Shorts, Soup & the Scales of Libra 🍂
I’m writing this in shorts.
The sun is pouring into the studio, the doors are open & the Algarve is doing that thing where she pretends it’s still August…
…and yet something in me is calling for soup!
Socks, Blankets, Boots.. For slow mornings & warm hands wrapped around a mug. To light the fire. I know I'm not the only one..
Even here, where our winters are gentle, something shifts. The light softens. The evenings arrive earlier. The body seems to know the year is turning inward long before the thermometer agrees.
And I wonder if that’s the invitation of this season. To listen to what the body knows, not just what the weather says.
The scales of Libra ⚖️
We’re in Libra time, the season of balance, harmony & relationship.
Day & night equal at the equinox & now the dark becomes longer.
Libra asks us the questions:
Where am I out of balance?
Where am I giving too much?
Where am I saying yes when I mean no?
Where am I keeping the peace… at the cost of my own?
I’ve always loved the symbol of Libra, the scales, because balance isn’t something we achieve and keep (even as a Yoga teacher). It’s a constant, tiny adjustment. A little more here, less there. Too much coffee, late nights, travel.. return to balance.
That's where boundaries come in. A boundary isn’t a wall. It’s simply knowing where you end & someone else begins.
Listening to the season, the Ayurvedic way
In Ayurveda, autumn & early winter is Vata season, the qualities of air & space. Cool. Dry. Light. Mobile.
When Vata is high we can feel scattered, anxious, tired & wired at the same time. Dry skin, restless sleep, cold hands & feet, an active mind.
The medicine is to go to the opposite. Warm. Grounding. Nourishing. Steady.
For me that looks like…
Warm, cooked food. Soups, Curries, kitchari, roasted vegetables, stewed apples, with a little ghee or olive oil & some warming spices.
Vata loves routine, so I try to wake, eat & sleep at roughly the same times.
A few minutes of warm sesame oil on the body before a shower to ground.
And keeping my neck, feet & lower back covered.
My herbal allies for the turning season
Warming teas of..
Ginger, cinnamon & cardamom for warmth & digestion
Cumin, coriander & fennel, a teaspoon of each in hot water - one of the simplest, most soothing teas Tulsi for the nervous system & the change of season.
Thyme & sage for the throat & chest as the cooler weather arrives.
Golden milk before bed, with turmeric, ginger & cinnamon.
( a little side note - Herbs are medicine, so if you’re pregnant, nursing or taking medication, check with a qualified practitioner before adding these)
And on the mat…
Your practice can follow the season too. Slow down. Stay low. Stay longer.
Balancing postures e.g. Tree & Eagle. Notice when turbulence comes & adjust without force. That’s Libra!
Grounding hip openers like Malasana, Pigeon & Butterfly, let the earth hold your weight.
Legs up the wall 10 minutes, a heavy blanket, low light. Vata melting..
Nadi Shodhana - alternate nostril breathing, bringing left & right, giving & receiving to balance
And a little boundary practice for you…
Sit comfortably. One hand on your belly, one on your heart. Breathe.
Then quietly ask yourself:
What is one thing I need to say no to this week?What is one thing I need to say yes to?
Don’t try to solve, Just listen.
Where teaching begins
Here’s what I’ve learned in eleven years of teaching…
You can’t pour from a unbalanced cup!
When people think about a yoga teacher training, they often imagine it’s all about learning how to teach. The sequences, the cueing, the anatomy. Yes, you’ll learn all of that.
But the deepest part of the work is much quieter.
It’s bringing yourself into balance first.
Learning to listen to your own body. Knowing your edges. Noticing when you’re giving too much & when you need to receive. Practicing the things I’ve been talking about here.
And then, almost without trying…
the teaching flows out of that.
It stops being something you do & becomes something you are! When you’re grounded, your students feel it. When you know your boundaries, you hold space with so much more clarity & care.
Teaching isn’t something you add on top of yourself. It’s what overflows when you come home to yourself.
🌿 Yoga Teacher Training | May 2027
This is the heart of the 19-day training I’m creating, beginning around Beltane & arriving at the Full Moon.
It’s for those who want to teach, and equally for those who simply want to go deeper into their own practice & see what becomes possible when they give themselves that time & space.
I’m keeping the group small and intimate, with a maximum of 8 places.
Two are already reserved.
So if something in you is quietly whispering “maybe this is my next chapter”…
I’d love you to listen to that voice..
Perhaps the question for this Libra season is simply…
What would it feel like to come into balance, and let everything else flow from there?
With love,
Joanne 🌿
P.s for those in the UK, particularly my York Transformational Yoga tribe, I will be visiting early next week for a few days. If this 19 days of May in the Algarve is calling you, please send an email or message & we can meet & see if it's for you. I would love to see you!
Curious to know more? Explore the May 2027 training here → https://www.transformtobliss.com/yogateachertraining]
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