A New Season: Adapting for Autumn
September 22nd marked the fall equinox - a day in which the amount of daylight & darkness are nearly the same. This marks the start of shorter days & cooler weather - often causing an energy shift from the bustle of summer into the tranquility of fall. Come with me as I transition my body & mind for the new season, and explore how I’m adjusting my physical and mental practices to reflect this change. Although I live in south Florida where the temps aren’t dropping to extreme lows, I still notice such a shift in my mood & physicality with the shorter days approaching. Making changes to my morning & evening routines is also reminding me that I can create those seasonal shifts for myself even though I live somewhere tropical (if you’re a nature girly living somewhere warm all the time you’ll understand). Fall is the earth’s time to shed and let go, so let this time encourage you to do the same.
Autumn in New Zealand. Taken March 2025 at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Routine changes
Morning routine prioritizations:
Keep the alarm out of bed’s reach - as a fitness instructor that is often up early for morning classes, it can be harder for me to jump out of bed when it’s still dark out. Having the option to roll over and snooze the alarm when it goes off (although tempting) is not a great way to start the day. Not only are you more likely to be late/rushing getting ready, but falling back asleep after waking kickstarts your REM cycle again, making you even more tired and sleepy when the alarm rings again.
Lean into the quietness of morning - I’m about halfway through the 5AM Club book by Robin Sharma and I could not recommend more. The practical application tools & explored benefits of waking up early to soak in the solitude of morning has me so inspired to wake up and utilize those quiet early hours. I’m not quite up to waking at 5am yet, but I am inching toward the 6 o’clock hour which has allowed me more time to read, reflect, and get ready for work without feeling rushed!
Hydration - the cooler weather can often inhibit our urge to reach for water. One thing that helps me in the morning is drinking room temperature or even warm water w/ lemon in the mornings. Especially if you live somewhere cold, this trick helps make water more appealing and helps me stay hydrated.
Evening routine prioritizations:
Eat dinner earlier/as the sun is setting - this is not always possible depending on work schedules but I do notice my body feels so good if I’m able to make & eat a nourishing meal as the sun is setting. This also gives my body plenty of time to digest before bed, which helps me sleep better too!
Moisturizing products - cooler weather can cause drier skin & scalp. Prioritizing hydration & moisturization during this season is so beneficial! Some of my favorite ultra moisturizing products include:
Summer Fridays Jet Lag mask - sooo thick but non-pore clogging, feels like a drink for your skin
Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil - love this after the shower. Works great if you mix it in with a body lotion & let sink into the skin for a few minutes.
For dry scalp - reducing sulfates in hair care products & making sure I’m not over/under washing tend to help me avoid dry/itchy scalp. I also love to apply essential oils like rosemary, lavender, and tea tree then use a scalp massager to blend evenly. This works great as a mask a few hours before washing - I love to apply then put my hair in a slick back bun before a workout or going to work!
Set out my clothes before bed - this is super helpful if you’re prone to snoozing your alarm, experience brain fog in the morning, or live with a partner that wakes up later than you. Picking my clothes out the night before is one less decision I have to make first thing in the morning, and helps quicken my routine.
Go to bed early - aiming to wind down my 9 & be in bed by 9:30. It helps that it gets dark around 7pm now, as the natural darkening signals my body to wind down early.
In-Season Produce
I loveeee eating produce that’s in season as it makes me feel super connected to the natural rhythm of the earth & the quality is usually amazing! Early fall produce boasts apples, pears, and figs for fruit, lots of pumpkins/squashes, kale, and sweet potatoes! There’s also the last bits of peppers & tomatoes from end of summer harvests too. We just plucked the sweet potatoes we planted at the beginning of May & are so excited to eat them in a couple weeks after they cure (sit in a warm, dark place) for a week or so. I’d highly recommend checking your local farmer’s markets for fresh & seasonal produce. Growing my own produce in garden beds (on a super small scale) these last two seasons has given me such respect for major farms & agriculture - soooo much work & time goes into perfecting crops and the whole process is inspiring!
mental shifts
Every equinox is a great time to reflect on the previous season and set intention for the upcoming season! This past weekend I went to a fall equinox yoga class that included a gentle yoga flow, an extended savasana, sound meditation, and journaling. It was so lovely to reflect on the summer and learn about all the ways to best welcome this seasonal shift.
One gem of information I learned was how in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the autumn season is associated with the lungs in the human body - during autumn, trees let go of their leaves similar to how the lungs release and recieve breath. One way to tap into this methodology/belief system is to practice breathwork in this season.
Find a comfortable spot & try these breathwork cues to help release & let go as we enter this new season:
Find a seated position, maybe elevating your hips on a block/pillow or position yourself up against a wall so you are comfortable.
Begin to breath deeply in & out.
Notice where your breath is being stored - are you feeling it mostly in the throat? The heart/chest? The upper abdominals? As you take more notice, aim to send your breath down into the depths of your belly towards the base of your pelvic floor/pubic bone. This is where your breath/energy/kundalini originates.
Use your inhales to breath in awareness of how your body feels - any physical tightness? any emotional heaviness? sit with those feelings, letting go of attachment/emotion towards them. allow yourself to just be.
Use your exhales to let go. Relax the hips heavier into the ground; melt the shoulders away from your ears. Let all the energy, anxiety, and worry of your day melt away as you calm your mind through your breath.
Start by breathing in & out in equal rhythms. Then, work to elongate your breaths - a little bit deeper on your inhales, a little more release on your exhales. Finally, work to make your exhales longer than your inhales. Breath in deeply, breath out completely. Holding space for your breath & mindfulness.
Respiratory illnesses (infections in the lungs) are also more prevalent during fall - I don’t take a ton of supplements but to help protect against them I love raw local honey & cymbiotika’s vitamin c packets.
Journal prompts for this season:
How do you feel about the summer season coming to a close?
What is consuming the majority of my headspace right now? Why? Is this positively impacting me? Or how can I let this go if it is no longer serving me?
What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming season? What intentions and/or manifestations are you bringing with you into autumn?
Spend a few minutes on each question/let your ideas flow. No one has to read it besides you so let yourself be honest & vulnerable!