Whether you are listening to this in a time of autumn around you where the leaves are turning beautiful colors and the trees are readying themselves to release,
Or whether it's an internal time of autumn for you,
Welcome and I hope this time is just what you need.
These days so many of us live in a modern,
Doing-focused culture,
Society,
And we have much less space for being,
For softening.
And we also move around our lives scooping up responsibilities,
Other people's concerns,
Within our family,
Locally,
Globally.
There's so much to hold,
So we need to take these times to check in with all that we're holding and to release.
So I invite you to begin by planting your feet.
And if you're sitting rather than standing,
Then I invite you to plant your hips too.
Negotiate with your body by rocking a little on your feet or your hips to find whatever is neutral for your body today,
To find as much ease as possible.
And from there,
Imagine your roots coming down from your body Imagine those roots going deep and wide,
Holding you.
And from there,
Pulling up nourishment into your core.
And as you imagine that coming up through your core,
It may enable you to breathe more fully and lift and open your chest and,
In turn,
Your shoulders.
And you may feel your branches expanding outwards,
Taking up some space.
And then from here,
I invite you to check in.
What are the things that you're holding?
Are you holding things that are outside of your control?
Are you holding things that are other people's?
Are you holding things that are outside of your control?
Are you holding things that are outside of your control?
Are you holding things that are other people's to deal with?
Are you holding on to the past?
Are you holding on to things that just don't matter?
And are you holding on with a doing energy?
This is something I find so much that I keep going and keep going,
Clenched into that energy of doing.
And I need to consciously stop and take this space to release.
So I'm going to invite you to notice those things you're holding.
You may choose one thing to focus on,
Or you may choose to focus on the energy of that clenching.
Do this in a way that works for you.
I invite you to breathe.
Breathe into that space of tension,
Of holding.
And through your breath,
Imagine yourself beginning to release from within.
Just like trees,
We need to release on a regular,
Rhythmic basis to sustain our capacity to keep going and to make space for ourselves.
To make space for other parts of ourselves to flourish.
And you may choose to take your attention out through your branches to the tips.
Noticing those leaves as the things that it's time to release.
Or if this is about releasing a doing energy and taking some time to expand and simply be,
Then that's what these leaves may represent.
And notice that as you breathe,
The leaves start to shift in color.
From a fresh green,
They begin to move through to yellow,
And then oranges,
And as they move through to brown,
Notice the edges of you,
Giving permission to release and let go.
This work starts at our center and ripples outwards.
And as you release them,
Notice that freedom in the release,
Along with noticing anything else that is there for you.
The tips of your branches may want to wriggle and stretch,
If so,
Inviting any movement that needs to come.
And as you release those things,
Notice now what you have time and space for.
What you have created capacity for.
It may be time and space for rest and replenishment.
Or you may be ready to breathe and prepare yourself to welcome in something new,
In time.
Whatever it is for you,
Allow yourself to become familiar with this process of release and how it feels.
Allowing yourself to become familiar with this process of release and how it feels.
And take all the time you need to marinate in this sense of it.
Acknowledging yourself for letting go.
And allowing yourself to simply be.
