Honoring the Rhythm of Autumn
“And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and autumn was awakened.”
- Raquel Franco
Autumn is the season where the hot summer days gradually become shorter, and the leaves begin to change, presenting us with their beautiful colors before they fall off the trees to prepare for the coming winter. There is a cold in the air that signals us to start putting away our summer clothes and get out warmer clothing for the coming cold weather.
We also begin to harvest and gather the brightly colored foods that grow at this time of year like pumpkins and squashes, so they can be put away for winter.
It is the time of year that we go from the relaxed and carefree attitudes of summer to the more serious and introspective energies associated with autumn. In autumn we move from the external, expansive nature of summer to the internal, contractive nature of autumn. It is a good idea to finish up any projects you started in spring or summer and enjoy the results of all your hard work. It is also a good time to begin new projects that focus more on the internal – cultivating body and mind and becoming more introspective.
The energy of fall is “letting go”, so autumn is a good time to be mindful to let go of anything we may be holding on to so we can make room for new experiences that will help us to learn and grow. The season is changing. The energy is changing. And there are ways your spirit wants to stretch & grow in response or release & turn inward, as the case may be.
The team at Bauman Wellness shares the following artistic inspiration as we move into this new season.
Wishing you all a very joyous Fall!
Visual Arts
I Am Very Thankful For
Craft Activity in Youth Wellness Class, November 2021
Joyful Movement
Bhangra Dance
Poetry
Mother Earth, by Eileen Hutchin
Mother Earth, Mother Earth, take this seed and give it birth.
Father Sun, gleam and glow ‘til the roots begin to grow.
Sister Rain, Sister Rain shed thy tears and swell the grain.
Brother Wind breathe and blow, then the blade of green will grow.
Earth and Sun, Wind and Rain, turn to gold the living grain.
Ode to Autumn, by Christina Wright
Falling, drifting, floating ever so softly
Colors of orange, red and gold
Caressing my face, entangled in my hair
Leaves of brown coming down to their final place of rest
The sound of crunching beneath my feet
Smells of pine and wood
The taste of cinnamon and apple cider
The opportunity for a fresh new start
Yesterday's worries left behind
A letting go of past regret
Tomorrow's dreams planted in seeds
No more should've could've would've's
Just the promise of divine gifts to come
His love raining down on me through a gentle breeze
A whisper of "I am Here" and "You are Loved"
A wave of relief and assurance warms my chaoticly crazed mind
My heart at ease, my soul at peace
A feeling of gratitude and devotion towards the chance for a new beginning
One of limitless possibilities
Flying, soaring, exploring, the world at my fingertips
Holding the reigns, but trusting your direction
Faith in the unknown
An adventurous spirit awaiting what's to come
Videos
Oren Lyons on the Indigenous View of the World and Indigenous Wisdom Regarding the Future
Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan and serves as a Member Chief of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy, the Haudenosaunee Peoples.
