Top Tips for Staying Well in Autumn

Physically with Supporting Your Defenses

Protect your Neck and Chest - Using a variety of layers from roll neck jumpers to scarves and snoods can help defend against the elements. Any clothing which can be used to build a physical defense around the neck and chest will help protect the energy of the Lungs. Appropriate clothing to mitigate the outside climate is incredibly important. It's also important to not leave ourselves vulnerable to indoor droughts too. An open window to air conditioning, wrapping up inside might be necessary to support our Lung energy and our immunity.

Breath work - Mindful breath work such as meditation, yoga and pranayama to gentle jogging in the park, a brisk walk, or a strenuous hike in nature helps release dry and stale air and use our lungs fully. Revitalising with fresh breath helps to bring in the new vitality and improve lung capacity.

Stay Regular - Fibrous foods help eliminate waste keeping your bowels regular and healthy. Examples being: Fruits: apples, pears, oranges and raisins, Nuts and Seeds: Lentils baked beans, black beans and almonds Vegetables: Potato, Broccoli, Carrots and Peas, Grains: Whole Wheat pasta, bread, oatmeal and brown rice. Regular bowel movements are important for physical health. IBS, constipation and diarrhoea are common complaints which acupuncture is also helpful to regulate.

Mentally with Acceptance

Accept Imperfection - Perfectionism is a rigid ideal of how things should be. The flip side of being a perfectionist is you are met with a lot of disappointment as you are confronted with the question am I good enough? Perfectionism within how we look, what we do, what we have, is never for ourselves. Its always for the approval of others.

Self Acceptance - List all the things that make you feel special and unique. In another list, write down all your achievements and all you are proud So far in life. This is a task that can be challenging, especially if imbalanced. However it is incredibly valuable to recognise all we have achieved and what makes us special, despite past behaviours and choices to accept ourselves fully. When you are able to know your worth and acknowledge your unique gifts, you are able to let go, enjoy the moment and recognise all the wonderful things that come into your life.

Emotionally with Letting go

Letting go of negative emotions, losses and disappointments - Letting go is an active choice, holding on creates toxic build up. If there is something you wish to let go that feels weighty and sad try a simple breath exercise. Taking in deep breaths into the bottom of your belly, then visulise what you would like to release and with the next breath let go. With your mouth open and tongue extended, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze until every bit of stale breath has been released. Hold, stay with the stillness until a new breath returns. Try this three or four times, then return to your regular breath, notice what feels different. It can take a few goes to practice, but effective as a daily practice.

Stay Connected - It is paramount to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues. This is a season introspection and we can cut off from many forms of social support. As we enter lockdown, there is less opportunity to connect with others face to face, so making a conscious effort to connect is vital. Connection to those who make us feel warm, understood and at ease are very important. Pick up the phone, connect on zoom, take a socially distant walk. These are valuable exercises for us to practice, especially in this current climate..

Let Go of Regrets - A perfectionist ideal can keep you trapped in the past and unable to move into the future. We live in our past if we dwell on how life should have been and not accept life as it happens. Experiment with living a full day without complaining, moaning or nitpicking. Could you do it? What did you notice? What in life isn't perfect? What are you not accepting?

Spiritually with Awe

Wonders of Nature - Walking, hiking, gardening, wondering through a park can provide a wonderful way of being present in nature. Doing so regularly we experience the slow changes day by day. Pay attention to the small and amazing way nature is constantly moving, in flux and fluid, observe the colours, notice the smells, hear the sounds and feel the energy. You are in the presense of great beauty.

Gratitude Journal - At the end of every day, write down three things you were grateful for. However big or small, it doesn’t matter. Perhaps noting a gift, or a delicious meal. As time goes on we slowly might notice smaller appreciations such as a call from a friend or the sunset. Notice each one, once written. What does this feel like in your body? How does you gratifying notes reflect in your mood? This practice fills our emptiness with a sweet warm glow, keeping us connected to what is meaningful and important to us.