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 from the cold. Today, I put on two layers under my raincoat so that going out into the cold rain I felt as insulated as a bear.
As our side of the 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:
Slow Cooking: For me, this can mean just going slower when I cook- pausing to notice the colors and textures. But I also love anything that cooks slowly, giving off a nice smell and suggesting that- dinner is taken care of and I can give to myself by reading a book, exploring a creative project or having a long conversation with someone I love.
Resetting a Small Space: 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.
Giving to 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. Another practice that is very helpful is just doing a simple check in with your body each day. Ask it how it is doing. What does it need right now? Be open and listen to the feedback you receive.
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 that you can repeat the act over and over again.
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. I’d love to hear from you!
