Personal-Growth Strategies for the Autumn Equinox

Wellness for me is so far beyond diet and exercise.  I consider those just to be tools to utilize—of which there are many.  Wellness to me is about fulfillment and personal growth, if I had to pick the most important descriptors.  I guess that’s why spirituality plays such an important part in my journey.  I’m not at the dancing naked in the moonlight level yet.  Although, I think I may have suggested it last winter solstice to Larry.  Total tangent here, but I was chatting with an online friend around the time of this past winter solstice and they told me about going to this solstice festival and they described it as such a celebration of nature and joy.  It sounded like a beautiful way to mark the changing of the season.  So when I say I’m not at that level, I don’t mean it in a mocking way but more in an ‘I haven’t experienced it myself way.’ 

Ok, getting back on topic now.  It probably helps to explain how I view spirituality because it means different things and conjures up different reactions in people.  I looked up a bunch of different definitions trying to solidify how to express it in a concise way.  Here is what I came up with:  Spirituality is a way to connect to something bigger than our physical body; it focuses on the essence of being a part of this world by reflecting inward at our individual self and how we relate and connect to the world around us.  Yeah, that probably didn’t clarify things all that much.  But it makes sense to me at least.  It is a work-in-progress definition.   It’s probably more straightforward to explain how I use spirituality then how I define it.  I use it to make sense of myself and how I aspire to move through life.  Spirituality is the quintessential self-growth guide for life. 

The changing of the seasons stands as such a clear way to mark our journey.  The spiritual symbolism of the seasons gives us a built-in self-help book.  The seasons are marked by two solstices (summer and winter) and two equinoxes (spring and fall).  Wesley Baines in The Spirituality of the Autumn Equinox explains, “…think of the Equinoxes and Solstices in terms of a life, the year is “born” on the winter solstice, matures at the spring equinox, and reaches the prime of life at the summer solstice.  The autumnal equinox marks the descent into old age, and, finally, the moment of the winter solstice marks simultaneous death and rebirth, starting the cycle anew.”  Autumn, how Baines lays it out, may seem like a dark place to arrive.  Yet, autumn is probably the most inwardly spiritual of the seasons.  It is a time for reflection and cleansing.  It is an opportunity to set intentions and direction as we prepare for the coming new cycle.  New Years may be a time to set resolutions but laying the groundwork for those resolutions begins with your autumn intentions. 

Autumn gives us the room to slow down and go inward.  Slowing down lets us bring balance and order to our lives.  There is a depth to the changing season that encourages us to look deep and evaluate where we came from, where we are at, and where we want to go.  We just need to put in the work.  Marking off the equinox this Monday is a good time to sit in quiet and listen.  In The Spiritual Significance of Autumn Equinox in Our Modern Lives Chloe Rain calls it, “…the time of year where we activate our new growth cycle.  As we become silent and rest, we are allowing space for our greater vision to emerge.”  Conventional wisdom repeatedly tells us growth follows suffering and struggle.  I think we don’t need to make life that harsh.  Don’t get me wrong, going through it and making it out the other side inevitably forces growth on us.  It just isn’t the only path.  You can choose growth.  You can put in the work to make growth happen.  Personal growth does not need to be characterized by only the harshest harbingers.  Reflection, understanding, and gratitude can all herald in personal growth.  I think personal growth is a choice we can make voluntarily.  Growth is under our control and not simply a lesson to learn at the whims of fate. 

Heading into the fall season is a perfect opportunity to make those choices.  As we approach the end of the year reflect on the past year’s journey and the direction you want to go next: 

• Explore Gratitude:  Gratitude can be found in the simplest of things—even in the most difficult of times.  I like starting with gratitude because it puts you in a better mindset for tackling some of the harder reflections.  Take a moment to savor those things you are grateful for that brought a smile to your face or peace to your heart.  Sometimes you can even find gratitude in something that wasn’t all that positive but may have been one of those harsher harbingers.  Maybe framing it in a new way—or life lesson learned.  If it brings more clarity, write down those things you are grateful for.  Starting a gratitude journal is a good way to establish an ongoing gratitude practice to bring with you into the new year.
• Learn to Let Go:  Things that hinder our growth can become heavy baggage to drag with us into the new cycle of growth coming our way. It is time to stop lugging it around—even if we packed it ourselves.  If it isn’t enhancing your life, why keep picking it up and putting it in your proverbial suitcase.  I’m talking here about both external and internal triggers.  Distancing yourself from things, people, and situations that aren’t supporting the direction you want to go in isn’t always easy.  Sometimes it is not even possible.  But what you do have control over is how you deal with them and your own behaviors and thoughts.   We spend a lot of time self-sabotaging our own way forward.  If your own behaviors and thoughts aren’t serving you then it is time to recognize them and set your intentions to make those changes.
• Purge and Cleanse:   Spring cleaning’s forgotten older sibling.  Going into the nesting season is a great time to clean up the nest.  Declutter and make room for ourselves to spend a little more time indoors.  It is sometimes hard to find that quiet if there is a lot of visual noise surrounding you.  Clear out a peaceful space for yourself.  Organize and cleanout your closet, drawers and cabinets…and any other space you found to shove stuff.  Purge your food pantry of those toxic packaged foods and fill up your kitchen with healthy choices.  We are inside more in the cold months so prep smart food options and eliminate the stuff making us sick so its not an option.  Nothing yummier then roasted vegetables and hot nutritious soups to keep you fed during those chilly weekends.  (writing this made me whimper as I am currently on hour 30 of a three day fast…the food cravings are REAL!)
• Try Something New:  Now that you’ve put in the work, it is time for fun!  Plan to try some new things.  Set an intention to give back to yourself.  We get caught up in life and the go-go-go of it all.  The autumn slowdown is a good time to dust off that want-to-do list.  Start a new project, learn a new skill, read those books on your to-be-read wish list, go museum stalking…whatever you’ve been telling yourself you were going to do but never seemed to make time for it.  If you don’t have that want-to-do list sit your butt down and make your list, then choose 1 or 2…or 3 things and set that intention.  Growth can be putting in some hard work…but it can also be about putting in that fun and fulfilling stuff into your life too. 

The more I read up about the autumn equinox and the spirituality of the changing seasons the more intrigued I am to learn more.  The feeling fall gives me makes a lot more sense now.  It is always a favorite of mine.  I’m sort of a solitary person.  I tend to be the most content when I’m sitting in that quiet space.  I never really connected with the New Years resolution thingy.  But the balance, reflection and planning stages of Autumn feel like I’m taking control and forging my direction forward.  The year is coming to an end, but the promise of a new year is inspiring to muse upon… 

If you want to read more about the spirituality of the autumn equinox here are some online articles that I enjoyed and took inspiration from: The Spirituality of the Autumn Equinox by Wesley Baines; The Spiritual Significance of Autumn Equinox in Our Modern Live by Chloe Rain; The Spiritual Meaning of The Autumn Equinox AND 11 Ways to Celebrate It by Admin