Welcome to your inner autumn,
Your premenstrual phase.
I have found that this phase is the most misunderstood out of all of the seasons.
There is a dual energy here in the autumn that goes along with the image of the harvest.
This is a time to reflect back upon the past cycle and gather in the harvest.
Recollect what has transpired.
And then take a moment to recognize what didn't work out so well that you want to leave for the compost.
This is a beautiful energy of course correcting and coming into alignment with what you need and who you are.
But this energy also brings with it the critic,
Both inner and outer.
The critic has an important role in showing us the shadows of our subconscious and society's dark underbelly.
But we need to be resourced enough that the critic is supportive and not destructive.
When you resource yourself with the celebrating harvest at the beginning of your autumn,
It will make facing the critic a little bit easier and hold the tension between what is and what can be.
This is what we are going to explore in this meditation practice.
Make yourself as comfortable as you can in a place of stillness.
It is best if a part of your body is touching the ground,
Whether that is your feet or you are seated upon the ground.
And then close your eyes if you are ready to begin.
Tune in to your natural rhythm of breath.
You have just gone through the spring and summer energy of the inhale and holding that fullness of life.
It is now time to enter the autumn and the exhale.
On each exhale,
Feel your energy travel deeper into your body.
Feel it travel down into your pelvic bowl and your womb,
Down into the earth.
Feel this grounding connection here and come back to it anytime you need to throughout this practice.
Take a moment to replay this past cycle from day one in your inner winter through to where you are today,
Focusing on the things you would like to celebrate and harvest.
If an unpleasant scene arises in your mind,
Let it go back to the earth without holding any judgment.
When those pleasant scenes arise,
Hold on to them for as long as you can,
Sensing into your body and how it feels to hold them.
What has nourished you this cycle?
What has supported you in this cycle?
Where did you show up in a way that you are proud of?
Where were you in alignment with who you are?
What are you grateful for this cycle?
Allow all of these images to fill you as you gather the harvest.
Maybe you want to store them in a special secret place within you where the critic cannot reach.
Then gently let go of that awareness as you connect back in with your rhythm of breath,
Inhale,
Exhale,
And the earth below you.
Take a moment to feel that grounding before moving on.
When you are ready,
Take a moment to replay the past cycle again,
But this time,
Allow your mind to notice and become aware of the things that didn't work out so well.
Without judgment,
Just allow these images to arise,
Becoming aware.
If any of them feel overwhelming,
Let them go and go back to your grounding.
What has made you feel unpleasant this cycle?
Where did you sense you were out of alignment?
Where did you stray off of your course?
What things around you were really irritating or frustrating?
How does it feel to hold those emotions?
What has made you upset or sad?
How does it feel to hold those emotions?
Do you notice signs of your critic,
Either criticizing yourself or others?
How does it feel to recognize the critic?
If you are ready to let go and release any of these,
Imagine them as leaves,
Turning colors on the trees and dropping one by one to the earth below,
Trusting that they will be composted to become nourishing soil for something new.
Let go of anything that does not support you here.
Release anything that isn't nourishing you in this moment.
This is bringing you back into alignment with who you are and where you want to be.
Come back to that awareness of the ground below you.
Feel the earth and the nourishing soil that has been formed by the compost of cycles past.
Nothing is wasted.
Everything is transformed.
You are transformed.
Once you feel a sense of freedom and clearing,
Go back into that special secret place holding all of your celebrations and let them fly free within you.
Maybe you would like to see them as hundreds or thousands of butterflies that have gone through the metamorphosis and transformed by cycles past,
And now they can lift you up to be who you want to be.
Take as much time as you want to explore the celebration and letting go into the compost.
And when you are finished,
Maybe placing your hands upon your heart,
Taking a deep inhale and an exhale.
I invite you to spend a few minutes writing down what you experienced from this practice.
As you continue through the rest of this cycle,
You can come back to this practice,
Sensing into the beauty of your gratitude and letting go of that which does not support you until finally you surrender back into the presence of the inner winter.
I hope the magic of your inner autumn has supported you to continue on this cyclical journey.
Blessed Be.
