Welcoming the Pause

Entering the Autumnal Equinox

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

This morning, drinking my coffee on my terrace and looking out to Monchique, the mountain directly in front of my balcony now shrouded in thick clouds, I felt the chill of the oncoming season. I wrapped my fluffy robe closer, noticing the opposition between the warmth of the coffee cup and the coolness of the air.

This weekend is the autumnal Equinox when the length of day and night are similar. I’ve noticed the shortening of the days even as the weather in the Algarve is still warm enough for swimming in the ocean in the early evening. As the name implies, the Equinox is a time of balancing, opposing forces dancing together, like my warm coffee and the cool air.

Slowly but surely, I enter a time where I’m drawn inward. A stillness inside my heart arises unbidden as I take daily walks on the cliffs with Sophie. It is a time of connection and reflection and perfect for pausing to take stock of my life. I consider these seasonal pauses a gift, an opportunity to realign with what matters most in my life today. I no longer fly on autopilot. I have designed my life intentionally, but even so, I’m known to drift off course for shiny, sparkly possibilities only to discover they are unsuitable. Then, I return to the right path in my times of pause.

I no longer seek balance. It’s a perfect sabotage when used as a noun.

Life is never in equilibrium, never static or IN balance. It’s constantly shifting. Now, I seek Harmony. How do all the elements of my life play together? Are they still helping me thrive, or has something gone off-kilter and is now causing distress or struggle?

This weekend is perfect for those internal conversations about returning to a harmonious dance between light and dark, action and reflection, work and play. Our daily rituals need to shift with the seasons of nature as well as the seasons of our lives.

This weekend, I encourage you to walk in beauty and gratitude and ask yourself if your life is in Harmony or if a re-balancing is required. What does your heart, mind, body, and spirit need now that perhaps you didn’t need during the summer? These shifts are natural. Inviting instead of resisting them leads to more grace and ease. Let’s welcome the change to this quieter, more profound energy.

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Here’s a little morning meditation to begin your day centered and gracefully. Greet the day full of gratitude, self-love, and positive energy.