As The Leaves Turn

photo courtesy of Don Schneider

“The smile that flickers on a baby’s lips when he sleeps- does anyone know where it was born? Yes, there is a rumor that a young pale beam of a crescent moon touched the edge of a vanishing autumn cloud, and there the smile was first born in the dream of a dew-washed morning.” Rabindranath Tagore

I slept in a tent, next to a lake, high in the Indian Peaks Wilderness this week. An Elk bugled at sunset. The crescent moon rose over the mountains and then reflected itself on the water in a slow circular dance that lasted for hours. Time extended out, elongated, without the distractions of iphone, computer, or even a watch. I looked, really looked at everything, with my full attention, and I saw the antelope bitterbrush and holly grape turned umber and ruddy. I was filled with awe and peace.

And then I came home…When leaves begin to turn to gold, I begin to rush around, like a squirrel frantically gathering nuts for winter. Schedules grow tight. Simultaneously, there is a sense of waning; waning light, waning energy and the look ahead to the big push through the holidays. I tell myself I can rest in January. We are all running on empty. I call this depleted busyness. It can manifest as irritation alternating with fatigue. We need practices that simultaneously relax and energize, ground and warm us. We also need to cut back, and take time to rest. We are part of a natural cycle of growth and dormancy.  Autumn is the doorway to the deep stillness that is winter.

On The Mat—

• Start in Tadasana, mountain pose. Inhale arms up overhead, exhale and swing your arms down while simultaneously bending your knees, hand brushing the floor. Inhale and swing the arms up and straighten the legs. The movement is like swinging two buckets up and down in a wide arc. Repeat 8 times starting slowly, speeding up and then slowing for the last set.  Breathe deeply making a ‘ha’ sound on the exhale.
• Stand in Tadasana, feel the energy tingling in your body for a moment or two while focusing your attention on your feet. Allow your breath to slow.
• Come into hands and knees for a few cat cow, knee to chin engaging core. Repeat each side 3 times.
• Child’s pose, with forehead on soft block, breathe slowly and deeply for 10 breaths.

Off The Mat

• Eat and drink warming foods, including more cooked vegetables, soups and stews.
• Frequently stop and sit down with a cup of tea, either outside or near a window, where you can see trees and sky. If you are in the city, bring a thermos of tea to the park. Watch the changes in light, leaves turning and wind taking them to the ground.
• Notice how there is a greater sense of change during transition seasons even with our children. The changes in their complexion, their energy level, and their growth. Impermanence is indisputable; there is peace in the acceptance of this truth.

Journal Prompts

• How do I respond to waning light?
• How does it feel to stop and rest for ten minutes?
• What feelings were evoked when reading the sentence? “Impermanence is indisputable, there is peace in the acceptance of this truth.”

“May we all feel at ease, may we all feel safe, may we all feel strong”

What do you do as the seasons change to keep you feeling calm and energized as a parent? I would love to get some comments going—you all have so much to offer us.