Hello, you.
We may be having a heatwave in Sweden this week, but I am still all in for autumn. In fact, at this moment, the balcony door is cracked open, the balcony lights are twinkling in the evening sky, I have one candle lit, cozy music in my speakers, and a glass of red wine by my side. I wouldnโt really call this an autumn ritual, per se. But, it definitely is setting the right mood for my letter to you.
As I wrote in my previous letter,
The beginning of September signals the beginning of autumn for me. It is the start of most cherished, deeply inspiring season for me. My soul settles in September. Everything within me softens, slows, and mellows. I truly feel as if I have come home again. Home to the deepest, darkest, most grounded parts of myself. As September begins, I always release a long, cleansing, deep breath of complete presence and gratitude.
One of the things that comes naturally to me as I begin to turn inward and settle in at home, is a renewed call to drop down into routines and rituals that ground me and help me to welcome the return of my beloved soft, mellow autumn.
Of course, there is no right way to celebrate or mark the passing of the seasons. It truly is a personal journey. My practices are made from very ordinary, everyday moments. And their purpose is simply to keep me present and mindful of the slow, gentle, magical, nostalgic, melancholic medicine of autumn. A chance for me to reflect, release, and remember the importance of this slow, magical time of year.
So, I thought Iโd share with you a few of the rituals and routines that I am creating space for as the days shorten, the air cools, and the season of the soul creeps slowly in.
Morning rituals + routines
Mornings are my time, my friend. I wake early. Walk out onto the balcony for the first deep breath of fresh air of the day. Wash my face. Light a candle. Brew a cup of coffee. And, then, sit down to write and reflect.
Recently, I have listened to podcasts in the morning, just sitting and taking it easy. But, Iโve decided to not listen to anything this autumn, not even music. I want to feel the silence. If I decide to meditate or practice a bit of yoga, then I will have some music; but, otherwise, I just want to listen to the start of the day. I want to feel it with all of my being. I want to watch the slow change from light mornings to dark mornings. I want to just be with my myself, my thoughts, and my intuition.
Evening rituals + routines
I am terrible at evening routines and rituals. To be honest, I have been in front of screens waaaaaay too much. And, while I am not creating a nighttime ritual (yet!), I am setting intentions that will help me spend more time doing things that inspire me - like writing this letter or editing photographs Iโve taken throughout the day. I am choosing to listen to music and turn off Netflix more.
I do find myself on the balcony every evening at some point. Watching the sunset and the moon rise. Tonight, the sunset was magical. And very special. By the end of the week, the sun will set behind the building in the photo above (taken tonight), marking the true end of summer and the season of light for me. The sun will not set on the balcony again until next March. And I find that breathtakingly amazing. The earth, the universe, the sun, the seasons.
Autumn is filled with magic. And I donโt want to miss the quiet, simple moments of the season.
Monday yoga
Yesterday after work, I started my 12 week yoga class that will take me through September, October, November, and into the beginning of December. Gaaaaah. I love my yoga class. And this autumn the theme is grounded, stable, rootedness. We will be working with, exploring, and dropping into our root chakra, the first energy center of the body, located at the base of our spine.
I practice kundalini yoga, which is based on a 1000 year old Hindu practice that focuses on chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and poses. If youโre interested in knowing more check out this website. But, seriously, now that I think about it, is this something you are interested in? If you are interested in hearing more about kundalini yoga, just let me know in the comments below and Iโll write some letters about it.
In any case, on Monday nights all autumn long, Iโll be really coming home to myself. To my own roots. And I am so excited about that.
Wednesday walks
I live and work right in the middle of the city. Itโs not a huge city, but itโs not teeny either. And it is a beautiful place, with history, art, amazing architecture, and a river running through it. Living and working here means that I see a lot of concrete, though. Donโt get me wrong, I loooove living up high in the city. But, I also love to feel, experience, observe, and commune with nature on the ground as much as possible.
This autumn, Iโve decided to take a long, solo walk during lunch. I need that time to reset and spend a few moments on my own. I work with a beautiful bunch of teenagers and young adults with mental illness, anxiety, and lots of challenges in life. So, I need to just get out and breathe and ground myself - so I can be at my best for them.
Anyway, Iโve decided that on Wednesdays I will walk to the nearby river to get lost for a few minutes in the trees and leaves and birds and whatever else I stumble upon as I wander and observe nature around me throughout the season. What a perfect way for me to be present, I think.
Weekly check-ins
I am not a goals girl. I do not make them. I do not set them. I do not really believe in them. I do believe in having a vision and creating intentions, though. However, I do not believe in looking ahead a whole month when creating a vision or intentions. Instead, I believe in focusing one week at a time. So, this autumn I really want to be intentional about tapping into what I want to create space for from week to week. I want to cast a vision for each week - and check in with myself on a regular basis.
Last week I started doing just that. On Monday mornings from now until Advent/December, I will open my journal and write out a few ideas, feelings, and plans that I have for the week ahead. And, then, on Sunday nights, I will close out the week with some time with myself - to review my week and to reflect on what I felt and accomplished and learned.
Iโve only done this one week, so we will see how disciplined I will be all autumn long (๐ค๐ป), but I feel like it is the perfect way to come home to myself, my own magic, and to hear the quiet lessons that nature, spirit, and my own intuition have for me.
Those are the regular routines and rituals that I have planned, for now. Of course, there are rituals around special days, like the autumn equinox and Samhain (Halloween), and Thanksgiving that I will also celebrate. But, those rituals are for another letter. This letter was more about the daily, weekly, regular practices that I am making space for in my life to help me soak up every lesson and cozy moment of autumn.
What about you? Do you have any special rituals or routines that you take up as the leaves begin to fall, all things pumpkin are on the menu, and the nights of blankets, candles, and mystery fill the air?
What kinds of cozy, mellow, gentle routines would you like to create this season? How are you settling into autumn (or spring)?
Hereโs to all the things that help up stay present during the slow, gentle changing of the seasons.
xoxo. liz.
Loved this read Liz, it has me craving for Autumn even though we are heading into Spring! I think it has something to do with the winds still howling here, the skies still grey, once the sun decides to show itself though and nature lights up in vibrant colours I know I will arrive in Spring more completely.
Love the pictures you share in this as well, it makes it all so complete, they compliment the letter so perfectly xx
There is just something about waking up early, while it feels like the rest of the world is sleeping. It's like the magic of possibility lives so brightly at that time. Thank you for all of the nostalgia here.