Celebrating the turn of season

In the practice of yoga, we love to embrace the turn of the seasons and the shift that comes from the "in between" days. No longer summer, not yet winter, the fall is a time when the temperature and weather can change on a dime (especially in North Texas). With October 26 marking the fall equinox, we at yogees thought a celebration of the time in the year when the day and night are equal in length would be appropriate. Try a few of these yoga poses to help you shift energetically as a family!

Start with Alternate Nostril Breathing: Sit criss-cross applesauce, all of your 24 bones in your spine in a row. Using your right hand, place your thumb on your right nostril. Inhale, lift your thumb and close your left nostril with the pinky of the right hand. Exhale. Inhale on the left side, switch nostrils by lifting the pinky and pressing down on the right nostril with the thumb. A video can be found here: https://youtu.be/KsSbjghfiUo

Once you have done 6-12 rounds of breath, bring your body into child's pose by coming onto all fours (hands and knees) and bringing the tush back onto the feet. Breathe in and out a few times. Move your hands to one corner of the mat, keeping the tush down, stretching the side body. Breathe a few times, then walk the hands over to the other corner. Be sure to breathe an equal number of times on this side.

Come back to center, then walk your hands toward your body to sit up on the knees. Stand up on the knees, then pick up one leg and step forward into Dragon Lunge. Reach your arms over your head and take three Lion's Breaths . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIfW-3faVOU Return the leg to start and repeat on the other side.

Come back to sitting on your tush and bring the soles of your feet together like a book. Holding your ankles, bring your nose to your toes for Turtle. Hold 3-5 breaths.

Sit up, then bring your body down to the mat, lying on your back. Place your feet on the ground close to your tush. Bring your arms by your sides. Breathe in and as you breathe out, lift your belly up, pressing into your feet and arms into bridge pose. Take 3-5 breaths and return to the starting place. You can repeat this a few times.

Stretch your arms out wide and with knees together, twist to one side. Take 3-5 breaths, return to center, and repeat on the other side.

Stretch out in Savasana (dead man's pose) and practice Mindful Breathing. Notice your breath moving in and out of your body. Let any thoughts come and go and come back to noticing the breathing. Set a timer and spend at least 5-10 minutes relaxing with your breath.