Skip to main content

The Gift of Autumn

 "The foundations of a person are not in matter but in spirit." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The leaves are beginning to turn colors. I feel that suddenly fall has begun in earnest with the first rain of the season. The air smells different and feels crisper.

As mother nature slows down in preparation for winter, you might want to check in with yourself to see if there is a need for you to turn inward as well. As the trees change and drop the leaves in autumn, and then grow more roots in winter, you might be going through similar changes internally.

Perhaps there is an internal urge to drop old ways of being and to change something in your life. Perhaps there is the call to nurture your spiritual self, the root of you. Perhaps this is the time to ask yourself, how are you nurturing yourself?

We nurture ourselves when we connect with and meet our soul's needs. Our soul's needs are always spiritual, expressed as qualities or virtues like acceptance, freedom, peace, respect and purpose. How do you give yourself what you need to nurture yourself?

"Learn the art of taking care of yourself and remember that there is a very fine distinction between being selfish and taking care of yourself. If you take care of yourself, others won't have to." -- Lucille Ball

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Rumi Poem: A Garden Beyond Paradise

Everything you see has its roots in the unseen world. The forms may change,     yet the essence remains the same. Every wondrous sight will vanish, every sweet word will fade.     But do not be disheartened, The Source they come from is eternal— growing, branching out,     giving new life and new joy. Why do you weep?— That Source is within you, and this whole world     is springing up from it. The Source is full, its waters are ever-flowing;     Do not grieve,     drink your fill! Don't think it will ever run dry— This is the endless Ocean! From the moment you came into this world, a ladder was placed in front of you     that you might transcend it. From earth, you became plant, from plant you became animal. Afterwards you became a human being, endowed with knowledge, intellect and faith. Behold the body, born of dust—     how perfect it has become! Why should you fear its end? When were you ever made less by dying? When you pass beyond this h

Eight Concepts of Healing

from "Woman As Healer" by Jeanne Achterberg Healing is a lifelong journey towards wholeness Healing is remembering what has been forgotten about connection, unity and interdepence among all things living and non-living Healing is embracing what is most feared Healing is opening what has been closed, softening what has hardened into obstruction Healing is entering into the transcendent, timeless moment when one experiences the divine Healing is creativity and passion and love Healing is seeking and expressing self in its fullness, its light and shadow, its male and female Healing is learning to trust life

Giving Thanks to Your Body

(This article was first published in November 2007 Metta Center email newsletter.) In Taoism and Chinese Energy medicine, there is an exercise called "Inner Smile", where you smile at your inner organs. This exercise has a very practical purpose: self-acceptance and appreciation. This simple and gentle practice is very effective in balancing your meridian system and is very nourishing to your spirit. Here is a slightly different version of this exercise: Sit or lie comfortably. Alternatively, you can even do this exercise when you are walking or in the shower. Begin by taking several deep breaths, exhaling slowly. Allow yourself to recall the time someone extend a kindness to you and you can feel a sense of appreciation gently arising from within your heart-center. Noticing this feeling of appreciation, you bring your attention and extend this feeling to various parts of your body. Starting from the top of your head, bring your attention and appreciation to