I started pulling weeds again today. Just a small patch by the garage. I have been meaning to get to the weeds ( … all of them … eventually) and had a realization that this is probably the last big round I’ll need to pull as we head into fall. Then I’ll need to trim back the plants as they finish their work for the summer.
What a sweet rhythm nature has. Summer is abundant, vibrant, and active. Fall is cool, earthy, and slower paced. Winter is cold, still, and sleepy. Spring is a rainy reawakening and reemerging to start the whole thing over again. Each season is necessary for the next.
As we wind down the month of August, I invite you to notice where you experienced abundance this summer. Was it in the form of extra energy / extra doing? Maybe it was an abundance of fresh veggies. Perhaps it was extra time with family and friends. What were you grateful for this season?
While I enjoyed all that comes along with summer, fall has always been my favorite season. I adore the leaves. I love their changing colors, the way they each fall sweetly on their own journey, and that earthy smell as they collect on the ground. I also love the cooler weather and the quiet that starts to settle in. There’s a natural turning inward. It’s a reflective season.
In “Braiding Sweetgrass”, Robin Wall Kimmerer talks about learning from plants who have so much wisdom to share. Like a tree shedding its leaves, what if we shed what we no longer needed this fall? So many things come to mind for myself … self doubt, fear, procrastination, the illusion of and desire for control, unhelpful habits, etc.
I invite you to think about how you can make your own transition into fall and honor the symbolism of the season. What would that look like? What can you let go of? What won’t serve you to carry forward into the next season? Where can you start to slow down?
As a start, I invite you to take a deep breath and a long heavy sigh out through your mouth. On your next big exhale, let go of something by thinking of it as you exhale. Imagine it leaving your body or mind along with the breath. Leaving behind space and lightness. Pause. How do you feel now? Feel free to repeat again and see if you can increase that sense of space and/or lightness. Then take a big breath in … and smile. Appreciate this new space that you just created.
If you are interested in a mindful experience to help with letting go, please contact me or view my events in my profile.
