Finding Empowerment in the Fall

I woke up today and noticed my posture was different.

My shoulders, normally more vertical, were slightly slumped over. I felt like I was dragging. Awkward. Didn’t feel much like playing well with others. Had I acquired a small internal weight as I was sleeping?

Looking outside, I realized why. It was dark. It’s been dark for two days… and rainy… sweater weather…

The calendar provided further facts. Fall is here.

Lets go back...

Years ago, when I was but a fledgling mother, I (unintentionally) developed a mindfulness practice that involved awareness of how my body, mind, and spirit changed with the seasons.

Lets go back even farther….

My ancestors, my mother’s people, come from the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, South America. If you know anything about high altitude, fog, chilly weather, and surviving on mountains, you know that you carry yourself differently in that environment than you might, say, on a tropical island.

Knowing this part of my history helps me understand that one of my innate tendencies, when the weather calls for sweaters, is to walk slower, slumped over, quieter, and a bit melancoly. Decades ago, a less-self-aware me would be sent into the throws of depression and self-pity when the days got shorter.

Over time, tired of the seasonal roller coaster ride, I started to put two-and-two together. I began waking up to the transitions within me and noticed that the weather played a HUGE role in my behavior. Most importantly, I stopped flippantly writing it off as, “its just what I do” and blaming the weather!

Here’s what happens:

Fall weather (similar quality to that my ancestors were used to) triggers my body’s natural tendency to go within in a specific way that is pertinent to ME. I used to hate it! because I didn’t understand it. Now I’m like: bring it!

Fast forward to today’s posture situation.

 Do I wish I wasn’t slumpy, yes!

Would I rather wear flip-flops, yes!

Does having this knowledge mean I’m all of a sudden peppy and cheerful when the days get darker? Nope.

What will you discover about yourself this season?

But I DO see a deeper purpose to these changes. I DO feel a deep connection to the world around me.

Today, I can hear nature telling me shift my focus to introspection. A door is opening inside me, and its calling me to sloooooow doooown and migrate within. It is innate in me as it was to my ancestors. I no longer have to fight it off! Now, I see power in that posture!!

Self-awareness = personal empowerment

The land will effect our mood. Climate, will effect the way we move in the world. Temperature, will effect our speed. So when we go from hot summer sun to dark, rainy sweater weather – WE CHANGE!!!

And we often fight against and distract ourselves from these changes instead of mindfully entering into a partnership WITH nature.

Why this matters

Tuning into the changes in nature will help you better understand your place in the world. Paying attention to how nature affects you will help you learn to embrace the power within those transitions. Add to that your unique history plus your ancestry, and you have more pieces to the one-of-a-kind puzzle that makes you who you are.

Do you know what Fall weather does to you?

How did your ancestors handle cooler, darker, weather?

If you don’t know, maybe its time to investigate.

If you DO know, maybe its time to take the awareness to the next level.

Want extra support as the days get shorter? Contact me anytime!

Want to learn more about how Creative Medicine Workshops can help empower you as the seasons change? Take a look