As the summer fades away,
The earlier,
Cooler nights arrive.
Shades of green turn to orange,
Reds and golds.
The warmth cools as the sun lowers and brightens.
Berries appear to feed the animals getting ready to hibernate.
Paths are no longer clear,
Instead they are laced with leaves that crunch beneath your footsteps.
The clear air becomes a mist of haze which is cool and damp.
Nature is not awakening.
It is not continuing at its summer pace.
It's slowing down.
It's letting go.
Letting go of the year.
Letting go of its growth.
Resting.
And getting ready for what's next.
But before that happens,
Mother Nature listens.
She listens to herself.
Autumn and winter is not the time to pick up pace.
It's a time of deep rest.
It's a time for a full breath out.
Breathe out.
Breathe deep.
And breathe well for you.
How has your year been?
Have you loved it?
Has it been all you wanted it to be?
Did you want more or less?
But most of all,
Have you been true to yourself?
Or have you spent the year fulfilling everyone else's needs?
Have you listened to yourself enough?
Have you rested when you wanted and needed?
Or have you kept going through the pain of exhaustion?
Who have you been living for?
Has it been you?
Was it you?
Autumn is the season of letting go.
The season of releasing what no longer serves you.
It's the time you can draw a line under what was.
A time to rest.
And then in the spring it's a time for whatever is next for you.
If something this year hasn't gone well,
Don't punish yourself for it.
That will only serve the negative voice in your mind.
And the negative voice isn't you.
They are just learnt thoughts and they will not serve you well.
So like a beautiful shallow stream,
Trickling over rocks on a cool frosty morning,
Allow that punishment to flow away.
The time has gone.
You can let go.
And that's okay.
You can let go of the pain.
You can let go of what went wrong.
You will be okay.
You will.
Breathe out.
Breathe deep.
And breathe well for you.
As the cooler nights arrive,
Close your curtains.
Light a candle.
Pull a blanket over yourself.
And breathe out.
Slow down.
And do all of this guilt-free.
You don't owe anyone your guilt.
And you most certainly don't owe it to yourself.
This life for you is not a race.
Life can be too fast.
It can be too heavy but you cannot hold it up when you are feeling weak.
When you are holding the weight of other people's worlds upon your shoulders,
There comes a season when you can put it back down.
And that's now.
That's autumn.
Rest when you need it.
Slow down when you want.
And see yourself.
See what you need.
See your worth of slowness.
See your worth of rest and recovery.
See that your worth is not dependent on what you do or how busy you are.
Your worth is dependent on how you see yourself within.
Slow down.
Slow down.
Autumn offers you the opportunity to do that.
Breathe out.
Breathe deep and breathe well.
For you.
When the mornings are ending later and the nights are arriving sooner,
Nature is showing you the way.
Slow down.
Slow down your mind.
See yourself.
The way you need to.
Offer yourself what you want.
You are worthy.
You are wanted,
Needed and loved.
Remember who you are and remember that you are worth your life.
Namaste
