Finding Balance During the Autumn Season
With the days getting shorter and nights getting cooler, the autumn season has officially welcomed us. This magical season officially begins on the day of the Autumn Equinox, which is September 22 this year. Ready to embrace its golden-colored petals and cozy nights, the Autumn Equinox is a time when day and night are in perfect balance. This time of the year is the midpoint between the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. Spiritually, the Autumn Equinox represents a time for reflection, finding balance, and giving thanks for all that we have received throughout the year.
In our fast-paced world, we are often encouraged to keep busy, and disregarding our need for rest. Over time, we will inevitably wear down, leaving ourselves to feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. To avoid overextending ourselves and return to a state of balance, I suggest a few different ways we can replenish our body, mind, and spirit:
Take care of your body:
Eating with the seasons
With the temperature dropping, it is natural to gravitate towards more warming foods. This is our body’s way of letting us know what to eat during the autumn season. During this time it is recommended to limit cold foods such as smoothies, ice cream, or other cold foods, and consume warming foods such as soups and stews, hot tea, and spices such as cardamom, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, mustard seed and fennel. Eat fruits and vegetables that are in season such as apples, pumpkin, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes & yams, and pears. For those of you who live in warmer climates, the seasonal produce will look different. For a complete guide to seasonal produce by state, I recommend checking out this website: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/
Aromatherapy:
Therapeutic essential oils can help our nervous system go from a sympathetic (active) state to a parasympathetic (rest) state. One I especially find relaxing is lavender, but any essential oils that help you feel at ease will do. A simple aromatherapy exercise I love is to put a hand cream or oil with essential oils on the palms of your hands, cup your hands over your nose and mouth, and inhale for 7 seconds, and exhale for 11 seconds. Repeat this for a total of 3 rounds. I promise you, by the time you are done with this simple exercise you will feel so relaxed.
Take care of your mind:
Meditation
Meditation is a wonderful way to help keep you grounded. This does not necessarily mean sitting upright for an hour and trying to stop yourself from thinking. That is not really how the mind works, and neither does meditation. Instead of trying to stop our thoughts, we practice letting thoughts come and go. Mediation is simply sitting with ourselves and focusing on our breath. A simple meditation practice can help us see things more clearly, allow us to feel calmer, and teach us to be kinder to ourselves. Meditation also comes in many forms, including sound meditation, guided meditation, and movement meditation. To begin a meditation practice, set a timer anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, sit, breathe, and concentrate on your breath. When thoughts arise (and they will) simply acknowledge them and then let them go. Know that it is natural for the mind to wander. This process of letting go is what builds the foundation for increased awareness, clarity, and calm. If you don’t like sitting in silence, try playing nature sounds or a sound bath in the background.
Gratitude
Feeling grateful is a powerful way to change your perspective. Appreciating yourself, your life, and those around you can boost happiness, as well as physical and psychological health. A daily gratitude practice can help keep you more grounded, putting things into perspective. Practicing gratitude is easy; one way to do this is to keep a journal of the daily joys in life, big or small. Another way to add gratitude to your daily practice is to make a list of three things you are grateful for that day, and explain why you are grateful for those things.
Take care of your spirit:
Connect to the feeling of joy
Find time to do things you enjoy, whether it be coloring, cooking, traveling, spending more time with loved ones, playing a sport, or knitting. Focusing on things that spark joy can bring back a sense of purpose and keep you present in the moment.
Spend time in nature
Wherever you live, whether it is near the ocean, the desert, or in the mountains, spending time in nature can boost your spiritual health. While taking in nature’s beauty, it is easy to disconnect from your phone, your day and your troubles. Even just a few minutes watching the birds, the trees swaying in the wind, or the crashing waves on the shoreline can bring back a sense of wonder. Or if you want to make a day of it, sitting under a tree and reading a book, going for a hike, or having a picnic can be just as wonderful.
With love,
Sabrina 🌻
