Season Syncing
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As we enter into the autumn season, I want to talk about Season Syncing. Sadly, our modern world has fallen out of touch with the Earth’s natural rhythm. Thousands of years ago, there were no alarm clocks or grocery stores or packaged foods or transported goods from halfway across the globe. Our ancestors rose with the sun, ate off the land, and lived according to the seasons. This way of being is our natural state. It’s how we’re designed to thrive.
Season syncing brings us back to our roots. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic philosophies, the practice encompasses sleeping, eating, and living in-tune with the seasons.
The idea: to synchronize the seasons with our largest categories in life; sleeping, eating, exercising, and living. When we tune in, get quite, and listen, our body intuitively knows what to do.
Syncing with the Sun
Our cirdadium rhythm (aka internal clock) follows the sun. This means, our body naturally wants to sleep and rise with the setting and rising sun. And to best support our needs, our sleep cycle may very throughout the year.
Fall: The transition from Summer to Autumn can be exceptionally hard. The mornings become darker and the days go grey. Wind down earlier, sleep in a bit later, and allow your body additional rest.
Tips: exposure to daylight in the morning helps reset our sleep and wake cycles, and naturally alleviate tiredness. Try going outside first thing in the morning, even for just a couple of minutes.
Winter: With shorter days and longer nights, winter is the time to slow down, withdraw, hibernate, nest, and rest. It’s the perfect opportunity to fully recharge and prepare for a new year ahead. Longer periods of sleep are often required, AND completely healthy!
Tips: Supplement with vitamin D to support seasonal depression, and consider installing natural spectrum light bulbs - especially if you live in a place with limited sunlight during the winter months.
Spring: The mornings slowly get brighter, and daylight increases. Begin to shift your alarm clock a little back each day.
Summer: Bright mornings, later evenings, and increased sunlight often results in feeling like we need less sleep during the summer. Favour early rising, and listen to your body!
Eating with the seasons
Seasonal eating provides our body with the nutrients it needs in specific seasons. Do you naturally crave different foods depending on the time of year, climate, and weather conditions? Does your digestion fluctuate as the seasons change?
Research now shows that our gut micro-biome physically changes it’s structure, as well as enzyme production, with the seasons! This means, our body optimally digest different foods at different times of the year. And when we eat something completely out of season - like tropical fruit in the winter (guilty!) - our body won’t efficiently produce the correct enzymes needed to properly break these foods down.
Eating with the seasons is quite simple - just focus on eating local, in-season foods. Basically, anything that's grown locally will be in-season. An easy way to figure out what's seasonal in your area is to check your city's growing guide, or pop by a neighbourhood farmer's market!
Farmer's markets are an excellent way to connect with the people who grow your food, and support local during the spring, summer, and early autumn months. cNot only do they foster a sense of community, but they're also so much fun! Shop at grocery stores and markets that carry in-season produce grown close to home, as opposed to the other side of the world. Shopping this way supports both our body AND Mother Earth.
Fall
Grounding, starchy, warming, aromatic
Winter squashes
Roots and tubours
Cooked, steamed, dark leafy greens
Warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
Starchy vegetables
Fiberous fruit like apples, pears, and plums
Winter
Grounding, earthy, warming, comforting
Starchy root vegetables like carrots and parsnip
Winter squashes
Brown and sweet potatos
Cruciferous veggies like brussel sprouts
Oranges and clementines
Hearty chills, soups, and stews
Spring
Light, fresh, bitter, cleansing
Bitter greens like arugula and dandelion
Sprouts and dark leafy greens
Fresh herbs (parsly, dill, cilantro)
Homemade vegetable and fruit juices
Sea vegetables like spirulina and chlorella
Fresh salads and smoothies
Summer
Cool, hydrating, juicy, abundant
Water-rich vegetables (cucumber, zuchinni, peas, tomatoes, lettuces)
Summer squashes
Tropical fruits and berries
Sprouts and sprouted legumes
Seasonal exercise
With the changing seasons, our excercise requirements often change, too.
Autumn: As the days grow darker, it's common to feel our energy start to dwindle. Instead of pushing through, transition intense workouts to nature walks and gentler movement. Honour your body’s declinng energy.
Winter: Favour restorative practices like yoga or pilates. Take your workouts indoors to keep warm, and consider investing in a gym membership during this time.
Spring: After winter’s hybernation, we often feel a sense of renewed energy. Now is a great time to take your workouts outside.
Summer: It’s common to feel a surge in energy and motivation during the summer months. The long days and abundance of sunshine make us feel awake, energized, and ready to move. In this fast-paced season, try new things and pariticpate in a wide variety of activities; from mountain hikes to ocean swims and workouts at the beach.
Daily Habits
Fall: Winding down, wrapping up, completion, and tuning in. The perfect time to:
Slow down
Reorganize
Wrap up projects and loose ends
Spend time in the forrest
Winter: Deep rest, comfort, coziness, hibernation, withdrawal, and reflection. The perfect time to:
Journal and reflect
Set intentions for the coming year
Less work, more rest
Spend time at home
Spring: Re-organizing, resetting, planning, checking in, cleaning up. The perfect time to:
Spring-clean your closet, space, and thoughts
Plant ideas, dreams, and seeds
Start new projects
Resert with a health-supportive cleanse
Spend time in the garden
Summer: Play, spontaneity, adventure. The perfect time to:
Adventure, travel, and explore new places
Actively participate in social activities
Spend time in the ocean, lakes, and rivers
