The Wisdom of Autumn
Nature can be a great source of insight and healing, when we take time to be with it. This week we offer a seasonal poem and guided meditation. We hope they help you to connect with the restorative wisdom of autumn, and to experience the beauty of your own natural presence.
Find a comfortable seat and enjoy this audio link for a 12-minute guided breath practice:
Breathing with Autumn Trees: Guided Meditation
Tending to one’s breath, even briefly, can diminish stress and support both emotional and physical resiliency. Thanks for joining me on this seasonal, restorative break and I hope you enjoy Mary Oliver’s words below.
Posted by: Ashley Dahl, MSW, 8 Limbs Leadership Coach
Song for Autumn by Mary Oliver
In the deep fall
don’t you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think
of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.