Fall Reflection

The air has lost its denseness and now there’s a particular crispness to the afternoon breezes. The sun angle has gotten lower and the light has turned slightly golden; these are all signs that autumn is here. In the wellness world, autumn is the perfect time to cleanse your home, body, and life. As with everything nature touches, human bodies also experience cycles of energy. In the spring and early summer, we tend to have bursts of energy and excitement while in the autumn and winter, our energy retreats back within us and we often find ourselves hibernating like little bears in the woods. I know I definitely gain weight like a little bear in the woods, so seeing this as a healthy cycle of seasonal energy feels a lot better - so I’m going with it!

Like with our fall and winter crops, the beginning of autumn signals our personal energy to contract and move inward to nourish our roots. Fall and winter are surrounded by quiet and calm, and this is what our bodies crave as we move closer to the winter solstice. We notice that the foods our farm is providing are now heartier in nature and often require a bit more cooking. Following the energetics of fall on the farm, autumn is the time to gather up the harvest and reflect on the year. After all the hubbub of the summer, it’s time to slow down and take care of you and your family. It’s also a time to gather as a community and share what you have. Not only is gathering and sharing a quaint idea, but it also used to be the only way people could survive the cold, desolate winters in the past. This is why some of our biggest feasting holidays are during the coldest months. So besides sharing the farm’s bounty, how can we stay in line with the energy of the fall and care for ourselves?