October’s edition is all about nesting and creature comforts as we wind down from a strange pandemic summer and gradually tuck into the fold of a cooler, damper and darker pandemic autumn.
Autumn is a season to safeguard our immunity and lungs as well as a period of letting go in synchrony with the natural world. We’ve provided as always resources to help you navigate your internal landscape during this seasonal change including a guided meditation as well as an online meditation gathering, an introspective reading, anti-racism resources for parent+child, warming-nourishing recipes and a soundtrack that hopefully supports the transition to shorter, darker days.
We hope this finds you safe and sound as we bid summer days farewell and welcome sweater and boot weather :)
- As it is ALWAYS relevant and that life and environmental stressors are ongoing, we are sharing again a visual resource that can guide you through a regulated breathing exercise that can aid in nervous system regulation, creating a more functional balance between your “fight, flight or freeze” response (sympathetic) and your “rest and digest” response (parasympathetic). And to learn more about the Autonomic Nervous System and how our bodies respond to stressors (Polyvagal theory), READ HERE.
- Revisiting our Craniosacral Therapist Aviva Ciplinski‘s “Whole Body Settling”: a guided body awareness exercise. For those who have been on my table this will be a familiar exercise. Inviting the whole body to settle is one of the ways I support your transition from a busy day into a craniosacral therapy session. This 53 minute track is intended to call in awareness and presence, which often results in a more spacious and gentle sense of ourselves.
- If You’re Already Dreading Winter, Here Are Some Small Ways to Prepare Now
Courtesy of VICE Magazine, here is a list of ACCESSIBLE and ACTIONABLE suggestions that will make living with COVID-19 as the seasons change, the weather cools down and the days get shorter. - Warm you from the inside-out, a vegan Golden Milk recipe from the Minimalist Baker
Ideal for the gradual shift to chillier-damp days of autumn: if you haven’t tried golden milk yet, you’re missing out! It’s a creamy (dairy-free), hot milk drink that’s filled to the brim with nutrients. Also known as haldhi doodh, golden milk is touted for it’s healing, anti-inflammatory properties largely due to curcumin, found in turmeric. Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years for conditions such as breathing problems, joint pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and more. - Warm & nourishing, a recipe for Carrot-Ginger soup, complete with step-by-step images and a simple+affordable list of ingredients!
Cooked, warm foods are best to maintain your digestive fire as we transition into a rainy autumn. Cooked carrots are sweet, which help support the digestive-assimilation of the Spleen. The ginger is a warming properties that will assist with digestion and it’s spicy, pungent flavor (include the skin!) will disperse stagnation, prevention bloating and indigestion as well as helping to drain dampness – so great for clearing mucus. Chicken broth, esp homemade is a nutrient dense way of incorporating more protein and minerals into a dish! - An Icelandic themed soundtrack to get you into the hygge mood:
Isolation Room presents Jónsi & Alex Somers – ‘Riceboy Sleeps’ + ‘All Animals’
Ólafur Arnalds – Live at Sydney Opera House | Digital Season
Amiina – The Lighthouse Project
múm – Loksins erum við engin
KID KOALA – Music To Draw To live stream 01 (featuring vocals by Icelandic singer Emilíana Torrini) - “They’re Not Too Young to Talk about Race”: Do you want to talk to your young child about issues of social justice, but don’t know how? You’re not alone—most adults find topics like race, gender, and class difficult to talk about with children. But if we don’t find ways to talk about it, children will learn whatever they can glean from unspoken messages, and that doesn’t often work out very well. Here is a list of resources courtesy of Children’s Community School.
- ‘Home’, a free 30 day yoga series offered by Yoga with Adriene
“Get ready to step inside and see what it feels like to be at home.” Practices are 15-45 minutes with a different theme every day and videos are available for free on YouTube. - Great new additions to the documentary section of CBC Gem
Christina recommends, “93Queen”, 93QUEEN follows a group of tenacious Hasidic women who are smashing the patriarchy in their community by creating the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in New York City
AND
“Ru-tsu”, in a raw and intimate conversation with his grandfather, David Suzuki, snowboarder and activist Tamo Campos explores his family’s Japanese heritage, shared traumas and their deep love of nature. - Peter Renner continuing his offering:
“Social distancing and health worries aren’t going away any time soon, and sitting quietly can help calm the mind and relax the body. I’m offering a blend of guided and silent meditation 3 times a week. Sessions are open to everyone regardless of previous experience, and you can leave at any time. You can connect to Zoom from any device; it’s free and requires no registration, more details HERE.
