and colon, the primary internal organs associated with this season.

We can enhance this transition process by favoring yoga and meditation practices that gradually reduce excess pitta we retain in our bodies, minds, or hearts from summertime. For advice about how to choose appropriate practices you can look in the September 2007 issue of Yoga Journal Magazine. There is a Home Practice sequence that I, Scott, created for this purpose in that issue.

Above all make a commitment to slowing down, nurturing yourself, and bringing peaceful rhythms into your life as much as possible in order to harmonize with the pulse of the fall and the growing influence of vata dosha.

On another note, Chandra is excited to announce the launching of Metta Journeys (www.mettajourneys.com), an organization she has co-founded with Sarah Powers, Janice Gates, and others, which is dedicated to authentic inner and outer transformation through a revolutionary combination of philanthropy, yoga, and adventure travel benefiting women around the globe. Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to learn more about Metta Journeys and our upcoming trip to Rwanda in 2008.

Below you will find our upcoming events in Ojai, Big Sur, San Francisco, Berkeley, and beyond!

Best wishes,

We are thrilled to be returning to the sweetest yoga conference west of the Mississippi. Chandra will be joining in this year too, leading the meditations on Saturday and Sunday mornings. There will be a great bunch of soulful, mirthful yogis including Erich Schiffmann and Saul David Raye descending upon Ojai for three days of yoga and community. We hope you can join us.

For more info call the Yoga Crib hotline: (805)-798-1700 or click on the link below.

Saul David Raye and Scott are coming together with Bay Area beloveds Katchie Ananda and Acro Yoga to take over Esalen for a week of sangha, yoga, and music. If you have not been to Esalen yet, this is your chance to experience one of the crown jewels of California! The alchemical mixture of exquisite food, natural beauty, spiritual community and hot mineral baths will be profoundly restorative.

Call Esalen at (831)-667-3005 for more info or click on the link below.

Modern yoga derives from an ancient Tantrik tradition, which taught Yoga as the means to experience divinity within yourself and in the world. The Samavesha Immersion program is dedicated to students and teachers who have a longing to dive deep into the illuminating practices of authentic Tantrik Yoga.

We are excited to welcome Mark Whitwell and Katchie Anand to the Samavesha team! More information about the immersion schedule, price, and registration can be found on the Samavesha website. Click below to learn more or call (510) 486-8700.

• Explore new terrain inside yourself through daily yoga and meditation classes for beginner and advanced students
• Connect with women who have overcome immense obstacles and support them in realizing their dreams
• Experience the direct link between inner transformation and outer change
• Expand your horizons through cultural excursions to sacred sites
• Journey to the Virunga Volcano Region to see Rwandans' famed mountain gorillas, on of the two most endangered ape species in Africa

During these eight magical days Metta Journeys will take you to Rwanda, the fertile land of a thousand hills, where women have played an instrumental part in rebuilding their country after the 1994 genocide. You will have an inspiring opportunity to touch and enrich the lives of others through direct connection with Women for Women International while nourishing and developing your yoga and mindfulness practices.

Founded in 1993, Women for Women International (womenforwomen.org) helps women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives by providing financial and emotional support, job skills training, rights awareness and leadership education and access to business skills, capital and markets. Through the program, women become confident, independent and productive as they embrace the importance of their roles in rebuilding their families, their communities and ultimately, their nations.

Metta Journeys (mettajourneys.com) is dedicated to authentic inner and outer transformation through a revolutionary combination of philanthropy, yoga, and adventure travel benefiting women around the globe.

This intimate journey is limited to 20 participants. A portion of the trip price will be donated to Women for Women International to support their work with the women of Rwanda.

We look forward to sharing this journey of a lifetime with you!

To learn more, email deepak@mettajourneys.com.

Namaste,

The Metta Journeys Team