A change in the air…

This week there has really felt like there has been a step towards changing seasons in the air.

I am often out before 7 am, and there has been a coolness in the air, moisture on the grass and a dew on car windscreens.

Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year, along with spring; as both seasons offer a preparation period before we step into the following magical seasons.

In spring for me, it’s a time of awakening as we sow seeds and see the start of new buds appearing. It’s a time that we start to awaken in ourselves, as the daylight begin to stretch out and a sense of renewal and revival stirs within.

Autumn for me, is a time of starting to gather back into our selves, to centre, to root and to de clutter in preparation for deep rest.

Often people make reference (me included) that Autumn is the time that nature shows us how to release what is no longer necessary to hold on to.

But more than that, I think it gives us the chance to bring all of our nourishment from our experiences, deep into our core. It enables us to process and use the gifts we have received to feed our soul.

The process of releasing leaves comes from trees returning their nutrients back into their trunks and their inner resources into their roots. This does not mean that the leaves are discarded, as when they fall to the ground they continue to nourish the earth and feed the soil which continues its journey back to the roots. Its a full cycle.

As I was walking today through some local woods, I noticed the change in colours and the leaves beginning to fall; the process is only just beginning and if you only looked up, you would not realise that any leaves had fallen with branches filled with colour and the leaves gently swaying in the flow of air around them.

Life offers cycles, it offers times of vibrancy, times of retraction, times of revival and times of rest. Each of these important to our own seasons in life.

So, I thought I would share with you how I naturally move into this season and the months ahead.

September usually sees the last of my public offerings of Nature and Forest therapy for the year , although I do still offer some private experiences and Nature mentoring sessions. However, the way I offer my work and the level of options available reduces quite dramatically.

Instead through Autumn, I seem to naturally retract and reflect within myself. Its a time when I increase my solo practice which includes time wandering within nature, meditations, earthing and sit spots, my personal writing also increases, as does my engagement in various healing practices with some of the fabulous holistic therapists that we have in our local area. This can be anything from sound therapy to body work and a whole host in between.

It’s a time I naturally come back to me. This isn’t something that I have consciously created, its just what has happened each year and now that I recognise this, I can not wait for this nurturing nourishment in what ever way this unfolds for me this year. Its not only important to come home to yourself, its actually essential and thats what Autumn means for me.

I can remember many years ago now when I was learning the process of meridian energies techniques with my late teacher Sally Canning and we were processing some deep grief that I was holding at that time. There was a part of me that didn’t want to process it completely, as I didn’t want to fully let go. I didn’t want to dissolve that deep feeling of love that I was holding, even though I didn’t have anywhere for it to go. I can remember Sally telling me that when we process, we get to keep that deep nourishment and hold it within our tissue, sinews, every cell within us and it will continue to nourish us every single day. We are simply filtering through its entirety and keeping this nourishment and letting the excess peripheral elements flow away.

I guess this is how I also view autumn and how trees release their leaves or some shrubs mulch back into the soil, mulch back into their roots. It’s not simply letting go, it’s keeping the gifts, keeping the nourishment, the richness and holding this in our hearts, our soul … our roots.

Over these next few weeks, I will be extending my practice of earthing which can be done daily and more, connecting with the earth with the view of strengthening the sense of my own roots and feeling centred and strong within. I personally do my earthing practice incorporation with sitting in stillness and silence all of which helps with connecting within. Each time this offers different sensations, different insights and deeper wisdoms.

I wonder how your routine changes with the seasons? I would love to hear.