Crisp fresh air, beautifully coloured leaves and the crunch underneath my favourite boots, the potent warmth of the evening sun, long slow walks, wool, wool + more wool, the comfort of a warm drink, delicious hearty soups + cozy couch cuddles are a few of my favourite things throughout Autumn. Beyond these things and pumpkin spice everything, the season offers us a gentle, yet important reminder to remain balanced within ourselves before winter arrives. It is a time when we can venture inward to reflect and increase our personal awareness. Consider the following lessons as you attune to Autumn.
1. Balancing darkness with light – developing a greater understanding of the need to befriend our own inner darkness. While we move into a time of more rest and retreat, take time to reflect on your heart’s true feelings and desires. Instead of stuffing down, hiding, numbing, avoiding or ignoring any hurt / pain, we take time to embrace its presence. Use the darkness as information to support you in creating a road map of healing and future direction.
2. Letting go – as leaves flutter off the trees we are reminded of the natural cycles (vinyasa) of life. Purge and relinquish all your negative thoughts, negative belief systems, your limitations, your expectations and allow the season of autumn to absorb them in order to purify your energy so that you can continue on your growth journey. Autumn is a time for letting go of all your burdens, doubts, grieving, and any emotions that limits your ability from moving on.
3. Acknowledging impermanence – fall reminds us of the fleeting nature of all things + the importance of appreciation and gratitude. Living fully and truly cherishing the moments because nothing lasts forever. Take time to honour yourself, those around you + all of your blessings.
4. Embracing uncertainty + trusting divine timing - the unpredictability of the season offers opportunity to practice patience during the transformation and transition. Trusting divine timing means that certain pieces of the puzzle must first fall into place so the other parts can come to fruition. The season can serve as evidence that peace of mind is within you and that you can feel serene even in the midst of uncertainty.
5. Power of Breath - The Lungs are the organs of respiration, responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to every organ of the body and eliminating the waste matter from the cells through our expiration. The word used for breathing in is “inspiration,” which is the main function of the Lung, both physically and spiritually. To be properly “inspired,” we must create space by getting the old stale air out, along with old, preconceived notions of reality. Let yourself take deep breaths, filling your lungs with air and then emptying them completely. When all the leaves have been shed, we feel more deeply the crisp air. Air being symbolic of what is essential, what really matters in life. Through inhalation and exhalation, we take in and release the world.
Get grounded, move slower, observe more, connect deeper, breathe fuller.
