Changing With The Seasons
Falling Into Mindfulness — An Autumn Oriented Rest Series
In the crunchy fall air, I love thinking about how a tree might know that it is time to burst into color before going dormant.
Does the tree know the earth is on a perfectly tilted axis to facilitate this?
Does the cool air whisper something in it's little tree-ears to say "you've almost made it! Just one more grand finale for the year before you can rest!"
I wonder if the trees struggle to let themselves slow down and let their rings grow closer together.
Sometimes I find myself feeling jealous that I'm not built the same way, that sometimes I’m obstinate or oblivious to the seasons changing. That in my behaviors, I tend to resist the natural darkening and slowing down of the world.
Regardless, I’m grateful that at least the trees don’t need any extra coaxing. I’m grateful for their easy surrender into something different. I find myself needing a gentle, external reminder. I find myself needing to remember that slowing down can be the most beautiful time of year.
Seasonal Forgetting, Seasonal Remembering
Each spring it seems like I forget my human-bound energy. I load up my summer like an energizer bunny on stimulants. I excitedly say “yes” to every plan ever made. Then, like the crispy, autumn grasses of the western united states landscape—I burn out hard and blow around in the wind.
Maybe it’s because I live in the harsh weather of the rocky mountains and I’m so stir crazy from feeling cooped up all winter that I tend to over-correct in the other direction when the snow starts to melt. When the sun stays out late, I am not sure I always notice that I’ve overdone it each summer until the air temperatures start to cool off.
This time of year, I often find myself feeling like I’m running a little ragged and that it’s time for a shift. Some years I’ve got some final vibrant colors to share with friends and family before curling up like a hibernating bear. In other seasons I’m the first, brown, limp leaf on the limb.
This season, although I’ve had the immense privilege of getting to be the on-site manager for a series of silent retreats at my favorite silent retreat center, I continue to be so busy that I’m still flying (or silently sitting, in this case) by the seat of my pants. As I stroll around in the cooling temperatures and changing colors of Appalachia, I’m remembering that this is literally the season where everything in the Northern hemisphere asks us to slow down.
I am grateful for the ability to turn into this seasonal remembering when I am slow and aware enough to notice it. I’m doing my best to say RVSP to that invitation.
Some Mindful, Restful Camaraderie
While my 1:1 bookings still don’t open until early November, I’ve been listening carefully for when to re-engage with the digital side of my work. It’s honestly felt tempting to continue to do in-person work and be present with the tangible world around me rather than return to my digital engagement and sculpting my upcoming winter workshops.
However, I’ve already had people asking when I’ll be more available. I’ve got some growing excitement for the months of long-winter-cozies and as much as I would still like to be playing fast and hard in the energy of summer, it feels like the right time to start winding that kind of energy-expenditure down.
And as they say…there is no time like the present, so I figured it might be nice to start now, with the autumn trees as an elegant reminder that change is a’comin whether I am ready for it or not.
So without further ado, I’ve decided that this autumn I’ll be slowly ramping up my engagement with a virtual series giving gentle invitations around rest, mindfulness, and meditation.
This autumn, you can expect a short email every Wednesday to carry you through the rest of your week with a smidgen more of mindfulness practice, contemplations on rest, and wonderings around what might be supportive in that process, or get in the way.
As we head towards the darkest, slowest, sleepiest parts of the year—I’m looking to the external world for inspiration on how to do that well. So if you want to make the most out of your tree-trunk-rings growing smaller, steadier, and denser this winter—follow along to make that transition as smooth as possible. Maybe you’ll even find a burst of color before the leaves fall :).
If you’re interested in following along, make sure you’re subscribed.
If you’re wanting even more frequent, digestible chunks, make sure you’re following along on instagram.
And if you know anyone in your world who might need an intentional reminder to reduce the speed in their stride, ponder the rings of their own tree, and add a little bit of restful mindfulness into their world this autumn—please feel free to share with them, too. As a small business owner, I cannot tell you how much your word of mouth is appreciated.
As per usual, thanks for being here <3.
I look forward to watching your colors turn.
Some Final Announcements & Updates
I’m excited to announce that this winter I’ll be shifting my home base to Missoula, Montana! I’m currently looking for some office space to share or rent, so if you know anyone in the area who is interested, please send them my way.
As a note to my existing clients in Bozeman— I will still be in Bozeman frequently this fall and sporadically throughout the winter. I will be contacting all existing clients individually this week and next week about times I’ll be available in Bozeman in the near future, however if you have questions before I contact you, please feel free to email me at dagnyrose@theartofrest.me to touch base.
If you work with me virtually, this shouldn’t affect anything we’ve got going and I look forward to more regularly seeing you again starting in November.
That’s all folks! As per usual, thank you for being here. Feel free to send me your favorite autumn tree for inspiration on how to slow down this season. I’d love to catch it.
This sub-section of The Art of Rest, is all about—you guessed it—The Rest.
As a trained sleep scientist and mindfulness teacher & researcher, here we explore the everything related to rest. Whether we are unpacking the newest evidence-based sleep health tips, exploring day-to-day tools for bolstering and protecting rest, or diving into a world of dreams, “The Rest” is going to regularly touch into what a restful life is, and how to move towards one.1
Looking For A Personalized Way to Optimize Your Rest?
Although my books won’t be opening for about another 6 weeks, I am looking forward to giving winter guidance around sleep health & nervous system regulation around stress. I offer individualized 1:1 guidance for those who want to use rest as a way to expand their creativity to just need a tune up all the way towards those who are dealing with chronic rest related issues. Shoot me an email at dagnyrose@theartofrest.me to inquire about getting started or fill out this form to be put on the priority booking list for Fall 2024