Some lovely little rituals to add in during the darker half of the year...

The weekend has come where autumn shifts up a gear; the clocks change early on Sunday morning and the daylight hours suddenly feel like they are over rather abruptly. We are moving into late autumn and early winter and it is a time for matching natures energy and turning inwards a little. This is the time of year where candles and fairy light use takes a significant uptick in my household, alongside hot drink consumption and the use of piles of cosy blankets!

It isn't always easy to settle into this part of the year, but taking our lead from nature can be a useful guideline. The idea of withdrawing our energy inwards for self preservation is an important one. This is why the leaves are shed from the trees, this is why growth and outward energy in plants and animals pauses. Modern society expects us to carry on as usual despite the cold and the dark, but it helps to keep us healthier and happier in mind and body if we can step back and lean into the quietude of this time of year. It is this fallow period, where a focus on rest and replenishment supports us in keeping going for now, and also gives us energy for what comes next.

Here are some suggestions for supporting yourself in this time of year!

Something that can help as we ease our way into this season is taking the time to lean into the vibe of the darker half of the year by making time for reflection and introspection. Acknowledging the turning of the wheel of the year gives us a chance to slow down, and maybe feel a little gratitude for the nice things the darkness and quietude bring. Here are a couple of ideas for journal prompts if journaling is something you practice or want to maybe start to play with:

1) What are you feeling grateful for as we approach the final couple of months of the year? What is your biggest wish for the remainder of the year?

2) As we come to a period of winter hibernation, what do you not want to take with you into that hibernation?

Take advantage of any moments of sunlight! A crisp autumn day is one of lifes great joys. The crunchy leaves, the busy squirrels, the cool breeze. Wrap up warm and make your way to a space outdoors. And the best bit of this? How lovely and cosy it feels when you come back indoors to those candles, blankets and hot drinks!

One of my favourite things to do this time of year, and I know I have mentioned this before, is lighting a candle in the mornings if you are up before sunrise. For some reason it feels ridiculously decadent to light a candle in the morning. Sometimes I light a candle to have at the top of my mat as I take a morning yoga practice. On slower paced mornings I drink my coffee by the light of a candle before everyone else (apart from the cats!) is up. The dark outside can offer us an invitation to go deeper within, an opportunity to explore our inner worlds; so this might be a nice time to break out an oracle card set, if you have one, and maybe add a candlelit card pull to your morning ritual. Maybe asking for guidance with something that you are working with or just for an insight into the theme day.

My final offering in this blog post is the breath of joy pranayama practice. Here is a little video of it. If you come to our weekly classes you might recognise it - we have practiced it once or twice in both chair yoga and our evening classes! You can practice it sitting in a chair, kneeling on the ground or standing up (you move into a standing forward fold - keep your knees soft and flop down as you exhale). The lovely thing with this breathwork is that it brings your energy up, helps lift the mood, enhances mental clarity, increases lung capacity and strengthens the arms and shoulders. The combination of movement and breath can also help to shift stored stress and tension in the body. It is quite nice to practice for 6 - 12 rounds. As with all breathwork if it doesn't feel good or if you start to feel dizzy - stop! This breathwork is not ideal if you are pregnant, have unmedicated high blood pressure or a recent head injury, epilepsy, detached retina or unmedicated cardiovascular episodes. If you are unsure if it is for you just drop me a line and ask me!

I hope these suggestions help a little!

I am back with the lovely ladies who run Pink Rainbow Retreats on 23rd November and 18th January for their midwinter Solace retreat days. They offer meditation and reiki, gentle pilates, cacao ceremony, gorgeous grounding visualisations, a lovely lunch, and on these two dates also a sound bath with me! Drop me a line if you are interested in finding out more!

Also. Our early 2026 full and new moon luxury sound baths, seasonal sound baths, yin and nidra rest evenings are now up on the webpage, alongside a bonus daytime soundbath for Winter Solstice!

I look forward to seeing you soon! Classes restart week of 3rd November, and, don't forget to change your clocks!

With love,

Emma xx

(Emma runs Emma’s Yoga Hut in Earley. A teeny garden studio for nurturing holistic small group yoga. She is a yoga student and yoga teacher and has practiced yoga for nearly 30 years. She trained with the Traditional Yoga Association right here in Reading between 2016 and 2018 to achieve her 500 hour yoga teaching accreditation. She has additional teaching qualifications in Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra from Yoga Leela. She is an Internationally Accredited Sound Bath Facilitator with Heron Moon Sound School and specialises in singing bowls. Emma has undertaken Circle Facilitator Training with Tessa Venuti Sanderson. She teaches Chair Yoga classes at local community centres where there is often a coffee and a chat after class. Emma is passionate about getting the beautiful benefits of yoga out to as many people as possible, and she tries her best to practice yoga every day!)