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A Final Farewell To Summer

Monday 22nd September saw the Autumn Equinox arrive and bid a final farewell to summer. Some of you might be feeling a little sad at this prospect and with good reason but more of that later.

I might be stating the obvious when I say that now is a good time to wear warmer clothes, layers, scarves and hats but many years ago I couldn’t stand the autumn or winter and I  found walking my lovely dog a chore.

I couldn’t quite let go of the notion that summer had gone and there I was stupidly still mincing around in summer clothes and sandals.

 

 

 

Nature is Peace


A dog is guaranteed to get you out in nature.

Once I sorted out my clothing and made a point of having a hearty breakfast before I took her out, I began to love being out in nature in all weathers and it’s where I find peace.

Finding ways to adjust and to be in sync with the changing seasons is more important for our mental health and wellbeing than we may realise.

According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) adapting our diet and keeping areas like the neck and kidneys warm, is essential to build a strong immune system – and to be able to head into the colder winter months feeling strong, healthy and mentally robust.

In autumn and winter many of us will find that the energy necessary to eat raw foods, salads etc outweighs the benefits. Instead a simple shift to eating  warm foods like porridge, soups, broths, stews and drinking more warm drinks  will help ward off colds and flu’s and go toward a stronger constitution.

Eating white foods in autumn such as pears, (cooked for some of us) radishes, porridge, butter beans (they’re great spiced up) onions  etc help fortify the lung and large intestine energies.

The lungs are affected by grief and sorrow and this time of year we can witness many endings, the end of summer, the end of leaves on the trees, and temporary end of growth in nature around us. In addition, the impending shorter, darker days can feel make us feel sad and gloomy, consequently  we may feel more tearful and weepy around this time. Here’s a bit of research on lungs and grief.

Given that acceptance is a big part of the healing process.

Accepting that we feel weepy and allowing ourselves quiet time to do just that and have a good cry can help purge the feeling and then we can get on with helping ourselves to feel better ,with it out of the way. Suppressing emotions, usually means they will bubble up somewhere else when we least expect it.

Autumn does have her gifts though. When we strengthen our lungs such as in a good yoga or qigong practice that involves opening and contracting the chest, we facilitate the process of ‘letting go’ which is a form of purging stagnant energy.

Repetition Builds Muscles

Much like decluttering your home, it feels good to make space in the lungs for new energy. A fresh supply of Qi can literally change your state both mentally and emotionally.

Another helpful way to declutter emotionally is to journal and write therapy letters. This time of year is brilliant to release old hurts and resentments.  Write a letter to whoever you are harbouring a resentment, or grudge toward and let rip, then see if you’ve any room for forgiveness. For more tips and a really funny skit about clutter check this out on thestresshacker.com

Remember of course that forgiveness does not condone someone’s behaviour or actions.

It takes courage to forgive people who have hurt you and taking some of the above steps to strengthen your lungs will give you courage to confront  issues and find ways to move forward.

Finally the autumn is a good time to end projects, tie up those loose ends, clear the clutter and generally begin to decelerate in life, it’s okay to take longer baths, get into bed with a good book earlier and give yourself a lot of loving and self-care.

As usual you will also find a huge supply of self-help audio programmes in the shop here and a few yoga classes here.

So wrap up, eat well, exercise, get out in nature and nurture yourself.

 

 

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My Top 10 Autumn Tips

Whilst we’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy the warmer weather, don’t be fooled by it, as late summer yields fully into Autumn the way we take care of ourselves now,  will dictate whether we have a cosy winter or one fully of colds and allergies.

As the leaves become crispy, dry out and fall to the ground, so will we unless we take sensible, self-care steps. Have a browse through my self-help tips to nurture yourself through to Winter and let me know how you get on.

My Top 10 Autumn Tips

My Top 10 Autumn Tips:

  1. Whilst we cling to the last of the late summer sunshine, remember that the air can be cold and drying, consider adding foods to your diet that are the opposite of cold, drying and still. Think of foods that are warm, stimulating and pungent such as garlic, onions, chives, black pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper, horseradish and mustards.
  2. Start the day with warm teas, slice some fresh ginger bring to the boil and cool to drink.Finish the day with a cosy cup of warm milk with a pinch of black pepper, a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and a little honey. It will give you a great night’s sleep.
  3. Although it’s a great time for clearing out your clutter  e.g. look at the sell by dates in your kitchen cupboards and take your unwanted items to the local donation hub or charity shop, it’s a bad time to set yourself up with big goals or deadlines.

    Autumn is a time of death, a letting go of things that no longer serve us.

  4. Instead, take the pressure off and slip slowly into the winter months by considering the equal and opposite; for example Autumn is chilly, blustery, with wind whipping up the leaves in swirls,  do the opposite, take  time to be still, create small spaces of quiet time to read and relax. It’s a great time to reintroduce  the practice of meditation. Take time to bathe in nature, wrap up warm and sit in your local park or take a slow quiet meditative walk.
  5. Emotionally this is again a good time for letting go of resentments and grudges. Remember though, that forgiving those who have hurt you, doesn’t necessarily mean that you allow them  back into your life. It does mean however that you can practice letting go by writing a therapy letters, journalling and even saying out loud “ I forgive you so-and-so  for… blah  blah …”   It really works, but don’t take my word for it, try it yourself!
  6. As well as being a good time of year for clearing out, it’s also a great time for creating clear boundaries. Are there people who don’t respect your boundaries? Take some time to consider how you will establish the boundaries, think about what you might need to do or say in this respect, so that you’re clear on how to move forward.
  7. As natural as it is for the leaves fall from the branches at this time of year, it’s all a good time to let the tears fall, go on, give yourself permission to let it go. You’ll likely find when you create time and the right environment, emotions will surface, especially sadness. Allow them space as this is the perfect time to release and clear space.
  8. As a yoga teacher I encourage the clearing of energy blocks in the body. As we practice bending, stretching, twisting, using breath and visualisation to release tension,  it brings a sense of freedom and space.  In this way we don’t somatise our ‘stuff’ or push our emotions even deeper into the body’s systems and organs. So don’t be rigid, bend and stretch daily. It’s one of the reasons that students feel so good after a yoga class.
  9. Now is the time to use more oils and balms to massage into dry skin. Try warmed sesame oil  rubbed into your feet or Vick rubbed into the soles of the feet, pop a pair of socks on and sleep like a baby!
  10. I’m going to share a secret, the best oils and balms come from Urbanveda and they have given a generous discount especially for  thestresshacker readers! So grab your discount on their fabulous products here thestresshacker20 . Also when you place an order they plant a tree!

Try This Autumn Meditation

Sit in an upright chair, close your eyes and allow your awareness to move down to your chest   ……. allow yourself a little time to tune into the quiet rhythm of your breathing ……..  then allow the breath to drop a little deeper down into your abdomen …….  and simply enjoy the deep sense of calm and relaxation that diaphragmatic abdominal breathing brings.

Rest here a while as you observe the miracle of life force and energy moving in and out of your body without you having to do anything at all.

Just Be.

Enjoy!

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Can cleaning your clutter give you more head space?

5 tips to lighten the load and create more space

ARE YOU A HOARDER?

Apparently the state of your car and home reflect the state of your mind. Most of us have trouble getting rid of something. My vice is books, I hoard books, instead of getting rid of them I just keep buying more book cases!  What’s yours?

Try putting a weekend aside and start throwing out, clearing up and cleaning your living space to within an inch of it’s life, then sit back and notice the peaceful sense of satisfaction and (maybe just a tad of smugness) that permeates your mind and being.

If you need a system to clear the clutter, have a look at Japanese clutter clearing consultant Marie Kondo who has taken the world by storm with her best selling book  The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  It teaches how to systematically go through your entire home (in one hit) and get rid of all the excess. She has perfected the art of folding items and creating space and you can see her clips on Youtube.

5 tips to lighten the load and create more space

If you feel weighed down by your stuff, follow these 5 tips to lighten the load and create more space:

  1. Use Marie K’s tip, look around your living space, allow your eye to settle on each item and ask yourself, does it brings you pleasure? Do you love it? If not put it on the pile for the charity shop. Someone else might love it!
  2. If it’s clothing, have you worn it in the past 2 years? If not definitely get rid of it, unless it’s a special evening dress or suit.
  3. When you look in the cupboard, how many of the cutlery, glasses, cups, or plates, do you regularly use? If they’re taking up space and you only use them once a year, get rid and make space, if you have that party you can always, hire or borrow extra.
  4. Going through your toiletries and make-up, use a system. If you haven’t used it in the last year get rid of it and make way for something new.
  5. If you’re constantly having to negotiate furniture to get around your home, have you got too much of it? Take an inventory of your furniture and perhaps the table that you constantly sport bruises from, needs to go!

My understanding of Feng Shui the Chinese art of placing objects, means that chi (energy) should be able to flow effortlessly around a space. When there are too many items to clean, too much stuff to move, we create a build-up of negative energy (dust for example) and this prevents the flow of energy which supposedly creates stagnation. This can be likened to a mind that’s too busy, or a body that’s slothful, the negative energy builds up. 

We’ve all been in a space that we admire and feel calm in and the chances are it’s because it has lots of space in it. Have you ever noticed how you feel when you have space between thoughts? Peaceful! Less is definitely more in this respect.

If you can’t get around your home and give it a pretty thorough clean from top to bottom in a couple of hours, maybe you’ve got too much stuff! Clearing some of it will leave you with a nice sense of freedom and peace and even more time but don’t take my word for it try it yourself and let me know how you did.

If the thought of decluttering fills you with horror, forget it and have a real good five minute minute belly laugh watch comedian George Carlin Talk About”Stuff” which is both funny and poignant.

Enjoy and thanks for reading.