Teetering on the cusp of transition: Behold! The Autumn Equinox!

Autumn in Bergen

Transition. This is the equinox in a conker shell! We are literally teetering on the cusp as day and night become equal portions. We experience two equinox (is this the plural?) per year, one as winter shifts to spring and the other as summer moves into autumn.This year´s autumn equinox will begin at 2.29am GMT on 23 September, so our days will begin to get shorter and we start the shift towards longer nights, darker days and descend into winter. We bid farewell to summer, a lighter, flirtier more energetic season, generally a time where we are busy packing in all layers of life. Autumn in contrast, offers a period of harvest, things dying off, coming to a natural end, a time we become more introverted, reflective and, well, tired. As the trees go back into their roots, we are also afforded the opportunity to draw in, retreat, reflect and reconnect by releasing the stuff we don´t need.

As the shift of the energy changes the planet, we might also experience an altering environment, observing subtle nuances such as leaves falling away, and perhaps also the altering of our own energy, naturally connected to our environment.

Perhaps you´re noticing at this time you´re feeling unusually tired? or perhaps a chill in your shoulders? Sniffles emerging? Throat got that slight closed-cave feeling? Lips a little chappy?

This period of 1-2 weeks around the equinox throws out junk at a cellular level so symptoms like these are not unusual. As we get rid of the stuff that isn´t useful to us, we can make way for the goodness to move in. For me this means working on getting more rest, attempting to uphold a daily meditation practice to help my energy levels, and avoiding stimulants like coffee and sugar. It doesn´t mean depriving myself of things I want, rather being more conscious about how i treat myself during these changes.

Of course, my physical yoga practice also shifts to one that offers me more steadfastness. I seek more grounding postures that make me aware of my core such as the warrior bunch. I also take the opportunity to look inside, generating a lot of heat before taking long periods of time to melt into more introverted folding postures. And most of all I love a detoxing twist, opening my heart to new space, observing my navel as it draws in and opens up my spine in reinvigorating ways.

One of the most meaningful rituals for me at this time is really being aware that with endings come new opportunities. I feel so strongly that no matter what situation we find ourselves in we all have options. At this period in Norway, as I observe the changing colours of the landscape, the heavier, more aggressive rain, and the relentless gusts of wind, i surrender to this transition and choose to plant new seeds in place of those things that have now died off, vouching to make the most of this moment, ridding the toxins of the body and mind. It´s a time of rebalancing after more intense work, turning inwards and becoming more attuned to the changing season. It also offers the chance to release the past and look forward with more clarity and prepare for the coming winter. Let go and trust.

I hope you stay well and warm in this shape shifting time. Here´s to the red gold and green fingers of transition!