The days are shorter, the air is cooler, and the foliage at Lady Bird Lake is giving fall. It is that special moment in Austin, Texas called autumn. Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it!
I had an incredible summer of travel. I spent all of August living by Lake Michigan, and in September I led a yoga retreat in Iceland with Kinship Yoga Retreats. Then I spent another week traveling with my best friend through Bordeaux, San Sebastián, and Bilbao. I know, I know. But someone has to, so why not me? It was a special summer full of new experiences, inspiring landscapes, and new memories with my friends.
I came home feeling high on the beauty and awe of it all, only to find out my main workspace had closed, overnight and unexpectedly. All of a sudden my full schedule was full stop. With no space to see my in person clients, everything paused.
I am a recovering control freak, so holding things lightly does not come naturally to me. And this year autumn said, girl, here’s the perfect opportunity to finally learn this lesson. At first, I spent a lot of time feeling frozen. What do I do when my work schedule isn’t full? So many nasty old fears and self-doubts crept up. You’re 35 years old and your career is still so fragile. It can all fall apart in an instant.
And then I remembered. I don’t have to fall into old programming. I can embrace the energy of the season and practice trust. Sometimes old things have to fall away to make space for something new.
Nature has been teaching this all along. Across many cultures and philosophies, autumn is associated with non-attachment, letting go, and holding things lightly. The trees send their energy down to the roots, and their leaves fall away. As our days get shorter and our nights get longer, we are encouraged to turn our attention inward too.
Ayurveda teaches that we are in relationship with the earth and our environment. Each season brings different qualities of nature that influence us. In the Northern Hemisphere, autumn is typically characterized by cooler temperatures and dry winds, qualities associated with Vata dosha (the elements of space and air). Vata is the energy of movement, communication and creativity so a little chaos this time of year is to be expected.
In our modern lives, though, we may not notice this seasonal shift. Most of us have electricity, so we don’t have to stop working when the sun goes down. We have heat, so we don’t need to tend a fire to stay warm. We have the internet, so we can stay connected to the outside world anytime, all the time. Much of the messaging we hear in society and on social media shouts to look outward for the answers we seek. Life is full and fast, and it’s easy to get swept up.
Even as an Ayurvedic practitioner, I’m not immune. My work helps me notice the seasons, but that doesn’t mean adapting is always easy. I teach about Vata season, and now I am really living it. The winds of change are here!
Ayurveda recommends hydrating, moisturizing, and grounding practices to balance Vata. A seasonal routine can help support the body through the dryness, cold, and restlessness of this time of year. So I am embracing the slower days and choosing to pour my energy back into myself. In fact, I am taking self-care to a whole new level and I am self-worshipping. My daily meals? They are now offerings to the goddess. My showers? They are now cleansing rituals.
These are the Ayurvedic rituals I am obsessed with right now and I think you should try them…
Abhyanga (oil massage)
Oil massage is said to moisturize the skin, support circulation and lymphatic flow, and nourish the nervous system. I practice this once a week before an everything shower, but you could do it daily too.
Swedhana (sweat therapy)
In Ayurveda, sweat therapy opens the body’s subtle channels (srotamsi) and helps clear metabolic waste (ama). Justin and I have a membership at Perspire, so we go one to two times a week. It’s one of my favorite weekly dates with him.
Simmer pots
I love gathering fresh herbs from the garden and simmering them in water on the stove. It fills the whole house with seasonal aromatics, and I don’t have to buy expensive holiday candles. Right now I’m loving rosemary, sage, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Interested in learning more about seasonal practices and rituals? My Ayurvedic Autumn Guide is a free 12-page guide to staying focused, nourished, and in your lane as the days get shorter and darker. Inside you’ll find an introduction to Ayurveda and the three doshas, seasonal eating and living for autumn, a grounding ritual, and journal pages to design a daily routine that fits your life.
If you are feeling the movement of Vata season like me, I hope it helps. The trees aren’t gripping their leaves. They send their energy down to the roots and trust that spring will come. I’m still a recovering control freak, but I’m learning to do the same. You can too.
[Download the Ayurvedic Fall Guide →]
Love and yoga,
Kaytee
