Life is so full, always something new, we get distracted with what really matters as we compete and strive to keep up.

Centering is a late summer theme involving focusing on the here and now, balancing our daily life with periods of quiet yet strong intention.  We like to practise around the seasons, helping us balance with the Earth’s energy. Ayurveda teachings help us align with the rhythms of nature. The word ‘season’ in Sanskrit is ‘rtu’, derived from ‘rtam, meaning changeable cosmic rhythm, that we are influenced by. There is evidence during Late Summer, that a sort of ‘pulsing’ occurs within nature, independent of human impact, in which weather patterns become more chaotic for a time and then regular.

Now, it seems that the seasons are changing and we must adapt and change accordingly. You may struggle with bouts of fatigue as a response and this low energy and/or motivation is usually triggered by over-exertion, emotional stress, lack of sleep from the activities of Summer Fire. It helps to consciously balance energy in this Earth time. Getting up at dawn encourages us to align with the season! Yoga helps us adapt and allow, through the practice of embodiment, being in our bodies on the mat helps us in our daily life, the body being a tool for the mind. We learn to know our selves better and practise better health.

Eating for late Summer                                                                              

Eating fresh seasonal food, orange and yellow foods, following the reds of summer, simple , not too many spices, limit coffee. Sweetness is associated with this season, after the bitterness of summer, enjoy the harvest of fresh fruit but limit sugar which can create excess acidity and dampness.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine we can be aware of our whole being late summer – a time of harvest/ Earth element, a point of stillness in the cycle of the seasons, transitioning from Yang summer (outward ) to Yin autumn (inward). Earth meridians are the yin Spleen and yang Stomach. Centering poses involve a connection to the Earth,  strong, quiet and meditative from a strong foundation with awareness at our core, working from the centre out, finding balance along our centre line, a deep inner strength through observing and settling into our own body, connecting to the core of our being, our diaphragm and our breath, giving a cooling refreshing effect during late summer, a clarity of focus. We learn to accept ourselves as we find balance in off balance poses, comfort in uncomfortable poses, a longer exhale to release toxins and thoughts.

A Centering yoga practice involves:

Arrival – adopting a posture of one’s choice, conducive to turning attention inside, allowing time and space to arrive mentally and physically into one’s own body, to let go, to settle with the breath.

Inquiry -assessing our physical, mental, emotional and energetic layers, scanning the body for areas of comfort and ease or discomfort and tightness, tension; observing the contents of our mind, whether we are present and focused, or distracted and busy; any emotions at the heart space; sensing the flow of breath and subtle energy through the central Sushumna nadi; the quality of our energy today – heavy, balanced/ sattvic, light /’racey’ -how we feel today, not judging, just informing ourselves on our yoga mat.

Pranayama – attention to the breath, a point of focus on the present moment, noting the natural breath, adding conscious depth and length to the breath, enhancing our vagal tone, learning to allow the breath to give us a still centre, an anchor throughout our yoga practice.

Intention and focus – like the breath, intention will follow us through our yoga practice.

Body – mind consciousness – embodiment of our cells, tissues, body systems and developmental patterns. Each pose expresses our present state of being, static to dynamic patterns of movement, centred, feeling.

Yoga poses that stimulate Spleen and Stomach meridians involve opening, stretching and strengthening the front body and inner legs, together with grounding stable stance and posture in standing and sitting.

‘Sense your calm centre, giving you a place of inner light and shelter, whatever the flow of life may bring.’