Healing with the Seasons - Letting go with Autumn
What beauty Autumn holds if you surrender and let go. Try some simple Autumnal practises at home…
You can feel Autumn arriving every year. It begins with a fight between Summer and Autumn. Cooler days start to blend with warmer days. You can feel a sharp, cold breeze on your face.
I find it one of the most cleansing seasons. A time to tidy, organise and clean my home. A time to let go of negative thought patterns. A time to create and enjoy the simple things in life.
I love reaching for cosy, thick, wooly jumpers. Lighting fires, candles and incense sticks. Creating warm, nourishing, soulful food. It’s my favourite time of the year!
It is also one of the most beautiful seasons. Woods are filled with bright, vibrant leaves. Conkers and pine cones fill the floors. The rain invites an earthy aroma to walks.
It is a season of letting go and surrendering. A time to shed tears and sorrow. A time to release negative ways of being. It is a beautiful opportunity to transform.
Read on to learn about healing with Autumn and some simple Autumnal practises you can try at home.
Healing with Autumn
We are incredibly lucky to live with four seasons each year. It allows us to live with the natural cycles of life.
Autumn is a season of surrendering and transforming. Just like the leaves falling from the trees, it is a time for death and rebirth.
In Chinese medicine Autumn is associated with the element metal, the emotion grief and the organs lungs and large intestine. The lungs are linked with grief, sorrow and loss, and the large intestine is associated with letting go both physically and mentally.
As Autumn energy arrives, it encourages us to release what is no longer needed in our lives. It gives us an opportunity to look within and let go of attachments such as beliefs, situations, people and emotions.
To be able to release fully, we must surrender and trust the process of life. We must forgive ourselves and forgive those around us. We can then welcome a rebirth of clarity, perspective and a new joy for life.
5 Autumnal Healing Practises
When we think of healing, we presume we must be spiritual or a professional, but there are many practises you can try at home.
Create an Autumnal release ceremony
Find a quiet, cosy space at home
Decorate your space with a couple of Autumnal decorations, such as a pumpkin, conkers or some brightly coloured leaves
Light a candle and cleanse your space with some incense
Grab a notebook and a pen
Play some Autumnal music
Sit quietly in a cross-legged position and begin to focus on your breath. Watch your breath enter and leave your body
Once you start to feel relaxed, simply ask yourself, ‘What do you want to release this Autumn?’
Allow your first thought to arise and begin to write. Allow tears to roll. Write about how you feel, what you want to let go of and what you want to invite into your life
Try a rainy breath exercise
Sit cross-legged by a window which is slightly open so you can hear the rain outside
Light a candle
Wear some cosy layers
Begin to focus on the flame of the candle
Take some long breaths in and out. I like to count to 5. As you breathe in invite peace to wash over your body, as you breathe out imagine letting go of your pain, sorrow or attachment
Imagine the rain is cleansing your mind and body. The rain is washing away your worries and fears. Allow yourself to cry
Clean, declutter and organise your space
One of the most cleansing practises to do this season is clean, de-clutter and organise your space. It’s simple and really powerful, as it welcomes in transformation and a fresh start.
Create Autumn magic
Autumn is a wonderful time to create magic. You could create an autumnal wreath, bake a delicious banana bread or decorate your home with pumpkins, candles and autumnal accessories.
Invite warmth into your life
As the nights begin to get darker and temperatures drop, it is a wonderful time to invite warmth into your life. You could cook a wholesome stew, light a fire, a candle or dress in cosy, thick layers.
I hope you all have a lovely, cosy Autumn and can find some time embracing its natural healing qualities.
‘Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go’
- Tiny Buddha
Holly x