This October feels extra precious. As our world economy and lifestyles have undergone drastic changes since March, I feel it’s extra important to offer an Autumn Reset to my community.
I’ll get into the details of my 14-day Autumn Reset course and how it will ground you, in a bit.
First, I want to check in with you. How are you? Do you love the changing colors and gradual loss of foliage fall brings?
Or do you sense a trepidation about going into the colder and darker months? After so much has changed in how we socialize, what will this winter bring?
These are real concerns.
I just want to honor you and all the experiences you’ve had in the last six months.
Your stress levels may be higher. The pain or rage you feel at how crazy things have been, has probably weighed you down. At times I’m sure you’ve felt overwhelmed. Seeing others suffer. Questioning truth and reality.
It’s all very prevalent. On going. And ungrounding.
And if you’re anything like me, the compounded stress and the elevated emotional atmosphere has changed your sleep cycle. I took note of waking up at 3 am more since the weather became cooler.
In this post I will share some common seasonal physiological and emotional changes — that even under previous circumstances — most humans are susceptible to. And later, I will let you know how I can help you ground back into your body, back into deep rest, and restore your equilibrium before we transition into winter with my Autumn Reset group course starting October 21, 2020.
Our Mind, Body, and Emotions in Autumn
I am a lover of the cooler temperatures with the sunshine still giving a warming touch on my skin mid-afternoon. The heightened smells wafting through the air. And the bright colors that reflect on our nearby rivers and lakes. I love the cozy scarves, vests, and hats now adorning our bodies.
Still, the downside of our fall transition, seeps in, through our minds.
Seasonal Affective Disorder can kick in since you do not find yourself outside as often. Most people attribute SAD to the sunlight starting to dwindle. As a parent or grandparent the kids are back in school and your work-life routines are shifting. Gone are the days full of hikes and picnics.
Dr. Clare Morrison told Healthline, that Autumn anxiety is common for people with this seasonal change.
Autumn Anxiety doesn’t have an external trigger. It occurs for different reasons. For some it’s the awareness that the school year has started (and looks very different for a lot of people in 2020). Yikes! Maybe the anticipation of holiday stress (what are you doing this year?) is already brewing? Are you feeling regret for not living the summer you had planned?
I’m still a bit bummed about the lack of family gatherings, canceled concerts, and no in-person yoga workshops. And I’m flat out grieving that my son who’s in the military can’t come to the US for his leave. I know why and what we had to do; to be socially responsible in times of COVID…to follow the mandates from our government.
That doesn’t negate my grief.
After what we’ve all experienced since March, Autumn anxiety sounds about right.
According to Ayurveda, Autumn sets up all of us to feel ungrounded, overwhelmed, unfocused and scattered. So please don’t take your experiences of feeling out of balance, personally.
There’s something bigger going on, this is Vata season. Ayurveda teaches us that the elements associated with Vata dosha are air and ether. Vata season (late Autumn and parts of winter) has an abundance of dryness and movement. Emotionally, we run into unpredictable thoughts and feelings, it’s as if there’s no solid ground to stand on.
But, as always, your body’s there for you. She’s offering up subtle cues, hoping you’ll notice and respond.
Qualities of Vata
Vata is one of the three doshas and it behaves like the wind. Notice the cool air of Autumn moving and blowing the crisp, dry colorful leaves. Ancient Vedic knowledge matches Vata dosha with the season autumn and the dry cold days during winter.
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On the other hand, when Vata is balanced, its positive qualities are:
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I want to remind you not to take it personally if you’re feeling fearful and anxious, absent-minded or achey in your body and joints! These are common symptoms that show up in a lot of bodies when Vata dosha is out of balance – which is a common occurrence when the season changes to autumn.
If you take action to prepare for this season with intention, you can unbind the stress stored in your muscular-skeletal system, organs, and cells. My Autumn Reset course and community offers you the chance to do just that.
I’d love for you to join us as we refocus our mind, body, heart and spirit back to our guiding light, our creative center. Let’s intentionally prepare and then nestle in for the winter months. The Autumn Reset is all about refilling your tank and refocusing your wellness goals.
3 Steps to Reset & Recalibrate
There are three pillars I set up within my Autumn Reset program. The 14-day reset, starting this October 21st, is an invitation to intentionally step out of the mental rush you find yourself in. Pause. Step back from the attempts to navigate a catty-wampus schedule with shortening days. Instead of shying away and regretting the loss of summer, step outside into the brisk temperatures, step into the season with care.
If you haven’t had the luxury of practicing yoga with others because of limited studio space or closures, I’ve got you! We’ll get cozy on Zoom on our mats and in our kitchens.
My three steps to help you reset and re-calibrate this fall:
- Stimulate and inspire your creative genius as you gather supplies and map your calendar. This part is all about aligning your actions to match your desired outcome.
- Schedule and dedicate one to four days to deeply replenish your mind, body, and spirit through a Kitchari (and possibly ghee) cleanse. (More on this later).
- Mindfully integrate back into your everyday life after you’ve completed your kitchari cleanse. You’ll feel renewed, light in your belly, and refocused in your mind.
My Autumn Reset community and I are like a big mamma bear, ready to nurture you through any resistance that might come up. We’ll support you as you remember your desires. Again and again. This is all about building love, for yourself and your body.
My intention for you is to show up for election day and the holiday season with a clarity of heart and mind. To feel centered as we embark into the darker months and our new social norms. I will be your cheerleader, encouraging you to celebrate as you achieve goals and open up to breakthroughs.
Your Fears, Unmasked.
You may have some doubts about joining my 14-day Autumn Reset program. I get that. Maybe you’ve subscribed to previous detox groups or did some kind of detox by yourself with little to no results. Or you did good for a while then fell off the bandwagon.
So you tell yourself, why would I waste my money, if that would happen again?
My response to that would be, “this time is about nourishment and filling your tank (however small or big). It’s not about perfectionism and a bunch of extra work. This is about doing what you can and realizing the win in that.”
To find balance with your vata dosha it’s important to consider balance with your family, friendships, passion, career, and self-care. Sometimes it’s essential to take items off your “plate”.
If we look to nature during the season of autumn, we are at a time when farmers are harvesting the last of their crops. They’re watching for the freezing temperatures to hit. The morning dew changes to frost on your windshields.
The prep work of planting and watering and soaking up the sun has passed.
Now is the time to prepare for the darker, more internal days of winter. And from my vantage point, to prepare intentionally. That’s why we Reset. The Autumn Reset course is about allowing yourself time to reflect. To parcel out what you want to carry forward. And what is necessary to leave and let be.
Can you learn from nature — the trees — how to let go of the fruits of your labor? Can you drop the leaves of your extravagance and come back to the stability of your trunk? Back further even. Can you go below the surface, to your roots, where you’ll be receiving nourishment for the next six months?
Soulful Navigation System
This year has changed the pace and intensity of your lifestyle. It may have sped up. It may have felt like a groundhogs day. Before COVID, our modern lifestyle valued stress as a motivator to accomplish the impossible. To get things done.
This stressful mentality and lifestyle are scientifically proven to take its toll on your mind, body, and emotions. Add in a pandemic where brilliant minds can’t agree on the information. We’re approaching a Presidential election that has many American’s concerned for the wellbeing of their future and the generations to come. Old and stagnant social issues are coming to the surface, even stronger.
And how about the physical distancing? Most of us have reduced the number of hugs, handshakes and smiles that we usually receive. Our important social exchanges are some of the ways that we combat stress and increase our oxytocin levels.
I don’t know a person today that is not affected by the current state of affairs. Stressful moods seem to resurface on the regular, like lost change in a couch. Maybe your gut has been on lockdown? Do you have a greater sensitivity to digestive dis-ease?
The blessing of COVID, in my opinion, is that running errands and rushing to meet up with friends for a coffee between errands and work has slowed down. It’s given us time to see that today’s westerners are generally overbooked. If you’re feeling uneasy, you’re not alone. We all have many reasons to feel like that.
Now more than ever, we must take the time to reset our “soulful navigation system.” Yoga can help. Your home environment and seasonal foods can jumpstart this process.
DEAR FRIEND, I invite you to use the many seasonal and world changes as a catalyst to settle into unbinding from stress with the help of my guidance and the Autumn Reset course. I am here to assist you as you pause, regroup, and recommit to what matters most in your precious life.
What You Have to Gain
- You’ll reduce the unwanted cravings coming from your gut-brain that had one too many sugary treats and drinks this summer.
- Simultaneously you’ll increase your nutrition with freshly prepared nourishing whole foods.
- When it’s all said and done you will be sleeping better. Say goodbye to your restless thoughts waking you at 2:30 am.
- Your digesting rekindled, your belly feeling lighter.
Oh, and there will be yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and a community to share your gratitude with!
My Autumn Reset Community’s Features:
- 3 Zoom Group Calls To Dive into Your 3 Pillars (Mentioned Above) and Pivot into your Intentions
- October 24, 2020; 10-11:15 am PDT
- October 27, 2020; 5:30-6:45 pm PDT
- November 3, 2020; 5:30-6:45 pm PST (daylight savings time on Nov 1st).
- Yoga Classes (on Zoom) to detox your mind, body, and spirit with intentional breath and curiosity in your body’s movement, guided by me, Sarah.
- Mondays 11-12:15 PM PST
- Tuesdays, 8-8:45 AM PDT
- Wednesdays, 11-12:15 PM PDT
- Thursdays, 8-8:45 AM PDT
- If you cannot make it to a live yoga class, there are a few recorded classes for you to access via the Member’s hub.
- Recipes and Supporting Materials
- A seasonal customized recipe book.
- Templates for your weekly meal plan.
- Extra printouts, like a workbook to synchronize your mind-body connection and intentions (studies show goals are achieved when you write them down).
- Private Online Member’s Hub
- Your place to access all course materials like Zoom recordings, workbooks, and recipes.
- Review at your leisure.
- Revisit to gain clarity.
- Explore to engage your curiosity to try something new.
- Recorded Informative Conversations with Sarah and Experts in:
- Ayurveda, yoga, nutrition and Vedic insights that will align you back to your circadian rhythm and ancestral wisdom.
- Yoga to expand your knowledge and vitality.
- Digestion to assimilate what’s in our gut, heart, and mind.
- Herbalism to support your mind, body, and emotions.
- Detox how-tos, benefits, and tips.
- Local food sourcing to enhance your connection to Mother Earth and take action to reduce environmental toxins caused by consumerism and the young 70-year-old grocery store chains.
- Private Facebook Group Forum
Interact with like-minded community members of all different ages, demographics, and locations. And me too. Share your challenges, inspiration, and receive support from people to fulfill your deeper needs in cultivating your intentions for your best self. Community support is where it’s at.
The value of this course is $137. You’ll be amazed that Ayurveda’s approach to detox is different than anything you’ve encountered before. (And less expensive at just under $10 a day).
In this 14-day reset, you’ll experience the importance of mental AND emotional detox, not just the food plan. Although the Kitchari dish and food planning is part of it. Your deepest commitment will not last longer than five days. And I will be there to help you exit your deep dive with gentleness. With a structure that allows your nervous system to rebound and build resilience to stress.
“You will walk away from this course uplifted. Calm, in both mind and body.”
To join us for this year’s Autumn Reset beginning October 21, 2020 click here to sign up. Have your debit or credit card information ready to process $137, along with the best available email to contact you at (I’ll be sending you your Hub Access information and updates via email).
For any reason, you are unable to pay in full the $137 or you have a different preferred payment method (check), please contact me in a private DM.
P.S. If you find yourself interested, but have some questions, feel free to set up a time to chat with me.
For more information here’s my website that breaks down my Autumn Reset group in another way.
P.P.S. My sweet friends,
I just want to say, I appreciate your tenacity to invest in reading about how to deeply restore yourself in the crazy Western culture we have incarnated in.
I believe we are the foot soldiers to break the mold. And you are doing that by radically changing the way you’ve agreed to live and show up in a ‘fast-paced’ life.
I look forward to learning from your unfolding nature of your body-mind wisdom during this Autumn Reset together.
If you’d like to deepen your daily routines, meal preps, and yoga practice further, ask me about my Annual Ticket.
With love and kindness,
Sarah