Fall carries the invitation to contemplate nature’s transformation and merge with it, slowing down the pace. It’s the time of harvesting and preserving. Did the seeds come to fruition according to our aspirations?  

My garden, still wild and lush, looks like a giant, colorful salad that is alive. It is bursting with fragrance from the prolific herbs, elegantly spreading their green fingers to touch the baby arugula, the leisurely ripening tomatoes, and the vibrant rainbow chard. Their free-spirited will to come to life on a whim in the fall is inspiring. I didn’t plant almost any of them. They grew spontaneously, eager to feel alive now, not in the following spring as was my plan, but right at this moment. Some escaped the pods when I was opening them to collect the seeds for next year’s garden; others didn’t feel like sitting quietly and fermenting in the compost when they  can be full of life right away. Born from kitchen scraps are the tiny, juicy melons and the mischievous red and golden potatoes hiding underground. Towering over them as a vigilant  protector is the lean garlic, bringing its spicy taste to complete the palate. Nature is not only pragmatic but beauty conscientious, too. It’s the calendula that carries the season’s fashion statement, celebrating it in all of its flaming-orange nuances.  

Looking at my garden, it seems that what I planted – and what I’ll gladly harvest – is spontaneity and determination to feel the life flowing within, no matter what. I embrace the agility, allowing it to permeate deep in me. This organic approach, to adjust the pace while  keeping steady the eagerness to flow with the changes, is nourishing and sustaining. 

Listening to the gentle wind conducting the dance of the leaves, I let my thoughts go and swirl with them. I absorb the mellow presence of the fall air, cooling the summer exuberance. The intensity of the autumn colors is spellbinding. I continue to see their enticing shimmer even when I close my eyes for meditation. My body craves coziness, so I wrap it in a soft shawl, and the warmth ignites an introspective curiosity. Matching nature’s rhythm, I am stepping into  the fall season of my life as well. It promises nurturing and poise. Dressed in colorful possibilities, this stage of my life cycle offers ample inner destinations for exploration, instead of fervent search for conquering. I sense that the warrior in me is more affable now. It becomes clear how many battles are not worth fighting with the same vehemence as before. The silence ceases to be uncomfortable; it’s capacious now. The words, too, expand their meaning to include more benevolence. 

The herbs from the garden transformed themselves into a pleasant, warming tea. They preserve their healing essence, just adding more to it now, givingly. Their fragrant tranquility seeps in, turning me into lightness. It’s autumn in nature. It’s the autumn season of my life,  too. It’s the time of harvesting equanimity.

This article was originally published on Nelly’s blog, Sheltering Within.