Archive: Around Town

It is fall! This is the season of the harvest, the fruition of all the growth of spring and summer. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains are all abundant. This is true for us as well: we harvest benefits from our work and projects, we cherish our relationships and our health.  With fall comes a sense of gathering in, stocking up for what is necessary for the coming winter. The rest will be recycled with the descending energy of Nature, which becomes ready for rest and quiet.

Autumn is season of change, but contrary to the expansive nature of spring, fall is a contractive time of pulling in, going deeply inward like sap sinking down into the roots of a tree. The life cycle completes itself in autumn. Fallen fruits, withered blossoms, shaded foliage enrich the soil for next year's growth. There is a sense of loss as light becomes scarcer and air chills. Birds become quiet, the buzz of the insects is a random and isolated reminder of the past season. The notion of dying carries retracting and finishing energy.


For many people this is the most difficult season to bear. It is somewhat scary and unpleasant to move from the light into the dark, to truly leave behind what is not needed anymore, to find refinement and essential values which constitute our individual truth. After all, change is an inherent process in our lives and possibly the only 'truth' in the universe. Life lets go of the last moment every moment. If we adapt ourselves to the changes that come with the seasons, we will maintain good health on emotional and physical level.

Sometime around mid-October here on Northern hemisphere, Nature reminds us in all splendor how beautiful and graceful it is to be able to let go and celebrate endings in shades of the warmest palette. Nature's ritual of letting go is gracious, but doesn't last very long: it has to be completed to enable nourishing rest. Nature in the fall teaches us that evolution comes through reduction. If we linger for too long, dwelling upon the past and reflecting extensively, there will be no fertile ground for growth and rebirth.


Little nostalgia and sorrow for past times, like a mellow autumn rain, can be a healthy response to what we as humans need to let go at any given time in our lives. Outdated relationships, business affairs, all material things which don't serve our optimal being any more, can be shaded with awareness that we have gathered inner wisdom from living and experiencing them fully. If we in some way allow never-ending 'rotting' process, we create stagnation and hinder our physical, emotional and mental health.

On a practical note, here are some suggestions on how to ease the transition and embrace the change carried by the fall:

• Fall season is the perfect time for all type of cleansing. Naturally descending energy will help to detoxify digestive tract and lymphatic system and prepare body for richer and heartier winter foods. Few days of juicing or very light eating supported with the elimination of stimulating herbs will serve body better than any spring detox.
• This is a good season for solo exercises like yoga, tai chi, dancing. This activities will help to develop inner attention and gentle control of your internal climates (emotions) through movement and breath. Contemplation, writing and reading utilizes inward moving energy for finding wisdom and grace in our past actions.
• Declutter your home, office, car. Again, fall cleaning is far more important than spring one. Prepare your space for comfortable living in winter months.
• Make it cozy and inviting.
• Come back to the kitchen: prepare nutritious meals for your family using harvest bounty, pungent spices and lots of root vegetables.
• Don’t be shy about crying and experiencing sadness, but seek professional help if grief and sorrow become unbearable or are staple mark of your life. Happiness is closely related to ability of letting go.
• Enjoy stillness and quiet. Sleep more.
• Be thankful for what is!

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