The Autumn Equinox is a time of year were the hours of day and night are equal. Therefore, its often viewed as a time of balance, equality, and harmony. If you turn to the wisdom of nature, you can see that it is time to prepare for a season of rest. Fall shows signs of letting go, self-preservation, and harvest. As you observe the leaves changing colors, being shed, dropped to the ground, and the trees becoming bare; animals and the world around you moving into hibernation, it may be your invitation to take steps toward your personal hibernation. Remember, you are in divine alignment and support with nature.
This summer has been a unique one for all of us. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, we have all been transitioning out of a two-year-long hibernation. For many of us, it has been the first time we have socialized in groups. It has felt awkward at times, and most of all, it seems to take a lot more energy than we remember. Despite all this, we somehow got through it.
If you are like me, you love getting out there and being part of the magic. Take this moment to get honest with yourself for just one minute.
Have you been prioritizing rest this summer?
Has it been easy to let some boundaries slip during this time because you were excited and anxious to get out into the world?
Now that the end of summer is here, you feel the weight of all the activities and a natural pull to transition into something new.
To help you prepare for this season, I have laid out my top rituals to help you shift into this phase of the year so you can persevere with embodied awareness and the confidence to finish the year strong! In this post, I am sharing with you 3 ways to mindfully transition into autumn.
1. Honor your need to slow down
As you shift into this new season, you may find it hard to transition away from a busy social calendar, which could be leaving you exhausted. Stay aware and mindful of this, and listen when your body and mind tell you it is time to slow down. Autumn represents the preservation of life and its necessities. Turning inward and creating a cozy, safe, and well-stocked home base for the colder months ahead is a nourishing way to reconnect to oneself and preserve a safe haven.
Start to create spaces in your house that you can retreat to. Bring out your cozy couch and bed blankets, pull out the apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice candles and pull out your favorite hoodies. It's sweater weather Hunny.
Learn to say no! Prioritizing personal time and time with those we can be the most authentic is an act of self-preservation. It will be hard and feel award at first, but as you practice saying no, you will find that it becomes a great source of empowerment and confidence. You take back your power, freedom, and autonomy to choose what is right for you at any given moment.
"It will be hard and feel award at first, but as you practice saying no, you will find that it becomes a great source of empowerment and confidence. You take back your power, freedom, and autonomy to choose what is right for you at any given moment." - Jeannette Rodriguez
2. Notice energy sucks in your life
This season is a beautiful time for letting go and creating a stockpile for hibernation. Take time to notice what needs to be released from your life and shed those leaves! Also, notice what nourishes you and keep it close.
A great activity to help you figure out what to let go of can look like the following exercise.
In your journal or a piece of paper, write down:
What are you giving your energy to?
What is taking more energy than it gives?
What replenishes your energy?
What baggage do I need to let go of that's been weighing me down?
Then take two sticky notes.
One titled: I Will Make More Time For...
The other: I Will Say No To...
Place these notes on your mirror, desk, or on your phone to remind you what matters most to you.
3. Take time to appreciate the changes happening all around you
As the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said,
"The only constant in life is change."
This season offers you the opportunity to see the impermanence of life and the gift of staying present through the precious moments that easily slip by. So savor the beauty that surrounds you. You can practice appreciating change by going on walks in nature. Notice the season as it progresses.
What changes?
What is flourishing?
What is retreating?
You could even create a journal where you record your observations in word form or as drawings. It is a beautiful practice to help both adults and children stay mindfully present.
4. Appreciate The Balance In Your Life
Notice what changes are occurring for you and your community during this time. How do you find gratitude for the shifts that come naturally and those that are harder to make? Remember that Autumn Equinox is about balance so take time to welcome both the light and dark, the easy and the hard. In the words of Carl Jung, “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”.
Reflecting back on the wisdom of nature you can observe that balance may come at a slow pace at times, or pass us by in a blink of an eye. Acknowledge the balance but try not to get attached to it. Accept the inherent sways of your pendulum as it moves from one side to the other. What we resist, persists.
"Acknowledge the balance but try not to get attached to it. Accept the inherent sways of your pendulum as it moves from one side to the other." - Jeannette Rodriguez
Rest Is A Non-Negotiable
Move in harmony with nature and see how your life changes. Everything in our modern society distracts us from the one thing that really matters, living in unity with nature. We are animals of this planet, so when we resist the natural cycles of Mother Earth, life becomes painful and difficult. Take time to reconnect to her wisdom. You don't have to do anything special. Simply, be present with her and follow her lead.
Rest is a big aspect of living in unity with nature. Taking time for rest is not a luxury that only needs to be given time when you book a holiday. It's not just as simple (or hard) as getting a full night's rest. Your energy is a powerful resource that when mindfully managed, can be the superpower that turns you into the strong, courageous, and empowered being you desire to be.
"It is the key to accessing the vision, courage, strategy, spirit, and know how to quite playing someone else's game and begin to enjoy and master your own." - Octavia Raheem
I'm teaming up with my good friend Dani Frank, CEO and Principle Yoga Teacher at Sole Journey Yoga, to help you demystify rest. We are planning a workshop for October where you will gain the tools to treat Rest As A Non-Negotiable. Stay up to date with all workshop happenings on @ethereal_lotus_yoga and @solejourneyyoga on Instagram.
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