“Movement is the song of the body” – Vanda Scaravelli
Back in March 2020, just weeks before we went into our first ‘lockdown’, a friend and I embarked on the first of a series of workshops which integrated strategies for caring for ourselves in each season and engaging in sustainable yoga. As I sit here now in the cold mid throws of Autumn I am reminded or these workshops and the sustainable yoga principle we utilised for the season of Autumn; ‘frequency of movement.’
Autumn as a season is about transformation and change, it is the bridge between summer and winter, and as we look around we see the change in the colour of the sky, the trees and we definitely feel the change of the temperature. We can often consider Autumn as preparing us for winter, when we hunker down ready for the spring of new life and new growth. For the Māori calendar it is the precursor to the New Year, the necessity change to bring about the cycle of new.
Autumn is here to teach us to keep moving, to embrace change, to let go! Many of us in the helping professions will see our role as supporting others to embrace change, let go of what is not working for them and move forward into the new. We need this reminder often for ourselves and Autumn helps us to see this cycle and move with it.
So similar to in this season of movement and change of nature, the sustainable yoga pillar of Frequency of Movement is very simple. It’s about moving more often. Our body and brain are fed by movement. Movement is a biological requirement for long-term health and wellness. Movement is the nutrient delivery system for your cells. Humans need to move often. The more often you move, the more often you feed your body the nutrition it needs. The more often you move mindfully, the more you stay present, in tune and connected. This can feel challenging as the season changes and the days get shorter. Engaging with sustainable yoga’s pillar of frequency of movement encourages us to Integrate short, frequent and mindful movement breaks throughout our day. It encourages us to discover how to ‘stack our life’ with movement, how to create a movement rich life, how to spend more time with whanau. How to get our self-care needs met and still get stuff done.
A helpful practice is to start looking at our daily activities or chores as opportunities for mindful movement this Autumn.
- What daily tasks could you turn into mindful movements?
- Where are there spaces in your day to add more mindful movement moments?
- How often are you checking your phone/email/social media?
- How often are you sitting when you could be moving?
Other reflective questions you may like to consider for Autumn in preparation for new are:
- What no longer serves you?
- What do you need to stop carrying?
- What is it time to let go of?
- What burdens can you release?
- What change is taking place in your life right now?
- What change needs to be taking place?
- What do you need to clear the way for?
- What changes can you make that would be beneficial?
- Is there anything that you should be changing and might have avoided?
- What action do you need to take to support yourself at this time?
- Do you need to rest and hibernate, grow and expand, blossom and shine or surrender and let go?
- How could you pay attention to the glimmers (the small moments of joy, wonder and awe that each day offers)
- What do you need to thrive (in each taha) in Autumn?
- Wairua/Spiritual life
- Whanau/Family and loved ones
- Hinengaro/mind
- Tinana/Physical body
As you brace for this cold and journey through Autumn to winter, may you keep what aids you, let go of what you need to and keep your life moving metaphorically and actually.
Kia kaha, Karen
Refs: Thanks to Katy Tara 2020, https://www.facebook.com/katytarayoga/ and
https://www.heartandbonesyoga.com and https://earthmonk.guru/4-valuable-lessons-autumn-can-teach-you/