SEASONAL INSIGHTS
Aligning With the Seasons
BY JAZMINE JENNÉ WILLIAMS
There should be a shore to our Ocean, there should be some rest on this journey. -Rumi A weightedness exists in the bodies we house. Once buoyant among the clouds, over time, we begin to slump beneath the atmosphere, where the bags wait to be picked up. Bags full of desires, worries, doubts, and fears. Our lightweight travel then becomes dense and opaque, an almost expected requirement of what it means to be hu- man. What it means to have bones in a constant dance with the ground beneath them, feeling as though your feet are never fully planted. It is almost like living in a house holding the wrong set of keys, and yet still calling it home. When have we made this unsteadiness our way of life, and how can we better align ourselves to the cycles of nature? The Earth understands the importance of her seasons. It knows when it is time to shed what no longer belongs and to invite what does. Just before descending into the womb of winter, the Earth sways with golden hues, reminding us that death, too, is a form of poetry. It car - ries its own rhythm and blues, and intertwines with what it means to exist. It shows us the significance of surrender and becomes an in - vitation for inception to take root. By accepting the ebbs and flows of existence, we permit ourselves to slowly transform our experiences and ourselves. Dissolving into the season of fall arouses a sense of stillness within. The colder seasons can sometimes bring heaviness with their arriv- al, so it is important to find practices that embody slowing down as a means of realignment. Journaling is one type of practice that serves as a remedy, especially during moments of transformation and release. Journal Prompts for Seasonal Realignment: • Now that summer is over, how has my relationship with myself shifted? For those of us who may have a hard time sitting with oneself, sea- sons such as fall and winter can trigger old wounds that never had time to process. It can become easy to escape addressing these wounds during more extraverted seasons (such as summer). This prompt in - vites us to notice any shifts we may experience while the seasons tran- sition to fall and how some wounds may have been hiding under sum- mer’s light. • What is one thing/action/mode of thinking I want to tran- sition out of my life to make space for the abundance to come in? Sometimes, all it takes is an invitation and a release that would al- low abundance to make its way into our lives. • How can I harness more inner stillness during the fall sea- son? Finding time to slow down, sit with the falling leaves, and drink a cup of chai tea is one way to cultivate stillness with the season. Incor - porating a particular practice or ritual that brings a sense of ease can lay the foundation for further healing along one’s journey. The process is about consistent efforts in making it your own. As we collectively walk into this next phase of life, let us acknowl- edge and hold space for the cycles and seasons within. To reach a state of birth, hibernation must first take its place. It is in these moments of hibernation that we come to know ourselves best and find our footing
Image by Hans from Pixabay
in navigating the terrains of this life. Let this be the season in which we gather the inner tools, allowing us to become the authority over our lives. May we surrender to the decay of what once was, watch it fall to our feet, and lighten our walk forward. Jazmine Jenné Williams is an Artist, Writer, and Mother based in Mary - land. She received her bachelor’s degree in Complementary and Alternative Health from her studies at San Diego State University and Ashford Univer - sity in San Diego, California. She writes and creates art that focuses on the natural world, spirituality, and the complexities of the human experience. Find more of her written work on Substack: https://jazminejenne.substack. com/.
PATHWAYS—Fall 25—75
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