The Earth Element in Fall Equinox
As the Fire of summer (“go go go!”) dwindles to cooler days and longer nights, we are invited to pause. To make space for deep self-care, as well as to nourish our beloved community. These are the gifts of the Earth element during the Fall Equinox.
In Five Element Theory, our health is tied to our ability to observe and to live within the rhythms of the natural world. What does the Earth do in early fall? Let’s look at sunflowers. All summer long, they grow and push into the sky. But not now. Now, they rest in their splendor, those golden-petalled wonders. They needn’t try so hard: they’ve arrived.
How are you arriving into this season? Are you able to pause and feel, in your bones, gratitude for summer’s gifts and challenges, to feel love for your path, and reverence for the paths of those around you?
This is our focus this month in our Energy Medicine Yoga® classes. We invite the Earth element to guide us in a practice that helps us increase the flow of contentment and resplendence within our being. Our “enoughness.” We become aware of patterns of over-worry, self-absorption and rumination, and come back into balance through self-compassion and empathy for others. Click here to join us on Monday nights at 5:30PM at Gentle Healing Yoga downtown.
Off the mat, how might we harvest the season for greater contentment?
Ask yourself, How might I bring more self-nourishment into my week? For me, that means:
- making a big pot of soup (here’s my favorite lentil soup recipe)
- trying to get an extra hour of sleep at night, whether by going to bed a little earlier, or squeezing a little extra time in the morning
- finding a juicy novel to read rather than being on my phone
And, just as the Earth nourishes us, we nourish our community of family and friends. I’m making more of an effort to:
- check in with my friend who’s been going through a tough time
- take time to listen more deeply to my husband and close friends
- participate in a mutual aid project in my community
In yogic philosophy, there is the concept of moksha, which is freedom from the false sense of being separate from the Divine interconnectivity of the world. During the Earth season, we are invited to rest into that interconnectivity, aware that the Earth is forever anchoring us, forever bringing us home.
Note: As many of you know, I am engaging in an advanced Energy Medicine Yoga certification. It’s sooo juicy! This blog is an attempt to share the energetic shifts I’m experiencing as I engage with Chinese medicine’s Five Element Theory.
