Rest in Times of Transition

With rust colored leaves whirling through the air and my kids scurrying off to school in the morning in shorts and a sweater, I know we are in a time of transition. It's hard to know what one will need in the course of a day this time of year with all that's in motion. There are soccer balls flying and witches on broomstick passing overhead while the winds of change pull us all along.

In a short time, my youngest keeps reminding me with glee, we will have snow and a Christmas tree to decorate (oh, and winter heat to think about). But for now I am keeping my feet firmly planted in the leaf piles.

Fall in New England is actually my favorite time of year, despite the fact that it is indeed a chaotic whirlwind. Pumpkins, chill air, sunflowers, and apples... what's not to love?

But suddenly those summer days that stretch on and on are snatched away and all those wonderful and necessary things that you want to do in the daylight hours must be packed into smaller amounts of time. Plus, sneaky colds and stomach bugs attack, and steal yet more precious hours from the already shorter days. It's hard not to feel like a squirrel dashing off in a flurry to gather all the acorns before winter.

But even with all the activity and movement this seasonal transition brings, it's so important to stop and rest for a moment in the now. Especially if you want to do a little preventive care against stress, which will hopefully make your body a little stronger to combat the cold and flu season.

Yesterday, after getting through a patch of high activity and feeling anxiety bubbling up, I decided to take some time to savor the season. I took a walk under the gloomy October sky. I did a facial steam with rosemary and peppermint that felt rejuvenating and helped clear congestion. I even took some time to do some deep breathing with a warm eye pillow in the evening. Today I am finding small pockets of time to take some similar moments to relax. I got up a little in the morning to do some movement medicine, a.k.a. yoga. I try to make this a regular practice to start each day on a peaceful note. I will also make sure to sit with some herbal tea and read a bit from the latest book I'm working through, and if I can find another square inch of time, I'll soak my feet in epsom salts and peppermint essential oil.

When big changes are coming, whether they be seasonal, or by some other cause, I think it's important to move with the changes when we can, but not let ourselves be carried away by them. I hope you can find some time to stop top, too, and honor the chaos and the many colors of season.