Grounding Rituals for Fall
I love the turn inwards that fall brings.
The pace slows down as our body responds to the cold and the dark. There’s a nesting, cozy feeling. Yesterday, I took down the tomato plants in the garden, their leaves turning yellow and brown. Today, I put on two layers under my raincoat so that going out into the cold rain I felt as warm and insulated as a bear.
As our planet turns away from the sun there’s more room for dreaming and reflection. I like to mark the change with a few simple rituals to nourish myself and create more space for magic:
Go Slow: For me, this can mean just going slower when I cook or go for a walk- pausing to notice the colors and textures. I also love anything that cooks slowly, giving off a nice smell and suggesting that- dinner is taken care of. When you go a bit slower than is normal for you in any activity, your nervous system gets a reset. It also gives you a new way of experiencing something with your senses. What do you see, smell and hear. Yes, you’ve walked this block before, but today the leaves are redder & there’s a damp earthy smell in the air. Noticing these things brings your energy back to present time, and when you have your energy and attention back you might be surprised about how easily a new idea drops into your space, or how a problem unravels itself with no effort at all.
Tiny Upgrades: Revamp, remodel or reimagine a small space in your home. Small, or smallish is the key here. The silverware drawer, a closet, hanging a plant or a piece of art in an untended corner of a room. I find that when I give myself space to reimagine something small in my physical environment, it affects my feeling of internal space too. Making the space you live in more pleasing to you is a way of nourishing and giving to yourself.
Thanking Your Body: When the weather changes my hands and feet are often cold. After a shower or a bath, I like to give these parts of my body a little extra love by rubbing lotion or oil into them. When I do this, I take my time with the intention saying thank you for all the things my hands and feet do for me. Going slow tells my body that I appreciate it, that it is worthy of my time and attention and makes the gift I’m giving myself more real.
Lighting a Candle: There’s something so magical about this simple act. Choose a time that you can repeat this simple act. When you light the candle, have the intention of marking the beginning of something new. A meal, separate from the preparation of the food. Returning home after a day of work and sitting down with a cup of tea and book- with the intention that it separates this time from what came before it. I love beeswax candles the best because of their sweet, natural smell and the fact that they were made by the bees. Choose a candle that speaks to you and get a nice thick one so it will last a while.
Simple rituals create magic. They lift the ‘ordinary’ experiences of life into a space that is always new. Through them, we remember that presence itself is an act of care. Each small gesture — a candle lit, a drawer tended,— roots us more deeply into ourselves.
Do you have a ritual you love this time of year? Share about it in the comments.
