The ebb & flow of Fall
It's been an odd week.
On the outside, everything seems ok, however on the inside it's a whole other story. I couldn't put my finger on what's going on within my heart and my emotions. I realised this morning that it has much to do with the change of seasons.
Whenever Fall arrives, I always get inspired to retreat within and introspect on how I want to finish up the year. As Coquitlam is in the northern hemisphere of the planet, we move from Summer into Fall and the energy starts to move from an outward, extroverted, masculine state to an inward, introverted, feminine state.
I remember being in Joanna Griffin's Tuesday morning Yin class at Jai Yoga Studio and she spoke ever so eloquently about how summer is a time of masculine expression. Summer is where we put ourselves out there, taking action and celebrating our journey on this planet. Joanna mentioned that as we watch the leaves start to fall and experience the weather getting cooler, we watch firsthand Mother Nature beginning to prepare for a type of death. Fall is where we step into the feminine. Fall is the season where we feel called towards letting things go.
"Letting things go."
Now that Fall is here, it's time shed what no longer serves us. Easier said than done right? For me personall, I'm finding that maintaining a regular yoga practice has truly helped. Every class sheds another layer of emotional baggage that no longer serves me. I am grateful for my yoga practice at Jai Yoga Studio as it has given me some great clarity on how I'm feeling and why I'm feeling it.
Yoga isn't just a practice that helps you in the studio alone. It goes beyond the yoga mat and beyond the yoga studio. This afternoon as I was washing dishes, I was thinking so hard my head was spinning. As I put my dishes on the dish rack I noticed a little sprout growing from under the dish rack, from the dishwater. When I saw that, I immediately thought of how that little seed overcame so much adversity to grow and survive. I remembered something Jai always tells me,
"the most beautiful lotus flower always grows from the muddiest of waters."
Changing seasons may be tiring. Shedding what no longer serves you may be emotionaly draining. But remember this - with any change, there will always be resistance but this is how you will pave your path towards great personal growth, just like the most beautiful lotus growing in the muddiest of waters.
How is your yoga practice helping you to let go of what no longer serves you? Let us know in the comments below!