With summer being right around the corner (FINALLY!), you may be seeking out a new shift in life or just ready for the seasonal shift itself. I was inspired by my March blog post to continue the idea of incorporating rituals into your life and seasonal ones are a great place to start! (You can read the March blog post here).
This post splits the rituals slightly differently than the spring ones, but are still wonderful ways to celebrate and tune into the changes of the seasons. As you'll see, these rituals are split into focuses on: your home space, your body, and your mind/soul. I've approached these rituals with the lens of Ayurveda - the sister science of yoga.
~What does this mean...? ~
In short (super short), each of our seasons corresponds to a particular dosha - vata, pitta, or kapha. Now hold on.... how do 3 doshas match with 4 seasons?! They actually do fit quite nicely even if the math doesn't add up.
(I didn't make this image and don't claim it to be mine)
As you can see in the image, we come into vata, pitta, and kapha seasons with the transitions of the earthly seasons. The rituals that I offer in this post are to help us prepare for change in a holistic way.
So again, summer is right around the corner! Keep reading for fun seasonal rituals!
Summer Rituals
I know people experience summer differently maybe depending on profession - for example, I'm a school teacher so I find that my schedule is way less busy during the summer. But for others, summer is the time to fill the social calendar and get projects done and everything in between. Even with my lighter schedule in the summer, I still feel inspired to get as much done as possible before the next school year starts. This is a similar vibe for many which is why the rituals for summer are meant to bring coolness and calmness to the heat and movement that summer brings.
Home space
Keep your home free of clutter and be careful not to get too caught up in the late night stimulating activities super frequently. Take an evening to dim your lights as the sun goes down, enjoy a warm shower, and snuggle in bed with a good book. Allow your home space to be a place of calmness to come back to after the fun summer activities.
Body
Enjoy the outdoors getting fresh air; especially in the evenings as it cools down... dance in the moonlight! Explore more soothing movement practices like a gentle flow class, swimming, or experience a sound bath. As for pranayama, incorporate Chandra Bhedana breath (moon breath) either midday or evening to cool your mind and body. Eat sweet juicy fruits like melons and berries!
Mind/ soul
Lavender essential oil is wonderful in the summer as it brings a lightness around and within you. It's also very calming! Besides the oils, you can also make tea out of fresh lavender or keep a bouquet of fresh lavender to keep that sense of calmness every day. Explore meditations that calm your mind chatter and bring you to the present moment.
Fall Rituals
As the summer heat cools off and we make our way into fall, the rituals we practice should reflect the preparation we need going into a vata season. So our rituals should start to be slower, more reflective and restorative to ground and nurture us. This is my favorite season, but I personally need to be extra mindful of this transition because of my vata/pitta constitution. (As an aside, look for an online dosha quiz for yourself to figure out which seasonal transition you might need to be a little extra mindful of.)
Home space
Start getting things cozy! Bring out your favorite blankets and start a simmer pot on the stove. If you've never tried a simmer pot, this is the fall to do it! They'll make your home space smell and feel amazing. A good go-to fall recipe is: some orange peels, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Fill a pot with water and your add-ins, then bring to a simmer on the stove for about an hour.
Body
Move your body in a more grounding way with restorative yoga practices, mindful stretching, or spend time outdoors (like hiking!). Eat nourishing and wholesome foods that also feed your soul - like butternut squash or lentil soup. A beautifully grounding pranayama you could practice would be dirga breath.
Mind/ soul
Maybe go for a candlelight concentration meditation to ground down and explore warmth. Find a small candle - literally any kind - and a cozy spot in your home. Light the candle then take a few deep breaths with your eyes closed. Open your eyes and bring your gaze to the flame. Using your breath as a guide, keep your whole focus on the flame. To come out of the meditation, gently close your eyes and bring your hands to your heart.
Winter Rituals
Kapha season really picks up towards the middle/end of winter and into spring. So our transition at the start of winter is really more vata moving towards kapha. With the dry air, we need to focus on more moisture and grounding into ourselves. With the waning sunlight, we also need to liven up our day to day to make the most of the sunlight we do have!
Home space
Since most of our schedules aren't directly in tune with the sunlight throughout the year, investing in some light therapy lamps are great for winter time! Sunrise alarm clocks are wonderful to help you get out of bed before the sun and various light therapy lamps work wonders in the evening to give you a little more energy as the sun sets earlier. Be mindful not to rely too heavily on these because we feel more slugglish with less natural light for a reason... we're meant to get more rest in the cold months!
Body
Keep warm and GET MOVING! I find myself not particularly motivated in the winter, but as Ayurveda points to... like attracts like. So of course we'll feel more lethargic and cold as vata season transitions to kapha season. Take a warm/hot vinyasa class, get to those spin classes, whatever you love to bump up your heart rate a little. Warm soups and spicy foods will also help keep you toasty!
Mind/ soul
Consider exploring the idea of attending a silent retreat or ANY kind of retreat really! Use this time for reflection and gratitude. Cozy up on Sunday evening with a warm cup of tea and journal or meditate or read. Take more time for your self care routine and focus on nourishing yourself from the inside out.
I hope you'll be able to come back to this post for your seasonal transitions as a source of inspiration for what you can do for YOURSELF! Going with the flow is amazing, but we can always do so with a little more intention and awareness as to how that flow syncs with nature's cycles too.
~Namaste~
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