Finding Balance in the Art of Letting Go
Hello friend!
As we transition into Fall 🍂 nature offers us a perfect template for finding balance - the delicate dance between holding on and letting go. I invite you to take a moment to take a breath with me:
Inhale as you notice tensing up and holding on a bit
Exhale as you release and let go completely
Inhale, hold on a bit — Exhale, let go and relax.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fall is associated with the Metal element and our Lungs, making this an ideal time to focus on breath as we practice releasing and creating space for what matters most.
🏵 Reflection: What matters most to you right now? What are some of your values that shape what you pay attention to?
Take a piece of paper, take a couple conscious breaths (Inhale, hold on - Exhale, let go) and write down:
“What matters to me most is _____________ , ______________, and ____________.”
This simple exercise can help you hold a bit of tension and release it, while focusing your energy and attention on those things that are most important to you 🧡 A great practice during the Fall season - or anytime, really!
Are you interested in trying other focused practices to help you pulse with Fall's energy? Check out these:
Practice Heart-Focused Breathing
Think of it as tuning your internal instrument to Fall's rhythm. This simple practice can be done anywhere:
Direct your attention to your heart area while taking slow, conscious breaths.
Just a few minutes of heart focused breathing can help balance your nervous system and create a sense of coherence between your physical, mental, and emotional states 🛞.
This breathwork is also shown by research to help with self-regulation, enabling us to pause and choose how to more appropriately respond to life’s complex situations. This breathing technique can neutralize intense emotional reactions and interrupt our autonomic nervous system’s automatic stress responses.
Create Fall Themed Nature-Based Practices
Letting Go Walk: Take a mindful walk among falling leaves. Choose one leaf to represent something you're ready to release. Hold it, acknowledge its presence, study its unique pattern, then intentionally let it go. Watch as it joins others on the ground - a reminder that we're all part of nature's greater cycle.
Noticing Nature: Take a moment to go outside into nature and soak up the energy around you. What do you notice about the plants at this time of year? What has shifted since the Summer Solstice? How does it make you feel?
Reflections: This is the season to savor gratitude and time for vulnerability. What are you grateful for? What things are you savoring at this time? Where do you feel vulnerable in your life at this time? How can you meet your need for love and connection through a variety of sources in your life: people, animals, plants, home?
Create a Lammas and Fall Equinox Self-Love Ritual
When you have 20-30 minutes in the evening to yourself, undisturbed, or anytime (especially good around the Full Moon or New Moon), try this this ‘Self Love Ritual’.
Preparation: Create a sacred space, gather the following materials:
- a small container (bowl, basket etc),
- small piece of paper,
- something to write with,
- fragrant herbs (basil, rosemary, etc)
- a glass of water
- and turn on a nice relaxing song.
Step 1. Take a moment to ground yourself, sit for a few minutes, listen to your song, take a couple deep breaths. You can even light a candle or place your hands at your heart.
Step 2. Name yourself in this sacred space, that means saying your own name out-loud. (Example, I would say ‘Judit’)
Step 3. Invite ancestors, guides, divine beings or directions to support you. For a simple version, take five breaths, one for each direction: inhale and exhale for the East, inhale and exhale for the South, inhale and exhale for the West, inhale and exhale for the North; and finally inhale and exhale for the Center, up and down direction.
Step 4. Take one small piece of paper and write a short ‘love note’ to yourself, describe a situation, how you felt when you met your own needs. For inspiration of seasonal needs, see the 2025 Pulsing Calendar, under August or September.
Here is a template and a sample sentence, but feel free to be creative with this, even decorate each piece of paper as you wish:
Template:
“When I …(describe the situation)..., I felt … (put down a feeling)... because my needs of … (select one or more seasonal needs)...were met.”
(Example, “When I helped my daughter finish her homework, I felt satisfied because my need of connection was met.”)
Write as many of these love notes to yourself as you’d like, one by one, placing them into your small bowl or container.
Step 5. Add or ‘bless’ your bowl with some fragrant herbs (add some herbs into your ball, dry or fresh), take a deep breath, allow your love and gratitude to sink deeply into your body. If you still have some nice music playing, sit quietly and enjoy it for a moment.
Step 6. When you are complete, take a moment to center yourself, drink your water and close your ritual. If your time allows, or for additional reflection, take out your journal and write or draw about your experience.
🍎 Remember, Fall isn't about dramatic transformation, but rather about finding grace in the art of letting go - just as trees don't resist the natural release of their leaves.
With love,
Judit