Once Around the Sun: Gather, Store & Exchange Energy
Autumn aligns with the energy of gathering and storing-up before a season of rest. Reflect on the flow of energy in your days/weeks and how you’re tending your own reserves.
Early autumn is a period of transition. Summer’s energy is waning, and–in the northern hemisphere–the days are slowly shortening and cooling down. A season of deep rest is approaching, and the foreshadowing chill in the air asks us to gather and prepare. So how do we embody the rhythm of gathering and retaining (or catching and storing) energy from our environment and interactions? How can we begin to prepare ourselves for this last quarter of the year?
Consider potential output, and your energy needs. Set an intention for how you want to *feel* at the close of the year. What occasions are you excited about? Are there goals you’d like to recommit to, revise, or release? Briefly consider how your list aligns with your EOY intention. How might it affect your social/mental battery? How about your temporal and financial energy? Think of this prompt as a sketch to help you set boundaries that budget your energy before being caught up in the current of fall/winter activity.
Connect to gather, and exchange energy. Whether we consider ourselves extroverted or introverted, connection is necessary for our heart’s wellbeing. The key is how we think about connection, and balance gathering and storing energy (recharging) with exchanging energy (engagement). How can you connect with yourself, and aspects of nature with the intention of recalling and recharging your energy? Prioritizing healthy connection with ourselves and our environment means we’re not outsourcing our energy needs to other people (or products, or programs), and we’re developing muscles of self-regulation. Consider how you expend and/or exchange energy with others? How would those interactions shift when healthy exchange – being present in a moment, giving from available capacity, and honoring our own, and others’ boundaries– is the intention and priority?
Exercise: Breathe in the sun. I mean it. Turn your face towards the warmth, close your eyes if you can, and know that those rays are reaching you from 93million miles away. Visualize breathing in particles of sunlight, and that light moving through your lungs, out into the muscles, and limbs. And exhale the dust of a nagging thought–even if just for a moment. You can use this visualization and breathwork while grounding, in the shower, or facing the wind. The whole environment is available for gathering.
Activity: Create a representation of the energy you want to gather and exchange. Collage or doodle, photo hunt, make a playlist, remix your wardrobe, or write it out. The goal is to physically engage with your intention in a joyful way. Then, keep it in front of you! Pin up your art, make your photos a screensaver, move to that playlist, wear the clothes, and meditate on your own words. Every action is a planted, and watered seed for the future you’re growing.
