*There is a giveaway at the bottom of this post.*
I had just taken a long walk. Alone. My legs still felt as if they were pounding pavement. My heart still wide open to the smells and sounds of fall falling all around me as I walked and cleared my head.
Walking is something I love but it’s also something I rarely have time to do unless I decide to get up at 4:30 a.m. I rarely decide to do that.
In gratitude for myself and the little tiny bit of free time I gifted myself last Friday, I sat.
Sat as in meditation.
But this meditation wasn’t my usual try and avoid all thoughts. I decided to sit the guilt-free way. This Fall Meditation had only one rule and that was to stay seated — hopefully for at least 10 minutes — outside and pay attention to the signs of Autumn.
Just sit.
Fall breathes new life into me. Summer is frantic. Spring is slower. Winter is the slowest. But fall … fall has a charm of its own, a special place to remind us of what has been and what is yet to come. It reminds us to slow down and look inward.
It reminds us to breathe.
So I sat …
Listening as the birds gathered and swooshed through the trees in the front yard.
Watching as a little finch landed at my feet as if I was a piece of the landscape.
Savoring the smells of the smokey autumn air.
Mesmerized by the way a light breeze sent falling yellow leaves to the ground like glitter, like rain.
Imagining what the squirrel on the roof above me was doing with that nut that keeps plunking loudly on the shingles.
Noticing, maybe for the first time in a long time, how tiny tear drops of dew sit so peacefully on the pin pricks of the green, green grass like art, like a great balancing act.
Wondering how those droplets don’t burst like a balloon surely would.
Soon, my shoulders fell away from ears.
“Wake up,” the breeze whispered into my ear.
“Wake up.”
This week, my intention is to let the spirit of Autumn rise up and take over. Drink cider. Eat crisp apples and caramel. Maybe enjoy a campfire or a fire in the fireplace. This season — any season — comes but once a year where I live. I want to fully embrace it and enjoy it.
Join me in celebrating whatever season you are in, no matter where you are.
You can also read about falling in love with spring.
Or, you can read about meaningful summers or happy carefree summers.
- If you like this post, please be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter Wake Up, which sends a new and unique intention every Monday to your inbox. Emails are promised to be short but inspiring for you to keep living a mindful, relaxed family life.
- Wanna play more as a parent? I offer nearly 100 ways to play and connect in my book The Playful Family, which encourages families to connect and engage through playful experiences.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In honor of Autumn, which has arrived at our house, I’m going to giveaway two copies the new eBook “The Artful Year: Autumn Crafts & Recipes by the great artful Jean from The Artful Parent. To be entered to win, please leave a comment on this post telling us what you love about Autumn, or the season you’re in right now or anything about seasons in general. Please leave a comment by Friday, Oct. 12. The randomly selected winners will be notified by e-mail on Friday afternoon. I will also announce the winners here. The winners of this eBook giveaway have been discovered. Tasia in Facebook comments was selected by the Random Number Generator. And No. 6 was chosen for the regular comments and that goes to Catherine Walker. Congrats!!
I adore Jean’s new e-book series that will celebrate each season. I am lucky enough, like Jean, to live in a place that enjoys all four seasons. Each have their amazing qualities as well as some not-so-endearing qualities. I love them all and am always ready to see them go when it’s time.
Jean just released the first in the series: The Artful Year: Autumn Crafts & Recipes.
Inside you will find:
- More than enough autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving crafts, recipes, and ideas to keep you and your family happily crafting year after year.
- Unique ideas that you won’t find elsewhere as well as more traditional ideas.
- Projects that are adaptable from the youngest toddler to the oldest grandma.
- Interesting but easy-to-make crafts that will be enjoyed as much by the self-labelled non-crafty folks as by the supercrafters out there.
- Ideas to celebrate the seasons and holidays with your family. Some of which may even become family traditions…
Click here to view more details AND PURCHASE THIS EBOOK
Love winter because it means the beginning of cold evenings inside my cozy house watching a beautiful fire in the fireplace.
My favorite thing about Autumn is the change in season itself. It is such a wonderful in between hot and freezing. I also enjoy all the fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Autumn provides the perfect balance. There is so much to do to prepare for the long winter ahead…wood to be split, gardens & their fruits to be harvested, homes to be mended…yet while we work, we can enjoy the world around us. We're kept company by the sounds of geese headed south, the breeze blowing, and the sun shining (or lately it's more likely rain falling). There is time for both soul-filling work and play.
I love fall because I can finally bring out my cozy sweaters & hoodies and wear them with my capris & flip flops. I love the coolness of the air after being hot all summer. I love fall for the desire to eat pumpkin & spaghetti squash until I can’t stand it anymore. I love fall because I can light my candles again & fill my home with warm scents. I just love fall!
I love the crisp sunny mornings seeing my breath in the air for the first time….taking walks with my boys looking for the "perfect" fall leaf….driving down a calm street having the leaves rain down on me….chilly fall nights sitting around a fire outside….and apple cider donuts, lol ;D
Autumn is a time when my family spends more quality time outside enjoying the wonderful gifts that God has given to us through nature. We also make a big " thankful" tree in our house and add leaves daily talking about what we are thankful for.
I love being outside with my husband, son, and dogs. I love taking long walks with them and pointing out the amazing fall foliage here in the northeast, and watching my son and girl dog prancing in the crunchy leaves.
I love the changing colors of the leaves, the beautiful colors of the aspens, and the crisp weather!
I love dressing in warm sweaters and wool scarves, and busting out the crock pot. I love the quality of light at the end of the day that brushes everything with gold. I LOVE the colours of the trees.
Fall is my favorite time of year… campfires, hayrides, pumpkin patches and apple picking, jeans and sweaters, and mostly the magical and renewing calm before the hectic holiday season begins.
Fall means a nice bowl of chili, pumpkins, apples , and hayrides.
What I love the most about this time of year is the new personality that the trees take on as their leaves change colours. Some turn to bright yellow, some curl up and brown around the edges, and some begin to glow in glorious shades of red and orange. It is truly breathtaking when you take a moment to look around and really notice how fantastic fall can be.
Fall means cooler temperatures for baking. Apple pie, apple crisp, zucchini cakes and muffins…the list of baking that has come out of my kitchen just this week!
I live in Los Angeles and there aren't your typical seasons here, really. I read once that people used to mark seasons in different ways depending on where they lived. So it wasn't the same day each year, but rather, an event of some kind. Maybe instead of the first frost, they marked the first rain as the start of Autumn, etc, in places like Los Angeles. No lawn here will be covered in frost any time soon, but I'll notice the first rain fall after a summer of dry weather! That is the first sign of Autumn for me, and it's already happened. The second is the first cool down, which just happened this week after an incredibly hot spell. The weather dropped down into the mid 70s instead of 100s, and it's really starting to feel like Fall. The light tends to take on this golden quality, too, different than the brightness of Summer. Now that the sun is giving golden hues to everything it feels like Fall.
And even though this one doesn't reoccur, I still think of it each year. One Fall I started a new job working with parrots. One of them used her beak to help open her cage door as I got her out, and she then grabbed onto the door and chewed it a bit, making a funny sound. I'm not sure how often she did or didn't do that over the course of the year. All I know is that the following year, I was still working there. I generally try to stay pretty open to things that make it feel like a new season, because as I said above, it could be anything. It doesn't always have to be the first rainfall. Sometimes it's really random things. And this particular year, the same bird did the exact same thing by using her beak to help open the door, and chewing the door a little bit, making that exact same sound, and out of nowhere, I said to myself, "It's Fall." Somehow, that marked the season for me!
Now each Fall, even though I don't work there any more, I think of her a little bit, of that moment of clarity, of how interesting things can mark a season. I love that feeling, that shift into a new season. And I have a special fondness for Fall. I'm so glad to be experiencing our version of Autumn right now!
Today we made our own apple juice with the apples from our garden – the sign it really has turned autumn now!
I love colours of Autumn, love streets full of leaves, sound of leaves under our shoes, smell of apple muffins in the oven, cinnamon in my burner, snuggles under a blanket in the morning, cuppa tea in the evening…
cool breezes and warm sun simultaneously on my face while i watch the leaves find their true unique colors. hayrides and apple picking followed by warm cider and home-made apple pie
Fall is the best time of year. The cool mornings and walks in the woods with amazing colors all around.
I love the cooling off of the weather and comfort food!
My kids and I went apple picking for the first time this year to celebrate Fall. It was so fun! Enjoying the Fall colors, the gorgeous sunshine, the crispy air, the yummy apples. But being together was the biggest treat!
Fall is my favorite season of all. I love the beautiful colors, the slight nip in the air, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot, the smell of campfires. It truly is wonderful.
I love the leafy cold smell in the air, cozy sweaters, and all the apple/pumpkin/spice foods.
We recently moved up near the Blue Ridge mountains and fall is abound in all its colorful glory. Besides the visual beauty of fall, I love the smells. Of decaying leaves on the ground, of burning wood in fireplaces, of cinnamon, of hearty meals in the oven. Fall means curling up on the couch, reading, thinking, relaxing…..
What a great giveaway! I love the smells of Autumn. The deep, rich, earthy smell of the forest after a rain; the smell of smoke wafting through the air; the smell of apples and cinnamon simmering on the stove.
I love the colors of fall. The crisp air that entices us outside. I love my son’s enthusiasm for raking the leaves and “finding nature”. The hikes by the river. The changing over of clothes and activities from summer to winter. The hot tea and snuggling in blankets when we come in from the chill. The putting to bed for the winter my gardens.
I am a nature child. The out of doors is where I am happiest, and where my children are happiest too. Being together and noticing anything and everything in the garden, the park, the bush, the wild… that is our happy place. Whether we are in the city or the mountains, there is something to celebrate about each season, particularly for us "greeny" humans
.
Currently we are still officially in Spring in South Africa, but the temperatures have already soared into the early 30C (above 80F) and although we love the sunshine (and the summer dresses, the swimming and the ice lollies it brings), I cannot wait for those very typical Highveld thunderstorms that we get where I live in Johannesburg – they are truly and utterly magnificent! They assault the senses:
You can *FEEL* the air pressure drop, the cool drops of water splashing on you as you dance in the rain (well, okay, maybe that's just me!), the breeze that sometimes picks up just before the first curtain of rain overwhelms you.
You can *HEAR* the thunder crashing (quite wildly!) and the pitter-patter on the roof and even, when it is a real cloudburst, the rushing of the water from the gutters.
You can *SEE* the patterns that the rain make running down the windows, dripping down the leaves, splashing on the soil. And the spectacular lightning! – mostly bold and bright zigzag-lines in the sky…
You can *TASTE* the air and the fresh drops of rain on the tip of your tongue if you are lucky enough to catch them!
You can *SMELL* the earth heaving a sigh of relief as the rain mixes with the dry earth and the dust and you get that specifically wonderfully fresh smell…oh that smell!
The best for me is the smell of the spring rains.
My favorite part about autumn is the strong smell of apples in the orchards that line the roads near my house. We don’t have strong seasons here, so the weather is still warm and the leaves won’t change colors, but the smell of apples is powerful. Actually, the apple orchards here are the most obvious sign of the changing seasons. Soon the branches will be bare, and we’ll know it’s winter. Then I’ll be watching for millions of white flowers to mark spring, and those brilliant green leaves of summer.
In some ways, you would think that I would not love autmn, since it’s when our 9 months of rainy gloom sets in here in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it’s the New Englander in me, but I still love it anyway, maybe a little defiantly. The changing colors, the cooler temperatures that allow me to perk up instead of wilt, the smell of a wood fire in the air, crisp apples, pumpkin patches and the return of baking, the excitement around halloween…what’s not to love?
Fall is my favorite time of year.I love the crisp air, the changing colors, the comfort food and snuggling with family under a cozy blanket. There is so much to appreciate.
Fall is my most favorite time of year – It feels like new beginnings to me, as well. We live in Washington State so the trees changing color are so amazing (growing up in Arizona, I never experienced a true Autumn!). I love making fires each evening and the sunny, yet crisp & cool weather is so cozy.
Autumn is my favorite season! This year I'm focusing on memory building experiences. We've gone camping in the mountains, we're going apple and pumpkin picking. We creating a giant tarantula for the yard and I'm not sure what treats we'll be making.
What do I love about autumn – everything but my experience this morning sums it up. I was on my way to work when I turned a corner and caught the sight of red, orange and yellow leaves topping the trees in a park by my work. I pulled over, opened my windows, and sat there breathing in the crisp morning air, smelling the oak from the trees, hearing the birds as they fly south. I just sat in my car in awe of the beauty of this amazing season, without a care except that I enjoy this very moment. Yes – I was late for work but who cares, I savored time, I appreciated the beauty of life, and I made an exquisite memory that I hope to someday be able to teach my children to do.
That's called taking the time to smell the roses, in this case leaves.
Love your meditation my dear
Lizz! xo
Autumn is my favorite. I love wearing jeans and sweaters, drinking apple cider and eating anything pumpkin; bright, warm sunshine with a cool breeze; leaves falling from the trees like confetti; the smell of chimney smoke as we drive through the neighborhood; breaking out my slippers for everyday wear around the house; burning candles more often for extra light and warmth. So many things about this season make it a more peaceful, mood-boosting time for me.
Autumn holds a sacred space in my soul: the season of the life cycle that paves the way for a spring rebirth. The leaves die, the ground dries up, gardens yield their final harvest…all in preparation for the coming cold and dark of winter. In my mind, there is an anticipation that accompanies fall. Returning to the quiet, the reflective, the thoughtful. Fall brings balance and perspective, and when I connect with this movement, I prepare my soul for renewal. As I walk children through this process, they begin to connect with a cycle that they are participants of, and they learn that the process of life and death isn’t scary or fearsome, but necessary for openness and birth.
I love Fall/Autumn. It’s my absolute favorite season. Especially the smell of the season changing. It’s not quite winter but there is a fresh crispness in the air that cannot be matched. I love it. Memories of making piles of leaves and jumping in them, halloween and trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, homemade apple pie…I could go on. But to me, there really is no better time of year. And now I get to do all those super fun things with my little one, make memories for him and watch him grow to love all these things too. The best!
Fall, I love the crunching of leaves under foot, the smell of dew on the lawn when I go out for the newspaper. I love FALL!!!
As soon as the summer weather begins to fade and the cool, crisp autumn air moves in, I begin to fall in love with fall all over again. Fall truly is my favorite season. I fell in love with my husband under the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves. One year ago at the end of this month, our beautiful baby boy will turn one. So many of my best memories have occurred during this season. It is amazing that the chilly autumn breeze and the smell of harvest can bring all of those special memories flooding back as if they were just yesterday.
I love the slowing down of autumn, the gentle breeze, the way leaves change colors, and the way animals scurry about looking for food, shelter, and warmth. I love all the outdoor activities and crafts to make celebrating the season. But mostly, I love the way the world seems to draw in a sense of peaceful strength the world gathers as it prepares for the what is to come.
I love the smell of autumn… smoke in the air, the crispness of the weather and the spices!!
I love the colors of autumn! and the changing light of the sun!
I love the crispness of fall. Waking up to a beautiful, crisp sunrise. The colours, smells and sounds that come with fall are relaxing and inviting after hot summers. This fall has been especially perfect because the sun is still shining and it is the right temperature for leggings and a cozy sweater.
What a wonderful post! I just love watching the leaves change color, snuggling under warm blankets, and eating anything with pumpkin in it!
Fall is my favorite season. I love the crispness in the air, the oranges and reds in the landscape, pumpkin patches and hayrides with my family, carving pumpkins, and snuggles under a warm blanket.
I love the cooler mornings of Autumn and yet having nice days. I live in Los Angeles, so we don't get a lot of changing leaves, but the cool mornings are such a welcome change from the hot hot days of summer in Southern California!
But I will say that Spring is my absolute favorite. When the 7 Jasmine vines around my house bloom, the whole street smells wonderful and it makes me smile to turn onto my street on the way home and smell them. I planted them when we bought our house in 1997.
I love the smells of autumn! Walking outdoors or going to the store, there is a different scent in the air. Apples, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin…. – love this time of year!
My favorite part of Fall is the shower of the bright colorful leaves that pile on the ground! I love the pumpkin patches and corn mazes! I love our family get togethers and all our traditions!
I love the bath and body works fall scents.
We don't get too much changing of the leaves in southern CA, so a lady has to look forward to delicious scents to dream of a picture perfect fall day.
We have a very short Autumn season where we live but we start lighting our pumpkin candle and drinking hot chocolate when it’s still over 100 degrees just to pretend like it is Fall. I love decorating our home with the kids and the anticipation of the holidays. I love sitting on our porch and watching the hummingbirds drink from the juice we specially prepared for them. I love hearing what my kids want to be for Halloween and then creating their costume with them. I love the early dark evenings and putting a hot meal on the table when my hubby arrives home. I love Fall!
I love the crisp cool air that autumn brings. The first snows. The feeling of slowing down. The last warm afternoons. I love pumpkin patches and hay rides, apple pies and apple sauce. It's a beautiful time of year!
I love the fall we are having this year in the Pacific Northwest. Crisp, cold mornings that make way for warm, sunny afternoons. Soon the rains will arrive, but for now it's so wonderful to feel that sun on my face.
I think autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp cool mornings, the fog that hovers over the lake until the sun burns it off, but mostly I love cleaning my yard. There is a sense of satisfaction. All summer long the plants have done their jobs and as I rake up the dying leaves, cut off brown and wilted flowers, pull the weeds and add mulch where needed I feel like I'm thanking them for the joy of beautiful flowers and scents and tucking them in for the winter.
I could go on but my 4 month old and 2 and a half year old sons are sound asleep for the night and I want to catch as much sleep as I can before they wake.
Thanks for all the wonderful insights. I'm a better parent thanks to your newsletters
Carole
I cannot be happier to have prepped and readied my crockpot meals for this month. I absolutely love the cool crisp air in the morning, waiting for my windows to defrost as I sip a pumpkin spice coffee with my soft, cozy Uggs on…By far, autumn is my most favorite. I feel the soothing effect come over me as summer dies down and I don't feel so pressured to go, go, go. Thank you Central Valley of California for having distinct differences in the seasons
I couldn't be more happier for the next quarter of a year!
I love steaming apple cider, cool evenings, crunchy red leaves, and the warmth of family and friends.
I love the freshness of ordinary, new outfit choices, soup, walks that are not rushed do to the heat, evening sunlight, cuddling, down comforters, looking forward to a mama treat from starbucks, flats, holidays! <3
I love the reminder to sit and enjoy life, and autumn being one of my favorite times of year, will really make an effort to do just that.
I fully value the change that autumn represents. It reminds me that change is always taking place, happening at every moment. It reminds me to let go and flow in the moments that make up my life. Also I like wearing sweaters outside in the crisp air.
Hooray for sit spots! I really need to work on sitting quietly in nature, thank you for the reminder. Your Autumn book sounds amazing!
I love the crisp breeze of Autumn, driving around to see the bright colors in the trees though the mountain canyons! and jumping into a pile of leaves of course!
I love the colors, the leaves on the ground, hot coffee on a crisp day, the trees and fall clothing. Fall is my favorite season
The one constant thing in life is change. So it is with the seasons and I try to embrace it! I'm reading 365 Ways to Get Outside and have been inspired to embrace the changes of fall and get out with my kids! We went to the local conservation park and played for several hours until we were all exhuasted! I am so grateful for this beautiful world.
Congrats, Tasia. You are the 1st winner of the eBook giveaway. Please send me your email ASAP. Thx!!
Just sent my e-mail via message. Thank you so much!
My most favorite time of year!!! Motivation enough to move us where fall actually exists! Oh, and Don't forget the pumpkin spice candles
))
What I love about autumn is he stillness in he air. Although everything is busy all around there is something in the air that reminds me to be mindful to the changes that are happening all around me. The transition to another time of the year, the fact that my children are growing just a tad bit older. The time of the year where we are reminded to find warmth and comfort in ourselves and each other. It’s a gentle reminder to go within to find the things that we need: as mother earth reminds us so gently to get back to her roots in preparation for times ahead.
I love everything about fall – the colors, the smells, sweatshirts and football games! Halloween and Thanksgiving. Watching kids jump in piles of leaves. Building a fire in the fire pit on the patio. I think I feel more alive during fall than at any other time of the year. I have a new grandchild this year – he is only 6 weeks old, but I am looking forward to many fall activities with this little guy – can't wait for our first camping trip and popping corn over an open fire!
We love to watch the leaves change color and fall from our tree, and then make huge piles and jump right in. We also love getting out our warm blankets and snuggling under them with a cup of hot chocolate and a good movie! And, of course, our annual pumpkin hayride ~ so much fun, every year!
I love Jean's blog and try to use a lot of her ideas with my boys. My favourite thing about fall is the air and my second favourite is pumpkins! I love the way they look and tatse!
i love the fall season. i think it is because i know the holidays are just around the corner!