As the summer light begins to wane and you can feel the quality of autumn in the clear, crisp cool air, it’s time to prepare your body.
The arrival of autumn signals the end of the energy of summer, we begin to move inward with the cooler energy of the season. This is a perfect time to detoxify your body, and restore your internal balance while boosting your immunity, before it becomes even colder and winter arrives.
Autumn is a season of change from summer to winter and begins with the Autumnal equinox; as the earth tilts closer to the sun, days become shorter and nights grow longer. Plants cast their seeds on the wind and this is the harvest time after the growth of summer. It’s a wonderful season to deepen your relationship with Mother Earth.
Each season gives us an opportunity to prepare our body and mind for the months ahead.
5 steps to prepare your body for autumn.
- Release the heat in your body from summer, avoid caffeine, alcohol, refined sugar, salt and hot spices such as chilli, cayenne pepper and paprika.
- Eat warming foods that are seasonal, as raw cold foods create dampness in the body, so mucus forms, which we don’t want in our bodies at any time, especially during the colder months. Access the seasonal good guide here.
- Slow down just like nature is beginning to do. Return to simple routines, and introduce structure to help you be purposeful, expansive and productive.
- Add a self-care ritual such as dry body brushing, to stimulate circulation and exfoliate any dry skin from summer. Add a simple self massage routine, to hydrate your skin.
- Spend time in nature to connect to yourself and the season. In autumn the leaves fall from the trees and the energy of the plant comes back to its roots after the full flowering of summer. Begin taking long walks, breathe deeply.
Autumn is a wonderful season to step up your self-care and embrace all that the season has to offer us. Try walking barefoot outside or sitting on the earth, known as Earthing (also known as grounding) to connect with the Earth’s surface electrons. There’s truly no better time than now, to start harvesting the benefits of autumn and adding some extra self-love and self-care.