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Can you feel the shift? The days are getting shorter and autumn’s cool embrace is slowly coming into our nights 😊

In Ayurveda, autumn is known as a Vata dominant season, bringing dryness, wind and subtle changes as we transition from summer’s fiery days to winter’s chill.

Honour this beautiful time of change by infusing your practice with grounding, nourishment, steadiness and warmth. And a perfect asana to weave these qualities into practice with is Parsvottanasana – pyramid pose.

The invitation in this asana is to focus on grounding through the feet, creating steadiness and stability. Allowing your deep belly breathing to regulate and soothe your nervous system, creating calmness in body and mind.

Nurturing your inner balance with movement, breath and eventually, stillness 💕

It’s important to honour the external and internal shifts as we move from season to season, and coming up on 20 March is the Autumn Equinox, one of two moments in the year where day and night are equal. A balanced moment in time as we begin our journey into autumn 🍁

Ayurveda attributes certain qualities to everything that we share our planet with, and autumn is seen as dry, rough, windy, erratic, cool and subtle.

There’s the variable weather, some hot days still sneaking in as our environment gradually begins to cool down. The wind can feel a little chilly, especially at night and you may begin to notice nature’s delicate changes ☀️

To counteract these qualities of vata, it’s important to draw in the balancing qualities to create stability – warmth, grounding, nourishment, heartfelt relationships and a sense of routine.

Balancing vata means connecting with deep, restful forward bends, and a beautiful asana to introduce into your practice this season is Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide Legged Forward Bend).

Slowing down the breath to soothe the nervous system and focusing on stillness, stability and support ❤️

Have you noticed it yet? The cooler nights and not-so-hot days as you into autumn 🍁 For us in Perth, it’s not the golden colours of other parts of the world (where you might be!), but it’s our unique way of experiencing the seasonal shift.

Speaking of shifts, have you heard of the astronomical autumn equinox? It’s that special moment when day and night are perfectly balanced, and it happens around 20 March in the Southern Hemisphere each year. The autumn equinox is a wonderful opportunity to encourage the idea of balance into your yoga practice too.

To honour the transition from summer to autumn, from Pitta to Vata season, start by exploring some fun balance asanas in your practice. Poses like Vrksasana (Tree Pose), which requires a strong connection to the earth while reaching for the sky. Just like a tree, you’ll be finding stability and steadiness through your grounded foot, while letting your upper body be fluid and supple.

As you step onto your mat in this transitional season, consider setting an intention to cultivate calmness, steadiness, and focus in your body, mind, and spirit. These are all wonderful benefits that your practice can bring during this time of change, and the qualities that we look to cultivate throughout Vata season.

Have you ever noticed the subtle shifts in your body as you inhale and exhale? How in the simple act of sitting and breathing, you can be witness to the movement of energy in your body?

Inhale, exhale.

Prana, apana.

Expanding, grounding.

This movement of energy can be felt when moving and being in asana too, and Kraunchasana (Heron Pose) is one of those asana where you can focus on uniting these energies.

Prana vayu is the vitalising force, moving into the body with the inhale. You’ll feel this energy lengthening and vitalising your body. In Heron pose this is felt as the spine lifting, the collarbones broadening.

Apana vayu is the grounding force, moving to the earth with your exhale. You feel this as the softening in your body, letting go, being still. In Heron pose this is the dropping of your sitting bones, tailbone and pelvis towards the earth.

As you consciously work with these two aspects of energy – prana and apana – you’ll be able to feel and observe they way they integrate in your body and breath.

Calming your nervous system, releasing stress in the body and mind and on a more subtle level, helping you move towards a meditational and tranquil state of being 🥰