KayaYogini

As a Norwegian person, who has a short summer in comparison to most other countries, summer is so dear to me. I love the warmth, the heat, the light. In the late summer, I start dreading fall. I know that colder and darker times soon are approaching. I dread the time when I can no longer wear summer clothes, but instead have to pack on more and more layers of clothing to stay warm. I want more bathing in the ocean, more sun tanning, more laying on the beach. I want summer to last for a couple of more months. 

The shift is like over night. The air is suddenly different. It’s fresher. It’s fresh, but not yet cold, fresh but not yet dark. It’s nice in a different way. This is the fall that I forget. The fall feels so much better than I remembered. I forget how much I love wearing scarfs. How nice and cozy cold weather can be. During the daytime it is still warm in the sun. It’s like summer although the air is fresher. During mornings and evenings it is getting colder and darker. The colors of the sky intensifies. Also the greens and reds intensifies. I feel the instinct to curl up with a warm cup of tea. It lies so deep in me, fresh air, scarfs, warm beverage, woolen socks, carpets. Pre hibernation state. The instinct to go within, seek comfort and stillness. 

With the change of seasons our needs also change. We need to allow ourself the time to go within and find stillness. I learned from my work as a Shiatsu practitioner (a Japanese type of massage or bodywork that is linked to TCM) that it is so important to be in alignment with the nature and our surroundings. Stress from our society manifests in the body in so many ways. We get stiff, we get high blood pressure, we feel drained we get hyperactive and so on. Seasonal change creates a different kind of stress on the body. To stay in alignment we need to take the time to figure out what it is that we need. How does the body respond to the stress? How does it respond to the change in the air, the temperature and the dark? How can we best create a life that supports our needs during these stresses on the body? 

I recently found that I am too stressed out and need to create space in my daily life. Just taking small breaks throughout the day helps. I also found that a longer Shavasana (the relaxation at the end of the Yoga practice), also helps me feel more nurtured. 

As a Yoga teacher, I like to write something about how yoga can help you too. Yoga is one way you can create a better life for yourself in general, but also to be more in harmony with your surroundings. There are of course many other practices or therapeutic modalities that can help you (Shiatsu helps with calming stress, unfortunately I don’t work as a Shiatsu-masseuse any more). I often stress how important it is to find the type of Yoga, that is right for you (I actually wrote an entire blog on this, so check that out here if your interested). When seasons change, that might affect what type of yoga you need, or how you want to perform your practice. Maybe it is time to practice a little slower or set aside more time for meditation. Maybe you would like to do more calming pranayama (breathing exercises), or do some Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga in addition to, or instead of your regular practice. 

Often when we are completely stressed out, it is actually hard to know what we feel. We need stillness to go within and actually feel and listen to our inner voice. Then we can ask ourself what we need and give that to ourselves. Maybe you want to try out yoga, change something about your already existing yoga practice or maybe there is something else that you want to do. I would like to encourage you to do something for yourself that feels nourishing. 

Thank you so much for reading my blog! Embrace the new season, notice the things that are nice about it. Drink tea, grab a blanket and a book and also do something that is good for you that helps your body adapt to the season. Take care of yourself ❤