What happens when “The Autumns” blow in?
by Cat Wilson
Welcome to October, when in the Pacific Northwest trees change color from green to brilliant gold and orange, acorns drop and bushy-tailed squirrels and blue scrub jays vie for the fallen acorns. Summer blue skies puff up with dark, ominous clouds and gear up with cold, wet rain. Here are some ideas and tips to help.
Tips to Shift in Season
- Stay cozy and dry
- Relax inside
- Take care of needs
- Give yourself personal attention
- Enjoy a change of pace
- Pay attention and discover something
- Reach for someone who cares
- Listen and respond with gentle interest
You may have noticed feeling chillier, and before going outside you put on long sleeve shirts and sweaters, and make sure your umbrella is under your arm and ready to help you stay cozy and dry.
When the Autumns blow in, leaves dry up and despite the rain, humans get dry, too. You may find that you want more hot tea and spiced apple cider instead of iced drinks. It’s always good to six to eight cups of water daily, and especially when the weather gets colder. Our eyes and throats get dry and noticing how people behave, their brain must get dry, too. Try reaching for luke and warm water as it moistens your body, helping you feel better. Studies say that when you drink water you feel more alert, too. You might find a cup of very warm water with a touch of honey warms inside and helps you relax inside.
Our cats do funny things when it gets colder. They sleep a lot (cats do this, don’t you wish you were a cat?), but I’ve noticed our two kitties running around more and playing. Maybe they know this will warm them up. (Try it yourself, we all need to run around and play.) Tonight one of the boisterous kitties purred up into bed by me, snuggling and bumping his head next to me till I got up. It wasn’t time to wake up, it was too early in the wee hours of the morning, but I thought I should figure out what he needed or he might not leave me alone until I took care of it. Our human body is like that, too, in that it bothers us until we figure out what we want and take care of needs.
So, through the dark house, touching and feeling along the walls (here is where I practice using my special skills in the dark) I locate the bathroom and put some eye drops in (have you noticed how dry our eyes get in Autumn?). I splash my face with a little water, followed by a little aloe lotion on my hands and face. You may notice how nice it feels to enjoy this personal attention, smoothing your favorite concoction into your skin and (why not?) massaging more around your joints when the Autumn air changes. Then I went into the living room. It is soothing to give yourself personal attention.
When I wake up or my sleep is disturbed, I turn to midnight yoga in my living room. We have a mat and small pillow waiting, along with a couple exercising thingamabobs. Recently, Rich purchased some handy dandy push up things to help a person do better push-ups. One year we purchased a surfboard-like rocking thing that you could practice balancing on as you listened and watched a video of a well-toned and a muscular model. It was a great vision and nice to enjoy a change of pace.
I lay on the yoga mat and stretch, taking in deep abdominal breathes. Sometimes at night people breath shallowly and it helps to simply get up, move around to circulate the blood, stretch and take deep abdominal breathes. As I did this, I noticed my hair felt wet. “Oh, must have been from splashing water on my face,” I thought. I keep the lights low when awakening in the middle of the night, as not to bring in too much brightness to my eyes so I can slip back to sleep, but when I turned to look, I pay attention and discover something.
This ‘old cat – photo by Cat Wilson
Our sweet ol’ cat got sick on the mat. He chose the upper corner just beyond where my head rested. Funny how I just happened to go to this location in the dark (on the mat), after the cat walk me up, where I wouldn’t have long to discover it. Ok, sorry, yuck. I know, but sometimes we make yucky discoveries. After cleaning it up, I had to reflect on how our intuition takes us to where we are, and how important it is to pay close attention to what is happening around us. I can’t help, but wonder if our kitty didn’t feel good and reached for the person he thought could help him. As Nature’s colors change outside, people may change inside, and find a yearning for personal connection. It is good when you feel “off” to reach for someone who cares.
A study by a phone company in Portugal shows how people make more calls to family and friends and stay on the call longer. (Credit: “Weather Effects on Mobile Social Interactions: A Case Study of Mobile Phone Users in Lisbon, Portugal”)
The study shows how people make more phone calls to family and friends this time of year. Humans need to connect. Sometimes others make us laugh and other times cry. SO, it’s good to have a network of many different people so you have an assortment of fruits and nuts from which to choose. I didn’t have a sister, although I always thought it would have been nice to have one to share and talk about girly things. My self-absorbed and busy brothers rarely return a phone call, card, email, or text, so I’ve learned that to try connecting with them will simply create upset, unmet expectations, and disappointment. So, why go there? It’s so much more satisfying turning to a compassionate human. One of the most delightful experiences is having people who listen and respond with gentle interest.
When the autumns blow in and you feel changes in the air, remember to go with the flow and get out to experience the shifts.
Remember you can call us at Apositiva in the seasons of change, when “The Autumns” of your life blow in. Whether (or weather) it’s getting through menopause, changing relationships, retirement, re-educating, bridging transitions in life, or seasonal shifts, we are here for one reason. YOU.
Apositiva is here to enrich your life.
We are open to appointments over holidays and you’ll find a person interested in You.
Call 503-525-0595.