Ep 14: Themes of Autumn for Practice

The autumn season holds a special place in my heart, although in Singapore where I was born and raised, and where I’m currently based, we don’t get to experience the four seasons.

In celebration of the Autumn Equinox, which sees the Earth welcoming equal lengths of night and day, we reflected on the various themes of Autumn at the Take A Pause session on 22 September 2024, including balance, harmony, the Middle Way, equanimity, embracing change, letting go, and making room for new beginnings.

In particular, we contemplated two questions during our practice:

1. How will we practice more balance in our life?

2. What will we choose to shed, or let go?

We practiced breath awareness as a way of cultivating “evenness” of the mind, as well as the body scan, to strengthen the skills of moving on and letting go.

At the end of our practice, we also shared the poem “Fall, Slowly” by Abaigéal Warfield.

---

Meditation begins: 05:20

Reading begins: 25:59

Meditation duration: 20 min 30 sec

---

Fall Slowly

by Abaigéal Warfield

Go slowly into Autumn,

notice the colours,

sense the breeze amongst the trees

as September softly sweeps

the summer away.

Autumn is nature's way of making room

after the brimful abundance of summer.

A time for slowly shedding

what is no longer needed.

Let go of what you don’t need.

Let the gentle breeze help you discover

which leaves are ready to fall.

Let them go, lovingly,

and with gratitude,

knowing summer will come again.

Smile inside your heart,

and feel the earth beneath your feet,

safe in the knowledge that

change can be beautiful.

---

More practices like this:

• Ep 13: Mindfulness is Simple and Ordinary

• Ep 10: Every Moment of Practice is a Moment of Change

• Ep 4: Letting Go of Striving

A few reads for insight and wisdom:

• We Have All Been A “No-Face”

• You Don’t Have To Go Far To Find Peace Where You Are

• Don’t Get Swept Away, Dear Human