A Season to Simmer

Fall is upon us and I find it to be one of the loveliest times of the year. The leaves change color, school begins (and truth be told: I enjoy football). Let the season begin! You can’t escape that crisp wind blowing across your face, as if the air were coming out of hibernation. Is nature trying to capture our attention?

It captures mine every year. In fact, fall is when I turn the page, mark a year gone by and begin anew. A very subtle and profound settling takes place. Nature’s pulse seems to slow as if reflecting on a fruitful summer much the same way we rest in savasana at the end of class to integrate the efforts made in our postures. Summer encouraged us to live large while autumn invites us to become quiet. We become active in an inactive kind of way allowing space for reflection and change

Wayne Mueller in his book, The Sabbath writes, “We are part of the creation story, subject to all its laws and rhythms. When we rest, we can relish the season of a moment, a day, a conversation. In relationships, we sense the rhythms of contact and withdrawal, of giving and receiving. Surrender to the flowerings and dormancies. It is a reminder to how things really are, a rhythmic dance to which we unavoidably belong.” 

Value this time of literally doing nothing and feel your senses heighten. Once all the ingredients are added, it’s the simmering that creates the flavors worth savoring. Humbly thank forces at work authenticating the efforts you’ve made up until now. Steep. Linger.

Bikram says of his classes “You come into my torture chamber to kill yourself.” That may sound ridiculous at first, but in that first hour of a 90-minute Bikram Yoga class, something within us leaves. It takes about 60 minutes to burn off the old. What follows is a period of rest, savasana. It’s here where you prepare to make room for the new. 

Like savasana, a mellow October can provide a crucial pause on your journey. Let stillness help you make the most out of this time of transformation. Connect to yourself by simply “being” yourself. Sit in idle. Don’t get anxious about tomorrow. Let rest do the work and then, go forward as if something new is beginning.