How to flow with the Change of Seasons and Life's Transitions
Have you been experiencing numerous transitions in life lately? Have you been overwhelmed with all the transitions you've been going through?
How can the Change of Seasons help us?
Each year we have four change of seasons, this brings the opportunities to assess our growth. We can reflect both at the beginning and at the end of each season. This gives us the chance to reflect on where we have been and where we are going or where we want to go. Each season is different and has different energy, that energy can help us tap into different parts of ourselves. Working with and surrendering to each season and its gifts allows us to be in flow with Mother Nature.
The more we are in flow, the less we are in resistance. The more we flow with the natural rhythms and cycles of the earth and the seasons the easier it is for us to understand our own rhythms and seasons. We all have times when things are going really well and we feel content in our lives. We all also have weeks, months, and sometimes even years, in our lives when we don't feel that things are going well and we feel upset about the trajectory of our lives. Mother earth can help us honor each cycle, and surrender to the wisdom each can bring.
What are the gifts and challenges of each season?
Spring – Ushers in the new seasonal year. It is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. It is a great time for inspiration and to begin new projects. It brings a time of leaves returning and renewal. It is a reminder that each new year is a chance to grow new blossoms in our lives and nurture new positive habits. Spring is a good time to take stock of where you are and the direction you want your year to go. This is a great time to dream and plan. This is an inspiring time of year when we start to feel more alive after the dreariness of Winter.
It can also be a time of a lot of change. After the winter, when we let things go a bit, we tend to catch up on things we fell behind on in the Spring. We have to “get back in the swing of things.” We can feel a lot of pressure to take advantage of nice-weather days and not be indoors, but we may also not feel like our best selves just yet.
Summer – A more relaxing, but also busy time of year. Summer can be an empowering time of year. The days are long and sunshine in plentiful. This means we’re getting more Vitamin D. The weather is better so we are outdoors more. It’s a time of year when it feels easier to relax, and to enjoy life. There are fun holidays and it’s a busy time for vacations and travel. Outdoor recreation like swimming, hiking, and sports reconnect us to our roots and how our ancestors lived daily. We tend to feel more energized and motivated during summer. Its an easier time to complete projects.
It can also be an exhausting time with the hustle and bustle of travel, being in airports, and around other tourists. It can be stressful to navigate or feel you have to keep up with other people’s travel plans. We can over-extend ourselves during this time and try to take on too much. Summer can bring up body image issues with being in bathing suits and warm-weather clothes. Try to find grace for yourself and see the strength in your body and all it does for you.
Autumn – Fall begins the end of summer. The weather is cooling down. The chaos of summer is winding down. This brings the chance to slow down and breathe a bit before the Holiday season picks up. It is a time to plant seeds, to begin to lay the ground work for what you want to bring to fruition next spring. Fall is a time to honor all our abundance and connect to our lineage and ancestry. It is a great time to acknowledge and honor family traditions. It is a great time to reflect on how we want to spend the next few months as the year winds down.
Many are returning to school. Even if you are an adult and are no longer in school, this time of year can bring ingrained stress and anxiety from all the years of school previously. Or perhaps you have children in school and you feel stress for them and what they experience there. This time of year also brings Daylight Savings Time and less sunlight. This impacts our mood and can make us more tired and more irritable.
Winter – The days are short and some of the coldest of the year. This gives of the gift of hibernation. Of hunkering down in our spaces and finding comfort in doing less and slowing down. Winter can be a very magical time of year with holidays and the special feelings we experience during this season. We can reconnect with our inner child, when life was more carefree and less scary. When we believed in the miracles of life and that anything was possibly. Winter is a good time to share connected time with loved ones.
Winter can also be a depressing time of year. Seasonal Affective Disorder increases and people tend to experience lower moods, lower energy, and are more tired. We tend to feel run down during this time of year due to how busy the Holidays can be. The holidays can also be a stressful time if you have challenging family dynamics or a history of trauma with your family. We can feel pressure to show up a certain way or hide parts of ourselves in order to “keep the peace” with family members. However, this can cause a war within us. Boundaries can help. See my post about Holiday Boundaries here.
Each season has its unique experiences. Each offers a chance to reflect, take stock, and appreciate the changing tides of life. Nothing ever stays the same, which can be both a comfort and a frustrating experience. Learning to ride the changing waves and seasons can help us embody more resilience and flexibility. Accepting change makes life easier.
To learn more about how to embrace the transitions in your life through working with me, click here.
Sarah Lustig is a Licensed Therapist in Colorado and a Holistic and Spiritual Coach living in Asheville, North Carolina. She is the owner of a Nurtured Essence, a healing center, aimed at helping people overcome their fears and live with more purpose and lightness. She specializes in working with wounded healers, empaths, and lightworkers.