Sweater Weather…Bring It On!
It’s September 10th, kids have started back at school, the morning air is cooler and crisper, the sun goes down at a reasonable hour so that more sleep feels accessible and…I can feel myself waking up!
For the last several years it has become more clear to me that summer is not my season to thrive. Even I think that sounds strange, but I literally feel like I am coming alive as the season transitions into fall. For the last several months I have felt thwarted in creativity, confidence and overall energy. I have wondered if this is the new me or if it’s a temporary phase. Will I feel stuck in the muck here forward?
As I reflect on the past few years especially, I can start to see patterns within myself. Today, I’m feeling increasingly confident that I am not headed down a tunnel of destitute but rather a reawakening with the change of seasons.
Although summer may not be when I feel most alive, it doesn’t mean I don’t make the most of all that summer has to offer. I take advantage of filling the days with outdoor adventures and out-of-the ordinary experiences for myself and my family but I often have a low level of feeling aimless, tired and general blah. I lack motivation and clarity and often find myself hanging out in the valleys of my mind. I like routine and structure. The 11 weeks of summer lack routine and structure. As I am learning to recognize patterns and live into my strengths instead of beating myself up for my challenges, I am grateful for my summer valleys. It means that the climb up and out of the funk is coming soon and the growth and learning that happens in the valleys makes the view from the mountain tops so much richer and more valuable.
Have you ever thought about your life as related to the seasons? Ayurveda medicine is closely connected to the seasons and has often offered me insight into my mind, body and spiritual being. Ayurvedic is the science of life and has been used in India for thousands of years to bring the body into a healthy and vitalized state of balance. The treatments within this genre of medicine are individualized to a person’s unique constitution, with the goal to reconnect with the natural cycles that surround us. According to Ayurvedic principles when we recognize our seasonal cycles and their impact on our sense of well-being, we can mitigate those effects with our choices. A person’s health is based on their dosha — a balance of the five elements of the world known as air, earth, space, water, and fire.
Though it’s believed that each person has a unique constitution, they generally fall under one of three main dosha types — vata, kapha, and pitta.
We all carry attributes of all three doshas but based on a number of factors, each of us has dominant doshas. I am a pitta-kapha. Pitta is related to fire and kapha relates to water and earth. Through my research I have learned as a pitta I can run hot, especially in the summer. Pitta’s can be well-organized, move with intent and pre-plan everything. They have an analytical nature that will drive them to ask questions about every aspect of making a decision before deciding something. Pitta’s can be fantastic improvisers, negotiators and problem-solvers because they live in the present. Just like a slowly growing fire, pittas take a moderate amount of time to go out of balance and a moderate amount of time to come back into balance. My other dosha, kapha is explained as someone who is strong, jolly, sweet and highly structured in both body and mind. Kapha’s often have a strong, bright smile.
Knowing your dosha allows you an opportunity to better understand why you are the way you are and through this information, learn more about what environments, seasons, activities, foods and more life can be accessed to best support your whole being through the seasons.
Curious to learn more about yourself through the Ayurvedic lens? Check out this link to help you identify your dosha https://chopra.com/dosha-quiz
Diving deeper into my curiosity about my relationship with seasons I stumbled across this personality test. While it was fun, it is not likely very scientific, but it did provide me accurate results! Winter is definitely my season to thrive. https://www.buzzfeed.com/cloudde624/this-personality-test-will-decide-which-season-you-4nhf5xoluu
Ultimately what matters most is to pause and acknowledge that as humans we go through seasons just like the natural world around us. Instead of fighting it, becoming aware of it allows us to embrace ourselves and the season we are in so we can live more thoughtfully and peacefully year around.
So bring on the sweater weather and I will reconnect with creativity, confidence and courage to step into projects and possibilities that seemed impossible just a few weeks ago. The climb out of my summer valley has begun and I hope to see more of you along my journey through the seasons.