Fall is by far my favorite season of the year! I can feel myself light up just thinking of it. The crisp air. The layers of cozy patterns and warm colors. The beautiful fall leaves. The warm sunshine mixed with the coolness. The holidays and feasts. Oh, my goodness the food! Yummy, rich, comforting. All of it.
With all of it, comes change moving from summer heat and energy to preparation for winter. Spring and Fall tend to have more change and movement qualities to them. Both metaphorically and literally. I’ve been reminded of this as I watch my daughter rather gracefully transition into nature school and ballet school. She’s a bit nervous but that doesn’t prevent her to lean in and move toward potential and possibilities. I think as adults we become conditioned to dread transitions. They can be so hard and daunting. Children can remind us though to be brave, to be open, to note our feelings, and let go.
To stay as balanced I look to these practices to fully enjoy the fall season.
Being Present - take time to get out in nature, stop and enjoy the new colors of leaves and the changes in the plants around you. Enjoy jumping in puddles left by the rain. If you have children, follow their lead, they are the true teachers.
Slow down - I get it, it's super hard. Some of us get carried away with our busyness of our schedules, over booking, and just swept with "doing". I know this well myself. I literally have to X out days to remind myself to slow down. When we slow down we can be more mindful to the present moment and the present moments beauty.
Rituals - I'm beginning to to establish more rituals around times of the seasons with my children. Embrace Pumpkin Patches, Halloween costumes, and fall harvests. Back to school. I loved the childhood memory of getting a new outfit for the school year, I want to share that fond memory with my littles. Rituals also ground us.
Gratitude - it's the season of thankfulness. A gratitude practice helps give light to the areas of your soul that may feel the dark, and the dampness of the season sometimes doesn't help with the increasing feeling of darkness. Gratitude practices can be tricky for some, so listen to yourself. If you fake or forced opt out but, it can change many of us around noticing the things we do have going for ourselves.
Ayurveda - Banyon Botanicals is my favorite place for all things Ayurveda. Here is their fall guide for foods and herbs.
Enjoy!
