“Autumn arose and my soul bloomed.” Angie Weiland-Crosby
Autumn is a season for practical creativity, to focus and clarify what actually feeds our life force as the light/dark balance shifts and a gentle natural time to release trauma so that the darker inner world of Winter stillness can land safely without freeze or disassociation.
Witnessing our beloved trees release their leaves and slowly sink roots down into the nourishing earth mirrors this wisdom of embracing the deep unknown.
To understand Autumn's significance from a human health perspective we need to embrace two concepts that until (relatively) recently were culturally observed:
Human health is truly holistic on a deeper level. It embraces mind, body and soul and includes the ‘soul of nature’ and the environment in which we live. Therefore to promote health for ourselves we need to engage and ask questions around how we view it, for example the relationships between our emotions and physical well being, and our relationship with the places in which we live, travel and work.
Autumn belongs in a cycle of other seasons so it’s capacity to support us comes from observing the wider cycles of nature of which we are a part. Hunter gatherer then early agricultural societies in the past often worked with nature rather than against her as a crucial step for survival.
Considering our health outcomes in terms of energy supply or what many Eastern healing traditions call life force/chi is actually crucial. Many physical illnesses can initially begin as an energy imbalance in the biofield/aura which is hugely affected by our emotions and beliefs.
Here are five simple and effective ways we can support ourselves by using this seasonal time of transition to improve our health outcomes.
1 - Autumn as a spiritual practice for health and healing.
Autumn is a unique time to gain clarity on your life, practice gratitude for the Summer’s harvest of activity and reassess your personal boundaries/needs.
It’s nature’s way of saying it’s okay to take an honest balance sheet look and gauge whether your energy is being routinely replenished, what relationships feel sustainable or need some changes and what role you have to play in this in terms of how you communicate and support your own needs as the nights draw in and we tend to spend more time indoors - often with others.
This aspect of honouring the shift to Autumn energies is very healing and validating for anyone healing from codependency and long term self abandonment, often from childhood.
In fact the healing honesty of Autumn is relevant to everyone because it gives you clarity on what needs to remain in your life and what needs to change before those bare trees of winter.
‘What went well this year and what needs to change?’
Practising gratitude for the smallest things - a cooker that works, the hands that type this, the tree outside your home - is one of the simplest ways to cultivate a mindset of appreciation and orientate the psyche towards receiving more of what you love.
It’s a fundamental practice in many spiritual traditions because quite simply it works.
Autumn might also be a time to turn a juicy creative idea generated during Summer into a focused thing to produce, setting healthy boundaries with your time so that you can go inward more, correcting any imbalances in the give-and-receive aspects of your life.
This awareness in turn can begin to shape the reality you live and generate more self love and kindness towards others. As well as respect and love for the wisdom of nature.
2 - Potent time to detox:
As explained above Autumn is the time to ‘shed the leaves’.
Between now and Winter Solstice is a great opportunity to have a ‘clear out’ of toxicity in the system - feelings of sluggishness, brain fog, poor skin and hair quality, low mood/enthusiasm for life, perhaps a weight gain that doesn’t feel your natural state, are all signs this is required.
(Note: any signs of physical or psychiatric illness seek professional functional health guidance please).
Researching and trying out different forms of exercise - outdoors if possible - and dietary changes, embodiment practices, booking an energy healing for rebalancing any emotional/energy blockages, or a massage, colonic etc. all are timely now.
Trying out new healthy group activities may also lead to more aligned social connections which can take you through the sometimes heavier darker days of Winter.
In fact setting some new intentions/health routines that start building ‘muscle memory’ now is preferable to a big push when we’re in hibernation mode in the heart of Winter.
Unfortunately many people do this on new year’s day because the economy is geared towards a big Christmas blow out and then a rather unbalanced harsh hungover self assessment on January 1st!!
But Autumn time is a softer, more gentler way to do this, planting seeds in the ground to gestate during Winter.
Note - I still recommend exercising in Winter!
3 - Multi sensory living as an aid to improved health (emotional, physical and mental).
Autumn is a feast for the senses 🍂
Its vivid gold, amber red and mustard yellows encourage us to notice what is going on outside of ourselves and to physically orientate more with our surroundings, to become enchanted through nature as a way to ‘feed the well’ of our creative spark to take us through Winter’s darker days.
Research by mental health charity MIND on nature connection practices have shown this is crucial for robust mental health and memory formation.
Some of my most vivid memories from childhood are walking to school and back during Autumn and Winter and noticing the changes all around me. These impressions stayed with me for a reason.
4 - Circadian rhythm living.
Practices of observing natural day light patterns can boost melatonin, the ‘day/night sleep cycle’ hormone, support the pineal gland which produces it (great especially for intuition/psychic work) and align with the circadian rhythm which is the natural sleep and rest cycle of light and dark (crucial for health).
As the nights draw in it makes sense to work with this rhythm rather than fight it whilst receiving as much daylight as possible.
Something I often do now is first thing in the morning I open up a window or my front door and stare out at natural morning light.
This is activating the ‘original alarm clock’ of our long ago ancestors.
At night I do the same with the night sky and try some magical star spotting before bed.
5- Healing Social Media Addiction:
A controversial but pertinent one!
Observing the natural turning in of Autumn and taking the first four steps outlined can slowly adjust and re-balance the nervous and hormonal system away from the dopamine rollercoaster of ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ so prevalent right now.
Nature time is slower but higher frequency. It's unconditional and accepting and when in recovery from any addiction, uncomfortable emotions may surface - often hidden behind feelings of boredom or inertia.
But staying with it has rewards.
Choosing to focus on the world outside the screen may feel strange and involve a period of detox symptoms but as with any new habit it takes time to build.
One afternoon walk in nature per week, with a friend or pet perhaps, can be all it takes to start cultivating a sense of being grounded and supported in a way that is balanced and healthy.
Reaching out for help from appropriate services like AA/A-Anon or a professional therapist may be wise if you realise there is an avoidance pattern with regards to any use of a substance, relationship or media/web service that has grown compulsive and dis-empowering and indicates a deeper trauma.
“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
Autumn is a magical time to immerse ourselves.
This cyclical approach to living may not be easily achieved in modern industrial societies but the awareness of it and how your energy can naturally ebb and flow at certain times of the year can beautifully feed into your life, how you make plans and what your expectations are.
I hope the above list helps you live an abundant and healthy life during this season’s turn.
Useful Texts/Resources:
‘Molecules of Emotion’ by Dr Candace Pert. A world renowned scientist’s candid account of how the mind/body separation paradigm isn’t actually scientific! Great text for understanding how emotions affect the body.
‘Eco-Psychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing The Mind’ by Theodore Roszak (Editor). Brilliant series of essays exploring the themes of health and consequences of disconnection from nature.
Photo by Erik Mitsoe on Unsplash