Autumn Equinox and Autumn Self Care 🍁

Friday 23rd September is the Autumn Equinox for the year- the first official day of Autumn in 2022.

The Autumn Equinox 💗🍂

The autumnal equinox is an astronomical event occurring in September each year, and in the northern hemisphere the date marks the end of summer and beginning of autumn. During the autumnal equinox, the sun shines directly on the equator, and the northern and southern hemispheres get the same amount of rays. The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, ”night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length.

Self care in Autumn 🍁

You may notice a shift within your energy levels and mood as the Autumn starts. If you are a sun lover (like me!) moving into the Autumn and winter can be hard. In yoga we call energy prana or life force and it is thought to rise to the surface during Summer and be drawn inwards and down in Autumn. This can affect everything from our mood, to skin and what we want to eat.

Here are some easy self care tips to help embrace the change of the season.

1) Embrace an Autumn activity!

• Visit a pumpkin patch

• Go apple picking

• Buy an Autumn vegetable you wouldn't normally cook with!

2) Savor a warm drink. Whether it’s tea, coffee, or cocoa take just five extra minutes as you can sit quietly, take a few deep breaths, and relax with your drink.

3) Set boundaries. Boundaries aren’t about trying to control others or make them change. Boundaries are an important form of self-care; you set and enforce boundaries for your own wellbeing. They allow you to prioritize yourself and not overcommit or sign-up for things you can’t or don’t want to do. Autumn signals the beginning of perhaps making plans for the Christmas or Winter period which often means the busiest time of the year. As we move towards this time remember to preserve some energy and time for you.

4) De-clutter. Autumn and winter can mean spending more time inside. With that in mind, autumn is a good time to clear some clutter and make the inside of your home a calming refuge. For a simple way to start, designate three boxes or bags - one to keep, one to donate, and one to sell. To help embrace the Autumn indoors may be to use essential oils in a diffuser (cinnamon or mandarin is lovely).

5) Create an Autumn exercise routine. Exercise is a staple of most people’s self-care routine even if it is a small amount. Exercising in the winter can become harder as the mornings get darker. Perhaps try planning alternatives like online yoga, exercise videos or warm up with those hats and keep on walking!

6) Keep a gratitude journal. Gratitude journals are popular because they’re quick and effective ways to shift our mood away from our problems and worries and towards the good things in our lives. Why not try doing this for a month to notice any shifts within your mood? Simply write down 1-3 things you are grateful for and generally how you are feeling daily. This can also help to focus the mind in the morning, starting the day with a dose of positivity!

7) Make a soup! I love making soup so keep an eye open for more recipes this winter. To get you started here is my favourite one as a reminder!

https://www.energiseyoga.co.uk/post/easy-tomato-and-lentil-soup

I hope these autumn self-care ideas give you some inspiration and new ways to improve your self-care practice!

With love for Autumn Ruth x