The end of summer is always difficult for me.

I love the freedom of summer – slip on sandals, lighter clothes, raw foods (less cooking), long hours of daylight and warm late nights spent outside with friends and family. It’s, hands down, my favorite season.

So much so that I go through a mourning period when the leaves begin to fall and the days get darker and cooler. I find myself trying to hold onto summer as if wearing my sandals on cool, frosty mornings can somehow stop the earth from turning and the seasons from changing!

Eventually my frozen toes will force me into the present moment and I start to remember that there are wonderful things about autumn too. Nature’s one last explosion of brilliant colors, delicious vegetables from the garden, soft, comforting sweaters and the time to start slowing down. The falling leaves are nature’s transition into the next season. The leaves are also nature’s way of reminding us that it’s time to let go, not just of the summer but the habits, people, beliefs, situations and stuff that no longer supports our happiness. When we let go, we can move forward with lightness, clarity and the vibrancy that we cultivated during the summer season.

Do you find it challenging to transition from summer to autumn? Maybe you prefer the cooler temperatures and the harvesting of the bounty from the garden. Each one of us has our own preferences and while it’s important to honor your rhythms, it’s equally important to honor the larger rhythms like the changing of the seasons. Resisting these changes will only wear you out and deplete your energy (and freeze your toes)!

This fact holds true for any transition – to a new job, a different relationship, a declining health situation, a new home in a new city….

When we resist change we can miss out on the support and the joy that also comes with the new. I’ll be teaching more about how women can navigate change and transition with more ease in my retreat next month.

Be gentle with yourself no matter what transition you are moving through right now. I know that there is no point in resisting change – life moves forward regardless of what I want or what I wear but to make the transition easier for me I’ll just put on my fuzzy fleece sweater and slip into my sandals too!

Happy Autumn!

Love,