Changing With the Seasons: An Equinox Transition Exercise

Back in the day, when people lived in greater harmony with the natural world because they had to, the changing of the seasons was a big deal. While today we manage our lighting and temperature needs on our own, it’s easy to let nature’s cues go unnoticed. 

This year, autumn equinox arrives on Tuesday, September 22, marking the official beginning of astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

An equinox occurs when the sun crosses the Earth’s equator. The word comes from Latin words meaning “equal night,” a reference to the roughly equal amounts of daylight and darkness around this time of year. Unlike the solstices, when the Earth’s tilt gives us our longest and shortest days, the equinox represents a point of seasonal balance.

Which is interesting to know, but what does any of this mean for you and me?

These days, we tend to measure our lives in birthdays, holidays, school years, and calendar years. Nature offers another way to keep time.

Fall is especially suited to this kind of reflection. The long days of summer begin to shorten. The light changes. Mornings feel different. The air has a different scent and texture. Trees and plants begin their seasonal transition, and the whole interwoven web of life seems to subtly shift gears.

Our bodies notice these changes too. Light is one of the primary signals regulating our circadian rhythms, influencing sleep, alertness and other biological processes. As the days grow shorter, our daily rhythms begin adjusting along with them.

Maybe that’s one reason fall can feel like a natural time to slow down after the frenzy of summer.

For me, the equinox is an opportunity to ground and recalibrate. To tune into the seasonal change and use it as a reminder to check in with myself.

Exercise: Give yourself a time-out and get present! 

(Time: 10-15 minutes. Place: anywhere you feel comfortable and able to focus. Tools: a pen and notebook (optional).

You don’t need to make a ritual out of it, although you certainly can. You don’t need a weekend retreat or a perfectly secluded spot in nature. Your backyard will do. So will a neighborhood trail, a park bench, or a quiet place near an open window.

Start by noticing what’s around you. What does the air feel like against your skin? Is there a scent you associate with fall? How has the light changed since the height of summer? What do you hear? Birds, wind, traffic, people, silence?

Then widen your awareness. Notice the trees, plants, animals and other signs of life around you. Pay attention to how much is happening without your involvement. Nature is constantly adapting to changing conditions, and there’s something grounding about remembering that we’re part of that process too.

Then turn your focus inward.

Notice your breathing. Feel your feet against the ground or your body supported by the chair beneath you. Scan for places where you’re holding tension. Give yourself enough time for your busy brain to begin slowing down.

Stay a little longer than feels necessary.

Once you feel more settled, expand your awareness to your life’s bigger picture. Where is your energy going these days? What feels nourishing? What has become draining? Is there something you’ve been carrying that has run its course?

You don’t need to overhaul your life or emerge with a five-point plan. Sometimes recalibration begins with simply noticing.

The passing of the seasons reminds us that change is happening all the time, often so gradually that we barely see it. Then one morning the light looks different, the air feels cooler and we realize summer is ending.

We’re changing too.

This fall, I’m using the equinox as a reminder to pay attention to that transition. To spend a little more time outside, slow down enough to notice what’s happening around me and listen more carefully to what’s happening within me.

As September 22 approaches, I invite you to do the same. Find a place where you can be still for a few minutes. Take in the season with all of your senses. Let yourself settle.

Then ask yourself two simple questions:

What do I want to carry with me into this next season? And what am I ready to let go of?

Write it down. Although this is optional, recording your equinox resolution makes it easier to remember. But unlike a New Year’s resolution, this is about leaning into what feels natural during this time of transition.

Let your intuition be your guide.