Rituals for self-care #8
Nourishing and nurturing in the 'fifth season'. Micro-practices to reset and explore the grounding qualities of the earth element this month.
We’ve had a birthday in the house this weekend. That milestone, along with all the admin that comes with the start of a new school term (and all the out-of-school activities), is a reminder that the summer is coming to a close and a new chapter lies ahead.Â
Eastern wisdom sees this time of year as a time of transition. In addition to the four seasons we observe, they acknowledge a fifth season. Late summer, which some call an Indian summer, is seen as a separate season that falls between the expansive seasons of spring and summer and before the inward season of autumn and winter. Nature is still bountiful and ready to be harvested but there’s a cooling in the air, suggesting autumn will soon arrive.
It’s also the time between the energetic and vibrant yang of summer and the slower, calmer yin season ahead. Principles of Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine always invite us to find a balance, a harmony. The ‘fifth season’ is a pausing between these two energies, a gentle shifting down gears, and an opportunity for reflection.
Seasons are often paired with an element - for the fifth season the element is earth. Mother Earth - nourishing, nurturing, accepting, transmuting.
Just as the new school year begins anew with a blank, fresh page, this transitional time offers the chance to reset.
What is nourishing and nurturing for you? For your mind, body and spirit? How can you mother yourself with these earthly qualities?
This month’s micro moment is an invitation to nourish and nurture. I’m sharing a few ideas below.
This month you’ll find me…
Practising this:
Caterpillar
Caterpillar is a folding inward. There’s no better metaphor for the time of transition than the caterpillar - this pose is an allowing, letting gravity do the work of stretching the back line of the body. It encourages introspection and it has a gorgeous calming essence.Â
To really allow yourself to sink into this forward fold, make use of props such as a folded blanket under your pelvis (to ensure it tilts forward rather than putting pressure on your lower back), padding under your knees and maybe a soft cushion tucked between your upper thighs and lower abdomen.
As always, adjust the pose for any contraindications.
Using this essential oil:
Vetiver
If I had to name a grounding essential oil, vetiver is likely to be the one that springs to mind. It has a really earthy scent to it which, although isn’t the prettiest scent to diffuse, is so soothing.
Vetiver is recommended as one to calm an over-active mind. It can be added to a relaxing bath and blends well with other calming oils like lavender and bergamot.
Making time for:
Belly massage
Both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda recommend this time of year to attend to our gut - whether it’s a seasonal cleanse and reset or stimulating our digestive system with herbs or practices such as Uddiyana Bhanda, it supports this time of transition - supporting the body’s systems in nourishing our self and eliminating what is not needed or supportive.
One simple practice is to stimulate the digestive system with a gentle belly massage. Using an oil blend (as above) or just a body lotion after your shower, sweep the palm of your hand in a circular, clockwise motion around your belly with light to medium pressure. Starting underneath your ribs, moving clockwise down to your hip point, sweeping across the lower abdomen and back up the other side.
Please check for contraindications.
Did you see…?
The September issue of Om Yoga magazine features an article I’ve written called Permission to Rest. It’s a love note to savasana and may be a well-timed invitation to pause in this fifth season. You can read it HERE
I’d love to hear from you. How might you use this ‘fifth season’ as a moment to reset and nourish yourself - body, mind and/or spirit?