FALL: A Time of Balance and Reflection

Fall approaches slowly, like fog, filling in the spaces left by summer.The fall season is a great in-between-time, helping you make the transition from the heightened activity of summer to the deep quiet of winter. Because nature is able to accomplish this transition, it can assist you in making the transition as well.

You can mark this passage by tuning into what nature is doing: plants pull in, taking their life energy, their sap, back into their trunks and down into their roots.Birds start their migration to warmer climates.Autumn winds help the trees loosen and let go of their leaves. Temperatures cool and sunlight is no longer as bright. The days begin to grow shorter and the nights longer.

Fall serves to remind you that it is time to slow down from the intensity of summer. All in nature is winding down and preparing for the quiet, resting time that will come in the winter. This is the time for you to begin to pull inward too. It is the best time of year to reflect on your spring and summer, to take time to contemplate your past year. your own "harvest" and to appreciate your growth and examine your challenges.

You can ponder any unfinished business or relationships and bring those to more clarity and to completion. You can let go of what no longer serves you and take in what is of value to you. The fall season reinforces the intention to break old patterns of seeing, feeling and thinking. It can assist you in taking a different view of old issues. When consciously used, fall facilitates releasing the past and frees you to move forward in your life. This is the work of the fall season.

Here are some ways for you to connect with the fall season:
Begin to slow down. Go to bed earlier and arise earlier. Stop multi-tasking and do only one thing at a time. Notice how you feel when you concentrate your energy in this way. Go through your closets and give away those clothes you no longer wear or need.

Pay particular attention to your breath right now. It helps you to be present, in the moment.  Start by noticing your breath: breathe in slowly, pause, and then let it go. Do this at least three times, then sit and relax for ten minutes and just notice how you are breathing: the rhythm, the timing, how your chest feels, what thoughts go through your head.
 
Enjoy the fall
Take a walk and notice the dry, crisp air. In California, feel the Santa Ana winds that bring the warmer air from inland out to the coast. Pay attention to the plants that are withdrawing and pulling their juices and sap back and down into their roots. See the squirrels and other animals scurrying for food to store away for colder weather. Notice that ducks, geese, heron, whales are making their migration to warmer climates.
All these signals show that the nature is preparing for a different, unique season in the year.

About Ann
Ann Bailey is a Registered Nurse and Five Element acupuncture practitioner. She is passionate about supporting people who are committed to achieving and maintaining their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. She is the founder of SourcePoint Acupuncture, her practice that combines eastern and western medicine to assist people in achieving optimal health.

You can learn more about Ann and Five Element acupuncture at her website: www.annbaileyacupuncture.com

1033 Gayley Avenue Suite 117
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone 310.462.3663
ann@annbaileyacupuncture.com