Fall Invitation

No mater your relationship to the season, the fluctuations of fall can sometimes lead to a sense of tumult in many areas of life. 

If this is the case for you, know that you are not alone.

I benefited greatly from the reminder from a dear friend that this is often a time of year that I tend to struggle. I had been sharing with her that I was feeling scattered, spread thin, and longing for some space and downtime, when she asked, 

“Is this something cyclical for you? I seem to recall you saying something similar around this time last year”. 

Ding ding.

Even in the midst of leading Ayurveda seasonal workshops and programs, I had still missed connecting those dots for myself. 

And then something shifted for me.

Rather than pushing myself further and beating myself up about feeling tired and low, I was able to let myself off the hook a bit.

This time of year is actually an invitation to begin to slow down.

My internal response of needing more rest and space is not because “something is wrong with me”, but is actually seasonally appropriate, and how do I begin to honor that rather than berate.

So what that has become for me lately is fairly simple and very helpful. Here are a few…

Reading at night-- Novels. 

Not heady, not spiritual--absolutely delightful for me.

Abhyanga-- Self massage with warm oil. 

Warm the bathroom, warm the oil. Apply to the whole body in a loving way and follow with some rest time with it on the skin to absorb and settle. Follow with a hot shower to absorb further. You do not need to soap off the oil. 

Cooked vegetables, grains, and soups--Nothing fancy. 

Something like roasted veggies on a sheet pan, squash soup, lentils, rice, quinoa. 

Very satisfying and easy to make for a day of meals.

Time outside--The only agenda is to take deep breaths and appreciate nature.

When I find myself in an internal space of feeling like I “should”, I try to return to what I truly am needing. 

When I get swept up in the current of “to do’s”, a pause to ask, can this wait? 

Is this actually urgent or important?

It has been an interesting exploration, and one that I intend to continue practicing into the holidays.

What might you embrace or let go of this season?

Where can you let yourself off the hook?

I would love to hear back if you’re moved to share, and am always here to offer support. 

Happy nesting.