SMALL TOWN YOGINI

This yoga instructor is really, really missing her in-person teaching. The pandemic has made me pause my group gatherings. The thing I miss the most is my people.​Another thing I miss a lot about in-person teaching is how I sync my classes very tightly to the seasons and the changing of the seasons. There are so many lessons we can learn from nature. There is a lot of symbolism we can take from the transition of season to season. If we were meeting in person right now (around the fall equinox and the beginning of fall), I'd have a whole month of classes planned around the transition from summer to fall. Since I don't have that outlet right now, I decided to write about it. ​Read on for more...

One of the biggest life lessons I take from the transition of summer to fall every year is the importance of pruning. (I've touched on this before in this post, Lessons From The Fall Equinox) Fall is the time to prune the dead branches from your life: the things, habits, relationships, stuff, commitments, thought patterns, etc., that are no longer serving you. Even if they once served a purpose in your life, if it isn't helping you be your best you, it's worth taking a look at.Keep in mind that while purging a closet or a kitchen drawer is a very good thing, lots of times it's not material "stuff" that needs to be evaluated. Dead branches come in many forms. It's important to notice what these things in your life look like, then to have the courage to prune them.

When you envision the best version of you, what does that person look like? What is in your way? Prune the things that are keeping you from being that person. Prune the things that are holding you back. The things that are weighing you down. The things robbing you of your precious energy. Things that are stealing your joy. Habits that are stealing your time. Things that cause you unnecessary anxiety. Patterns that keep you frustrated. Those are all dead branches.

It's not selfish to do this, it's just part of life. Life is always changing. It's good for your well-being to let go of the dead branches. Prune to make room and space for new growth to come in, just as a tree in nature does. The dead parts fall off in the fall and winter and make the tree healthier and ready for new growth in the spring. Are we willing to listen to this lesson from the trees?
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I love how this Rumi quote says let the dead leaves drop. Let. That one little word makes a big difference. To let it happen indicates that it's a natural part of life. It indicates ease and grace.So then, letting go doesn't have to be a big production. It doesn't need flare or drama. You don't need to make a Facebook announcement about it or burn any bridges. Just peacefully let go of the things you need to. Easier said than done, perhaps. But you won't know until you try.

This fall, when you see the leaves drop from the trees, remember that quote. Notice how easy and graceful it is for them to simply let go.
Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.

Love + Light.

Read more in these two posts, Fall Equinox: What's Your Harvest? and Fall Equinox: My Harvest