Deceleration
Your November practice
Autumn decelerates, unfurling amid the quickening of the calendar year’s end. We turned the clocks back last week here in coastal Scotland where I live and there’s no denying that it’s darker now, the days shorter — the world inward bound. After wading through the rough, seaweed-tangled surf of my weekly North Sea swim I pulled on thick wool socks and surrendered to a long, deep sleep.
Slow down significantly.
Leaves curl and drift from stoic branches as creatures scurry toward their nests. We too are called to retreat. You might feel this invitation in the stiff chill lingering in your fingers post afternoon walk or school commute, your appetite inclining toward chai or pie or maybe a bubbling curry. Or in crescendoing fatigue. You might gather supplies for the colder months ahead (books, journals, candles, and a spacious schedule for me). There’s so much comfort and ease that arrises from our response to these cyclical intuitions — ghost rainbows of remembrance. Follow these steady beats even as you get on with what’s needed in your world now, in November.
Gently.
This time, your time, isn’t something to hurry through. Consider wayfinding via timely pauses, many. It’s often the simplest, most accessible gestures that have a way of slowing our moments so that we can feel the space between them. May we take care of them, and ourselves, and each other.
A few things that have been soothing my nervous system this autumn…
a candle’s warm flicker at the breakfast table
anchoring down through big toes
sea swimming
remedies handmade by
pulling my head off
words on pages
Hold Nothing by
squash, sweet potato, sage
lingering in evening light > hurried kitchen tidying
lying down, bones descending
holding hands with my kids as we fall asleep
waiting (really waiting) for my breath out to become a breath in
pausing, and pausing again
And you?
Breathe — you know what to do.
Your practice
Online — New weekly videos heading to paid subscribers throughout the month to support you to move through your days more easefully — a midday reset, quick coffee/tea break, slow flow, and more on the agenda. All levels, yoga-inspired practices that meet you right where you are.
In person — If you’re in the Edinburgh area, drop in to my new community practice, Your Weekly Reset, which meets in a cozy North Berwick seafront space on Wednesday mornings.
There’s also a few mats available for Move, Rest, Recover: a restorative workshop on 16 November. We’ll explore how to cultivate a more restorative mindset, and activate and strengthen your ability to recover in the moments when you truly need rest the most. You’ll leave with practical insights and accessible tools for everyday recovery, along with a copy of my new book.
ICYMI — Welcome Home
As autumn is a season of homecoming, I’ve created a new set of yoga practices and beautiful accompanying guidebook to welcome you home to yourself, again and again.
Always love to hear your notes and requests for future practices — please drop a comment and I’ll see you on the mat and page soon, with deep thanks.
i spy Ground of Being and feel warmed by your words, Erin.
Thank you for sharing Erin💕. Love and Peace