Fall is not about letting go and neither is fall meditation. Instead, it’s about allowing the world to move forward and accepting the way our lives change, just as the seasons do. Follow along to use the energy of the seasons to move through your own seasonal process.
1. Find a comfortable seat on your bed, chair or in nature — anywhere as long as you are comfortable.
2. Slowly inhale through your nose, slowly exhaling through your mouth. Notice how you begin to relax as you settle and become in tune with your mind and body.
3. Imagine a scene from the fall: the crispy green, yellow and red leaves, the breeze blowing, the dryness of the air.
4. Now, imagine that you are an extension of nature. What would you be? Perhaps you are an early morning with the mist rising on a lake at dawn, the calm before the storm. Or, you are a late afternoon sunset, riding on the last of the path that is illuminated, unsure of what’s to come. Perhaps you are a tree with leaves falling uncontrollably. How are your body, mind and emotions reflected in this picture? Where are you at right now?
5. As you prepare to rest and charge for winter, think about: the person you want to be, the activities you want to do, the environment you thrive in most and the lifestyle you want to have.
6. What could you be doing that is different from your current state? How would your relationships begin to thrive? How would your energy levels and clarity change?
7. Ask yourself what qualities you would need to embrace to be the type of person who could powerfully create that life you deserve. Do you need to become more accepting of others and yourself? Do you need to listen more attentively? Do you need to cultivate more strength to set and maintain boundaries? Do you need to be more honest, but find a loving yet direct way to speak your truth?
8. Thinking of those traits, ask yourself “what actions do I need to take to feel motivated and charge forward?” What beliefs and behaviors do you need to create or let go of to become the person you were meant to be?
9. Picture that fall image again and spot the things you would change. Are you ready for what’s to come after the morning mist has subsided? Are you peacefully letting go of the sun as it goes down and welcoming the night earlier? Are you accepting of the leaves falling, knowing it’s for a reason?
10. When you are ready, take a few slow, deep breaths and open your eyes. Take a moment to rethink and write down the qualities and actions you wish to take. Nature changes slowly but deliberately toward harmony and stabilization. It inherently knows what it needs to do and simply does it.
