Embracing Seasonality
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Hi, community:
Do you feel that shift in the air? The cooler mornings, the sharper shadows, and the earlier bedtimes?
We’re nearing Fall and in true fashion here, we’re talking about embracing what is. And for Fall, it’s truly a glorious thing.
TOOLS
As a Midwesterner, I tend to live my life by seasons.
There was a long time in which I resisted this and judged myself for operating this way. Long gone were the chapters of school years that I had to abide by and that would set the pace for the year. Instead, I could manage my own seasonality, and just like a school year bookends the seasons, my habits and preferences shifted with the weather too.
My shape-shifting by the seasons left me feeling shameful. I criticized myself for my lack of consistency and discipline. However, I have learned through the ancient Yoga Medicine of Ayurveda and just general psychology - we’re meant to change with the seasons. If you find yourself longing for quieter evenings, gentle movement, pasta dishes, and warm beverages - I first invite you to allow it all in.
GRATITUDE
Oh, and there is so much to be enjoyed by honoring the seasonal transitions!
My 5-year-old has been asking for over a month now when Fall begins. He is counting down the days until the first football day and “having a Sunday party” to welcome in the season. I too have looked forward to heavier clothing, the sun setting before 9pm, and the smell of back-to-school season (IYKYK).
We all can find wonderful things to look forward to each season. And this transition into Fall, I ask you to consider a sacred transition:
What ritual can you or your family begin that welcomes in the Fall?
Read the full Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address
When I think of a sacred welcoming of the new season, I think of the honored Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Prayer and the attention to the many life forms on this Earth. This prayer honors the cycles of life and seasons are just that: cycles to be cherished and appreciated for which they bring again and again through the seasonal gifts.
My late summer raspberry patches, cider mill donuts, turning leaves, and the sounds of Friday night football games…. these are a few of my favorite Fall things.
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INNOVATION
I also firmly believe that in spite of it being back-to-school season, Fall is a season of slowing down.
Gone is the frenetic energy of summer - the travel, the blistering heat, the sunburns, and late nights. Instead, we welcome a slowing down of pace as we all get back into our routines. I look forward to the school year setting up our weeks, encouraging more meals at home, earlier bedtimes, and yes, even a bit more discipline and consistency. When Summer feels like a playful free for all, Fall is the older sibling here to help tame us down.
For parents, you may find yourself balancing relief and overwhelm with the new school year. As children return to the classroom, parents navigate holding tighter boundaries, managing exhausted big feelings, and trying to find family time in the middle of busy schedules.
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FEELS
So when you notice the shifts:
a yearning for simplicity and routine
a desire for warm foods and hot yoga
a quieting that relishes alone time and space
an instinct to say “no” a bit more often
a body that may want more easeful evenings
Embrace, Honor, and Welcome.
If you find yourself the opposite of all I am describing, then you had a lovely summer - a bit calmer than mine ;)
Wherever you find yourself in this seasonal change, I encourage you to, at the very least simply notice it. Notice the changing moods, colors, and smells. Notice the darker nights, cooler mornings, and sounds. Smile as you take that last bite of your summer squash and cucumbers, start canning your tomatoes and pull out your first pair of wool socks.
By noticing the changes, we bring something so beautiful and special to the moments of transition. And that is living mindfully. Be in awe, be thankful, just be.
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