Hello September 🍂 Finding rhythm, strength & a little Autumn magic

September: Finding Rhythm, Strength and the Space to Rest

There’s something about September that I’ve always loved.

Perhaps it’s because it’s my birthday month, but I think it’s more than that. September has a particular feeling to it. The light begins to change, the mornings feel a little cooler, the evenings draw in, and after the abundance and freedom of summer, there’s often a natural desire to find our rhythm again.

It’s a gentle transition rather than a dramatic one.

Summer is about expansion — longer days, holidays, spontaneity, being outside and perhaps doing a little less of the things that make up our usual routine.

September brings us back.

Back to school runs, work, regular meals, earlier nights, diaries, commitments and, for many of us, a little more structure.

And I actually think that can be a really positive thing.

Why discipline isn't such a bad word

Discipline can sometimes sound like a rather unfriendly concept. It can bring to mind restriction, willpower and forcing ourselves to do things we don't particularly want to do.

But I’ve come to see discipline quite differently.

Good discipline isn't about making life smaller. It creates a container for freedom.

Think about sleep.

Going to bed at roughly the same time each night may mean occasionally turning down another episode of your favourite programme or putting your phone away when you’d rather keep scrolling. It requires a little discipline.

But that small amount of structure can give you more energy, better concentration and more capacity the following day.

Or take movement.

If you decide that Tuesday morning is when you go for a walk, or Monday evening is when you practise yoga, you don't have to spend the rest of the week deciding whether you should exercise.

The decision has already been made.

That regularity can actually free up mental space.

And there’s something reassuring about having a few things in your week that you know are going to happen.

But discipline also means knowing when to rest.

There is another side to this which I think is just as important.

Sometimes discipline means showing up.

And sometimes discipline means knowing when not to.

Rest isn't the opposite of productivity, movement or strength. It is part of them.

This is something I’ve been thinking about personally over the summer. I’ve been quieter online and have spent more time filling my own cup — getting out into nature, enjoying homemade pleasures and having a really uplifting experience at Medicine Festival.

I’ve needed some space away from the noise and the constant feeling of having to do.

And that has reminded me that rest isn't something we have to earn once everything else is finished.

Sometimes it needs to be deliberately built into the rhythm of our lives.

That’s why the Thursday morning classes at Pure Yoga are still on hold for now. I’m allowing a little more space for rest in my own routine, so that I can continue to show up with energy and presence for the things that matter.

September is also a good time to think about strength

Another theme I always seem to return to at this time of year is strength.

Strength has become increasingly important to me as I’ve moved through my 40s. Not because I’m particularly interested in being strong for the sake of it, but because I want to be able to use my body well for as long as possible.

Strength is the foundation of almost every movement we make.

Our muscles don't just create movement; they also help support and stabilise our joints. The muscles, tendons and other tissues around a joint work together to control movement and help the body manage the forces placed upon it.

This matters as we get older.

We naturally begin to lose muscle mass and strength with age, particularly if we don't actively maintain them. Building and maintaining strength can therefore be an important part of supporting mobility, balance and independence as we move through life.

And for me, the benefits are wonderfully ordinary.

Strength means being able to carry the shopping without thinking about it.

Lift something heavy.

Get up from the floor.

Walk up a hill.

Carry my daughter's bags.

Garden.

Travel.

Practise yoga.

Move through everyday life feeling capable in my body.

Strength gives us options.

It doesn't need to be about pushing ourselves to our limits or turning every movement session into a workout.

It can simply be about giving the body enough strength and stability to support the life we want to live.

Yoga for Strength at Pure Yoga

This is the thinking behind our Yoga for Strength workshop on Saturday 19th September.

It will be practical, fun and accessible, exploring simple strength drills that can be incorporated into your yoga practice and everyday movement.

The aim isn't to arrive already strong.

It's to learn how to build useful strength and how to bring some of those techniques into your regular practice.

Because yoga doesn't have to be only about flexibility.

A balanced practice needs mobility, stability, strength, coordination and rest.

And, just like life, it's about finding the right balance between all of them.

Coming back to routine at Pure Yoga

From next week, the regular timetable returns, including the lovely Katie teaching on Monday evenings.

And if your body is asking for something a little quieter at the moment, Yoga Nidra on Monday 28th September offers a completely different kind of practice.

There is no striving and nothing to achieve. It’s an opportunity to lie down, slow everything down and allow the nervous system some genuine space to rest.

Because sometimes the strongest thing we can do is stop.

A little seasonal ritual: elderberry syrup

September also marks the beginning of that wonderful time of year when we start noticing what nature has to offer us.

This year, after talking about it for approximately three years, I finally made my own elderberry syrup!

With a little help from my herbalist friends, I discovered that it’s actually very simple to make.

Simple elderberry syrup

You’ll need:

• 500g fresh elderberries, or around 250g dried

• 1 litre water

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 4–5 cloves

• A few slices of fresh ginger

• 1 star anise, optional

• Honey, added once cooled

  
  

Method:

Remove the elderberries from their stalks and rinse them well.

Place them in a saucepan with the water, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and star anise.

Bring everything to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for around 30–40 minutes.

Mash the berries gently with the back of a spoon, then strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin, pressing the berries to extract as much liquid as possible.

Allow the liquid to cool until warm rather than hot, then stir in honey to taste.

Pour into a clean, sterilised bottle and refrigerate.

One important note: raw elderberries shouldn't be eaten. They contain compounds that can cause digestive upset, so they should always be properly cooked.

And don't throw away the cooked berries and spices.

Cover them with freshly boiled water and leave to steep for 10–15 minutes. Strain and add a little honey and lemon if you like.

You’ve got yourself a warming elderberry tea.

A simple little seasonal ritual, and a lovely reminder that nourishment doesn't always have to come from a shop.

Welcoming Autumn

So perhaps September isn't really about suddenly getting our lives back in order after summer.

Perhaps it's about gently asking ourselves what kind of rhythm we want for the season ahead.

Where could a little more structure give us more freedom?

Where might we benefit from building strength?

And where could we allow ourselves a little more rest?

For me, September is a reminder that we don't need to choose between discipline and softness, strength and rest, movement and stillness.

We need all of them.

So here's to cooler mornings, regular routines, strong bodies, quiet evenings, seasonal cooking and finding our way back to the things that make us feel most like ourselves.

And, of course, a little birthday cake somewhere along the way.

Happy September.

Jo x

 

 

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