Autumn yoga: a quiet practice

I arrived at class today to find several of my regular students already in the teaching studio, arranged in corpse pose, covered with blankets. I took this as a sign that a quieter practice was called for!

The weather outside was pretty turbulent; the long Indian summer of warm sunny days that persisted through September and October has yielded sharply to a November of chillier temperatures and the return of the rain.

The steady yellow glow from a halogen heater in the corner of the studio was evocative of the departed sun. We used ujjayi pranayama to increase our inner fire or agni and create heat internally. This warrior breath can be used throughout the practice of sun salutations and standing poses.

The use of additional stretches, parsva chakrasana, kati chakrasana are also appropriate during the colder months and we may have to make peace with a lesser range of movement. It feels good to spend longer in restorative poses such as balasana (childs pose), creating natural pauses in our asana sequences. Generally working with fewer poses. And we opted for a a passive inversion, with the trunk relaxed on the ground and the legs raised and supported on the wall.

A longer savasana is also called for, with a blanket to retain heat; allowing the body to rest completely. As we rested quietly in the final moments of the session, the rain ceased, the sun reappeared. A welcome blessing!