The leaves have changed and begun to fall. As we see the barren trees and vibrant colors littering the cold, dewy grass, we are faced with both the loss and growth, the grief and joy, of the changing seasons. Summer is a time of vibrancy, a season full of life. Long, sunny days that stretch on endlessly, inviting us to consider and explore the possibilities that life holds. Soon the days begin to shorten, the world seems to darken, and leaves transform into a cascade of golden red. One by one, they let go of their summer home and succumb to the earth, ushering in a new season—a season of shorter days, barren trees, and for us in the Pacific Northwest, endless rainfall. The changing landscape surrounding us invites us to consider the inherent rhythms and rituals of nature and reflect on the place of rhythm and ritual our own lives.
For many people, this ushering in of fall brings with it a shift in mood, in perspective. Some people enjoy the light pitter-patter of rain as background music and can’t wait to curl up by the fire with a good book on dark nights. However, some people experience something known as “fall blues,” as the joy and life of summer gives way to familiar feelings of grief, of heaviness, of succumbing. For some, the new season seems to usher in a thin blanket of darkness that they can’t seem to shake off until nature again awakens in spring and summer. During this time, it can be a challenge to pursue joy and life, when nature around us seems to be hibernating. After all, work still needs to get done, the house needs to be cleaned, and kids need help with homework. Our society continues to sprint forward, despite the slowing down we see outside our own windows and in our very backyards. How can we manage the incongruence between our inner world and the world around us? How do we stay present to our inner experiences of grief and heaviness and still intentionally choose to participate in life with joy each day?
Rhythms and rituals can aid us during these times of transition, during times when we feel a disconnect between our internal and external worlds. They can help us stay mindful to and express our inner experiences, while providing us forward momentum that carries us through difficult times. A ritual is a ceremonial act, often associated with spirituality of religion, that has meaning and is repeated in a precise, consistent manner. Some examples might be prayer or meditation, birthday celebrations, and family game nights. Similarly, rhythms are regularly recurring sequences of events, also often referred to as routines. Some examples include Tuesday Taco Nights, laundry on Saturdays, and meal prepping on Sundays. These could often be interchangeable, depending on you or your culture.
Rhythms and rituals provide consistency and predictability, and this creates a level of comfort and safety for our bodies, in an otherwise changing and heavy world. A rhythm or ritual could look like so many different things! It could look like doing 10 minutes of yoga at the beginning and end of every day, cooking dinner with a partner at night, weekly coffee with a good friend, or taking a warm bath at night to decompress. No matter what it looks like, it should bring a sense of calm and relief to your mind and body and reconnect you with yourself and/or others. It should bring you life and awaken the part of you, however small, that wants to pursue joy, wholeness, and integration.
In establishing these rhythms and rituals, we can bring life and grounding to our inner worlds in a time of transition and heaviness. In doing so, we also reflect the rhythms of nature we see around us, bringing harmony to our inner selves by mirroring our outer world. By marking the transition from summer to fall with rituals, and by using rhythms to guide us through fall and winter until the world awakens in spring, we can signal to our bodies and minds that change is coming—and that it need not be something to fear, but instead, can invite us to a period of grief and rest, in anticipation of days of joy and adventure to come.
If you are needing someone to walk with you through the transition into fall and winter, to help establish rituals that bring life and pursue we are here for you. You do not have to do this alone, reach out today.