The transition from the vibrant, active heat of summer into the beginning of the reflective autumn season can sometimes feel like a challenge to navigate through with ease.

But, why does the transition from summer to autumn often feel stressful? Well, the summer is often a busy time for us! To begin with, those blissful longer days allow for the time to be social, outdoors for longer and more active. Just thinking of summer conjures images of fun, holidays and the people we love. However, as the summer fun comes to an end we often realise that we are actually pretty exhausted! Squeezing as much as possible into the summer months alongside work and family can leave us feeling drained.

But do not fear, Autumn is here.

After all that fun in the sun, along comes our good friend autumn! At first, we often go through a denial phase! After all, the arrival of autumn means that winter is fast approaching. But soon, its slower pace with cosy evenings and longer nights begin to feel comforting and safe. It’s time to rest and re-group.

Here are our top tips for transitioning with ease into autumn

Acceptance

For many of us, autumn is a favourite month of the year and we look forward to the opportunity to slow down, wear snuggly jumpers and embrace the hot drinks menu again. However, for others, there is an element of grief at the end of the warmth and long sunny days. Look, there is no getting around it! Summer is over and it is time to accept it and move on into the next season. So, how can we make this acceptance easier if you are in team summer loving?

Connect With the Elements You Love About Autumn

Honestly, we can guarantee that there are parts of this time of year that you love. The beautiful colours of the autumn leaves and the fact you don’t have to wake up at 4.30 am to see the sunrise, for instance. Create a list of all the things that you find joy in at this time of year, big and small. From this, you may discover that there is a lot more to be happy about than you first realised or even highlight things you would love to try and do more of.

Spend as much time as possible outside as we transition to autumn. As much as we feel the shift in energies in ourselves, we can also see it mirrored in the natural world around us everywhere we look. This synergy really helps us to feel more connected and grounded as we transition into autumn. Try and spend as much time out in nature, connecting with this shift.

Take Tim to Reflect

The transition to autumn is the best time of the year to really reflect on the events of the year so far and observe the direction of how things are flowing in your life. Here are a few ideas on questions you may wish to use but remember, you can create your own to get the most out of this time!

• What have been the highlights of the year so far?
• Are there any lessons you have learned?
• On reflection, what would you have done differently?
• Who are the people that have been the most important during this time?

This is not an activity to rush. Perhaps, you may wish to take a day or even longer to really ponder, reflect and connect with the answers and the feelings that arise from each of these questions. Journaling could be a great way to capture this time of reflection and all the smaller details you may wish to remember.

When moving through this process of reflection, it is important to remember to not place any judgement on your experience. You may have had a really tough year and this is not an opportunity to then feel negative about what has happened but instead, use it to move forwards positively. This is why journaling your feelings around your reactions to each question can be really powerful! Chances are, it will reveal a level of truth that the simple reflection of actions misses.

Create a Plan

Once you have had some time for reflection, it is time to put it into action! Chances are if you look back on your answers and journaling, what you have actually done is created a wonderful framework for a plan of action to move forwards with. Those highlights of your year for instance, how can you keep those types of experiences abundant? How can the lessons you have learned shape your decision making in the seasons to come?

It may be that deep down, you know a few changes need to be made. This is the time to really put those changes into action. After all, autumn is the season of change and transition so embrace it and go with those gut instincts.

Take Time to Rest

The season of hibernation is approaching so use autumn as the gentle transition towards it. After all the activities of summer, use autumn as a time to bring the pace of life to a really manageable, easy-going way of being. Notice the new patterns and rhythms of nature and follow its lead. Embrace a few early nights during the week. Spend a day curled up with a book on your sofa listening to your favourite music on a rainy day. When it comes to rest, every little bit counts so even taking 10 minutes to enjoy a long bath or sit mindfully with your morning tea can make all the difference. We also love adapting our yoga practice during this time. Think blissful restorative yoga postures and nourishing Yin to create a sense of grounding and calm.

Make Time for Fun and Adventure

Yes, the days are getting shorter but that shouldn’t stop your adventures! In fact, there are plenty of reasons why autumn is the best season of them all to get out there!

• It’s quieter! Now the summer holidays are over there are fewer crowds and more space. Yippee!
• Out of season prices are starting to come in. Maybe you can grab a last-minute night away somewhere at a fraction of the price as the summer months.
• It is the best season for long, leisurely walks with friends.
• Did we mention how great it is now it’s quieter?

A great way to keep that motivation up is to buddy up! Create a commitment with friends that ensures that you all make plans to do something fun and exciting regularly. Maybe it’s to try a different walk route or location each week or a test out a new cafe. It doesn’t have to be wild to be effective. However …

Have Something Great to Look Forward To

Yes, it’s time to book a holiday. Maybe even a yoga retreat somewhere fabulous with us! Either way, have something exciting in the plans that on those rainy days you can know is in your near future. Sometimes, we just need something great to look forward to and that’s OK.

We have some wonderful UK and abroad retreats coming up this Autumn in Bali, Sardinia, Lake District, Montenegro, Peak District, Corfu, Kenya, Madeira and Morocco if you need to take a well deserved break!

Overall, we know there is far more to autumn than Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and the changing leaves. As the season of change and renewal, it has so much to offer if we allow for the transition to unfold. 

Want to add something exciting and nourishing to your autumn? We love hosting our yoga retreats at this time of year and embracing the beauty of the seasons. Check out our CALENDAR to find out what we have in store!