September is here, and that means it’s time to come back home—to our practices, our regular rhythms and routines, our communities, our center. For many of us, summer is a time of travel, adventure, and fun in the sun. We relax our sense of time along with our eating habits and lifestyle practices that keep us feeling strong and balanced. Usually, by the end of the summer, we yearn for the comfort of sleeping in our own beds, the feeling of cool air on our skin, and the sweet familiarity of opening our front doors, stepping over the threshold, dropping our bags, and arriving HOME.

Our yoga mats can serve as another important home base. When we come to our mats, we cultivate a sense of arriving. We drop what we are carrying emotionally and intellectually, and we surrender to the breath, the body, the spirit. We invite a deeper connection to the SELF. We come home.

Maybe this summer has found you off your mat more than on it. Maybe the yoga you’ve practiced has been more about working with the pause between stimulus and response as you’ve spent time with family and the associated “pushed buttons.” Maybe your yoga has been to simply feel your connection to the earth as you’ve spent time in nature and marveled at its beauty. Maybe your yoga has been reflecting on how you can show up for others in this very distressing time in our country. Yoga is union—to Self and to all beings. So, even if you haven’t made it to your mat all summer, you’ve been practicing yoga! But it’s always good to come back to the asana that keeps our bodies supple and strong; our hearts compassionate and open; and our spirits and nervous systems calm and regulated (not an easy task these days).

On September 22, we will say a formal farewell to summer and shift into autumn. Ayurveda considers this shift an important time to cleanse, restore, and increase resilience. Through changes to our diet and lifestyle, we reduce the heat in body/mind that has built up over the summer months. We prepare for the cold and windy days of fall by bringing in more grounding practices. We learn about ourselves and what makes us feel our best and most vital, and then we commit to those practices.

I would love to help you explore this seasonal approach to living through Ayurveda. In my online workshop, “Boost Your Vitality this Fall” I’ll share simple and effective ways to bring the practices of yoga and Ayurveda into your daily life. If the time and date don’t work for you (Thursday, September 18th at 7pm EST), you can still register, and you will receive the recording and other materials.

My online yoga classes begin on Tuesday, September 2. I look forward to welcoming you back to your home base. Our pose for September will be pigeon—for its grounding attributes and its invitation to release heat and holding. And we are all holding so, so much these days—grief, sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, along with joy, hope, and happiness….it’s confusing, complex, and just plain rough.

What I’m reading

This Tender Land by William Kent Kreuger

A dear friend told me this is her all-time favorite book, so I read it last month. It is heart-breaking and life affirming and just beautiful. I laughed, I cried, and I will carry that book inside me forever.

Sonata for Miriam by Linda Ollson

A small yet mighty book about identity, love, loss, history, and the importance of knowing where we come from.

What I did this summer

We just got back from our son Jake and his new wife Sarah’s wedding! We had a summer of planning, a family trip to Atlanta for the bridal shower, and lots of fun that culminated in the most beautiful and meaningful wedding weekend. Feeling very grateful for love, our growing family, and the incredible northern Michigan weather that we enjoyed for the event!

I finished my 200-hour Ayurvedic Health Advisor certification. After a year of study, I know I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of Ayurvedic wisdom, but I am excited to share what I’ve learned on my journey.

Where I’m directing my energy

I’m resuming the practices that keep me feeling my best and preparing for the change of season—prioritizing sleep, movement, eating foods that support healthy digestion and elimination, and regulating my emotional health by being intentional about how I take in the political news of each day.

What I’m listening to

Dear Time by Alison Brown and Steve Martin, featuring Jackson Browne

My friend sent this to me, and it makes me nostalgic and grateful.

Our September yoga playlist

We must remember that when we stay committed to yoga, we show up in the world in ways that have positive ripple effects. Practicing compassion, offering a strong shoulder, finding the pause to breathe before reacting in negative ways, understanding that we are all connected and what happens to one of us happens to all of us—these aspects of yoga matter deeply and are powerful offerings.