Wednesday, March 21st marked the Autumn Equinox here in the Southern hemisphere and the Spring Equinox in the Northern hemisphere.
Now that autumn is officially here you may have become aware of some subtle changes not only in your surroundings and in the air but also in your mindset, your mood, your energy levels and your food choices. The change happens incredibly naturally because we have been following cycles our entire life.
We all follow cycles even though we may be unconscious of doing so. Some of the more obvious examples are the 24-hour clock, a 7-day week, a 12-month calendar, the rising and setting of the sun, etc…
There are other cycles that we follow too that may seem less obvious to the casual observer but that have a profound effect on our state of being. Those cycles can influence our moods, what we eat, how much activity we participate in, whether we are feeling introverted or extroverted, etc…
The changing of seasons is definitely on that list.
Autumn happens to be my favourite season. The mornings are that bit cooler, the days sunshine not as strong in intensity, the trees foliage is starting to turn from green to tones of red, yellow and orange as the leaves begin dropping. These are all the external surroundings I mentioned above.
Some of the more subtle changes you may notice are ~
Your favourite cafe may change the menu bringing in foods that are more around nurturing the body and providing nutrition for those colder months.
The acai bowl or granola becomes the porridge; soups are appearing on the specials boards, hot drinks are the call of the hour etc…
You may notice that you feel like being home more finding comfort with family, relaxing with a book or sitting quietly.
Scarves, comfy sweaters or jumpers start coming out in the wardrobe.
We naturally begin to implement these tendencies into our life and probably don’t give much thought as to why we are doing something as it doesn’t require thought. We do so because we are following a natural rhythm that is with us at ALL TIMES. It is automatic and our wonderful internal guiding system takes us there effortlessly.
These cycles help us with the ebb and flow of life.
Like anything, sometimes we require a re-boot or a pause and it is time to recharge our batteries. This is exactly what autumn does for us. It allows us to slow down, take stock, and perhaps re-evaluate as we have just come out of summer and were expending a lot of energy.
Below are some helpful tips to help you get the best out of your Autumn:
Journal – Keep a journal it is a great time for self-reflection and for gaining clarity.
Meditate – Keep building your awareness. Every time you meditate you receive benefits.
Practice Mindfulness –Slow down and give yourself an opportunity to really become Present. – notice where your ATTENTION is– is it in this moment or are you living in the past or future? The more you practice being mindful the better able you are to bring yourself back to the present time and what is required now.
One example of how this works practically is to try practicing slowing down your breath and giving full attention to your body as you concentrate your attention inward. Notice how the muscles unwind and you begin to relax naturally.
Walk on grass barefoot- a great grounding technique if you feel unsettled by the changing seasons.
Celebrate the new season: Have fun; go for a walk or bike ride, fly a kite, buy a new scarf or jumper.