I had the pleasure of offering a centering recently to a group I work with. I’ve always loved the autumn, and I have really come to appreciate the mysteries of the equinox the last few years. Take a moment to reflect and to feel: Where do you carry your warmth in this transition of light and dark?

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I invite you to sit comfortably in your chair, with spine erect and feet resting on the floor. Close your eyes, or soften your gaze. Feel free to turn off your camera.

Take a deep breath in….and let it out…

Take another deep breath in….and out…

Notice the weight of your body resting against the chair, and feel your feet in contact with the floor. Be present with yourself.

Breathe, and let all tension dissolve.

Have you felt it? Have you felt the seasons change, the heat of summer giving way to the chilled breezes of autumn? Have you seen the leaves turn deep browns, golds, and reds? Have you heard the leaves drop from the trees and the squirrels rustle in them to bury their harvest? Have you smelled the turning of the earth and tasted the fall in fresh apples and warm spices? Have you felt it?

We come to a transition period in our year, when the outside heat of the sun is replaced by the warm glow of the indoor hearth fire. The earth gets darker and colder, and we find ourselves harvesting the world’s light and warmth to keep us safe.

What is it that you are harvesting from this past summer? Is it a new skill or talent that you have learned? A reinvigorated appreciation for art or leisure? Perhaps a renewed sense of love or community? Or a new friendship or family member? What are you harvesting, what are you taking with you, that will keep your spirit warm in the coming months?

I invite you to imagine this skill, this quality, this person. Imagine you are holding it in your hands. Feel the warmth of connection that bonds you; feel that summer heat manifested in your companionship. Know that you take this with you, and that it will illuminate your spirit.

Hold what you’re taking with you, and say, “Thank you. Thank you for coming into my life and for the warmth you provide to my journey.”

Pull your hands to your heart, or pull the person your imaging into an embrace. Feel the tender warmth that surrounds you–the inner hearth flame of connection. Say to yourself, “Thank you. Thank you, myself, for being willing to receive warmth, for being vulnerable and receiving the harvests of my spirit.”

Hold this tender embrace. Know that you carry this connection with you, in the light and in the dark, in the warmth and in the cold, in every autumn and every spring of your journey.

Take a deep breath in…and let it out….

And again, a deep breath in…and out…

Allow yourself to return to your body; feel your feet on the floor, your legs resting against your seat, your eyes behind your eyelids. When you are ready, take a deep breath, opens your eyes, and exhale, and come back to us.