MINDFULNESS MATTERS: Autumn — New Beginnings

by Cynthia Runge and Jess Landry

Autumn is the perfect time for mindfully reassessing your life.

Fall is one of the best times of the year. It is a season for reassessing what works in one’s life and what needs adjustment. The school year always starts in the Fall and even though it takes place towards the end of the year, it always feels like a new beginning when it comes.

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and acknowledging your thoughts and feelings, whether they are pleasant or uncomfortable. Mindfulness helps us to pay attention to what is happening around us without trying to fix or change it. Fall is a particularly appropriate time to begin practicing mindfulness meditation as it is a transitional period which encompasses change and letting go.

Stop and look around. Listen to the rustle of the wind in the trees. Feel the crisp, cool air on your face. Watch all the colorful leaves drift down on the breeze. Consider the bounties of the last year and what areas of your life could benefit from your attention in the coming year. Bring a notebook with you on your walk and jot down any thoughts that come to mind while you wander. Most of all, enjoy this time of year and use it to think about what you want to bring more of into your life between now and next Fall.

This article appeared in our Fall 2022 Newsletter.