 Fall Musings Combining the Elements of Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The leaves are turning vibrant colors
and falling back to the earth, in preparation for the winter sleep.
In Ayurvedic Medicine, Fall is the season of Vata, the elements Wind and Ether. To balance our bodies and protect ourselves from the excessive wind amongst us, try using food as medicine. Eat seasonal warming and grounding foods, especially those orange, red, and purple offerings from the earth like pumpkins, persimmons, pomegranate, and squashes. If you find yourself stuck in your head with worry or anxiety (a common sign of excess Vata), try surrounding yourself with warm scarves and sweaters with orange and browns to calm your mind and bring you back into your body. The seat of Vata(where excess Vata might live in ones body) is the Large Intestine. Interestingly, the Large Intestine is where Autumn lives in Traditional Chinese Medicine, too.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Autumn is represented in the body by the metal element, which regulates the lung and large intestine meridians. These two meridians run in the forearms through the thumb and index finger (you know that Hoku point on the webbing between these two fingers? That's the acupressure point: "Large Intestine 4"- a good point to press this time of year to eliminate waste).
If your thumbs are tired, or numb (from too much typing or gathering of harvest), you may be storing too much metal energy in your body. Traditionally, this energy is moved with grieving
or by meditating on a pure white light/flame. Even if you do not have something to grieve about, it is useful to celebrate our ancestors this time of year (Halloween/Samhain and Day of the Dead) to move this element through our bodies.
As the metal passes through our bodies and the trees weep their leaves, fill the new, open space with a deep breath in the lungs. Let go of all that is unnecessary. Imagine the blood vessels carrying fresh oxygen and renewed energy to each cell in the body. Allow your skin to open and shed toxins through sweat. Enjoy the season's harvest with ginger, onions, and garlic, to open the pores and cleanse.
The breath brings us back to the air and ether elements. The oxygen we bring in from the atmosphere around us, helps us to stimulate metabolism, and we excrete Carbon Dioxide cleanse the excess minerals (metals) from our bodies. The breath balances the toxins and, once again, Yoga and TCM balance each other.
Another way to combine the wisdom of Yoga and TCM (and cleanse for the fall!) is to join a yoga class. I am offering:
Regular small yoga classes on Wednesday nights:
Beginning Yoga
Wednesdays 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Intermediate and Advanced Yoga
Wednesdays 7:15 - 8:30 pm
Are you pregnant or recovering from a recent birth?
Join us on Tuesday mornings for a quick workout.
Prenatal and Postnatal (6+ weeks postpartum) Circuit.
Tuesdays 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Finally, sign up for some body work or a session to tune-up your home exercise program to continue the cleanse. Click the button below to book online now:
Let me know how I can help your body-mind through this season and preparing for the upcoming winter and holiday season. Be well, Liz | 
