September Calling

September 22 marked the Autumn Equinox. We have officially entered the new season.

The colors are changing. The trees stand tall, clad in rust and orange hues. The cherry tree in the backyard is almost bare. A thick layer of autumn leaves covers the ground, and the Asters and Autumn Joy are in full bloom.

The temperatures are steadily dropping, and I can finally leave windows open and enjoy the fall breeze as it rushes through the house.

At night, I can hear the coyotes calling, and in the morning, the hawks are busy circling overhead, searching for prey. A couple of bears have come through to pick whatever is left on the wild berry vines.

Today, as I stood by the living room window, I noticed a chipmunk sitting on top of a small lantern on the porch, gazing calmly into the garden. She stood there for quite a while, enjoying a long moment of pause and calm before dashing off in search of food supplies for the upcoming season.

Did she know, I wonder, that I was keeping her company by the window?

A sense of melancholy is in the air, even as the landscape surrounding me is gearing for a glorious grand finale before the cold sets in.

I remind myself that melancholy often mingles with exuberance and celebration at the cusp of endings and new beginnings.

I am not sorry to see summer come to an end. It’s been a roller coaster of a season bookended by loss. First, a young student of Neal’s gone way too early, and more recently, an old friend who lost his battle with cancer.

We’ve experienced relentless heatwaves, and then, in mid-August, a few hours of extreme and unprecedented rainfall caused catastrophic flooding in nearby towns and severe damage in parts of our town.

Adding to it all, the ongoing global and national chaos and craziness aren’t showing signs of letting go anytime soon.

There have also been moments of joy and celebration—joining in to celebrate young people getting married, the arrival of a new baby, much-needed time away in Block Island with Neal, and sharing love and laughter with old and new friends.

For the most part, the garden endured the extreme weather patterns and did its best to bloom. I am grateful for that.

This has been the summer of the balance of opposites—a reminder of what is real and how important it is to learn to walk on the balance beam of our lives safely. It takes practice, acceptance, and getting up and doing it all over again, every single day.

Every day and every season, we begin again,
and hopefully, our creativity, resilience, and focus on what is good, paired with the support of our loved ones and our community, will see us through the floods and heatwaves of our lives.

In David Whyte’s words,

See, with every turning day,

how each season wants to make a child

of you again, wants you to become

a seeker after rainfall and birdsong,

watch now how it weathers you to a testing
in the tried and true, tells you

with each falling leaf, to leave and slip away,
even from that branch that held you,
to go when you need to, to be courageous,
to be like that last word you’d want to say
before you leave the world.

– David Whyte from “Coleman’s Bed” in Essentials


What is your relationship with the season?

Are there changes you are anticipating or sensing?

What part of your life is asking you to be courageous, inviting you to take that first step onto a new path?

Do you need to brainstorm and get your creative and problem-solving juices going? Head over to Clarity Coaching and schedule your session.

If you find comfort and inspiration in the company of like-minded women, read about The Circle of Women and join us next month.

I have been writing guided meditations for the monthly gatherings for three years. Recently, I completed a Masterclass on Integrated Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield, and I loved it so much that I decided to incorporate guided meditation into my work with individual clients as well.

If you want to explore and experience Integrated Guided Meditation, contact me, and let’s schedule a time to talk.

As always, thank you for being here and reading along.

Have a beautiful season!

4 Comments

  • Linda Samuels

    Dear Yota,

    I love your appreciation and respect for the seasons and the lessons they bring: patience, curiosity, creativity, anticipation, melancholy, joy, and so much more.

    You’ve had quite the summer filled with life’s highs and lows. I am so sorry for the losses you had. And now, as fall arrives, which I thought was your favorite season, you have mixed feelings. I get it. Our time here isn’t all one way or another. Instead, as Kathleen and you said, it’s a broad mixture of emotions and experiences—a balancing act on the “seesaw” of life.

    I’m enjoying fall’s arrival. The changing colors never cease to delight me, and the cooler temperatures are a welcome relief from summer’s heat. But more than that, I love that we have a distinct change of seasons in the Northeast four times a year. It allows me to reset and think about what I want the next three months to be like. What do I want more or less of? What’s working or not?

    Summer had a slow pace, which I greatly needed and enjoyed. Fall began with a bang, like that “off to the races” feeling. I remind myself to take pauses, however brief, so that I can feel and sense my way through the moments. It allows me to feel my breath, watch a reed sway in the breeze, notice a new patch of red leaves, or check in to see where I am.

    • Yota Schneider

      Good morning, Linda,

      I am sitting by the window as I read your reply. It’s a cloudy, moody morning that highlights the fall foliage even more. Yesterday, it was a bright and sunny morning. The sunlight made the leaves glisten in a myriad shades of yellow, red, and orange. No matter what kind of light, dim or bright, the trees shine. This is yet another example of how we can shine in all kinds of weather.

      You are right–fall and spring are my favorite seasons, and, like you, I love the experience of living through four distinct seasons and the lessons and messages they bring. Life makes more sense when seen through the lens of the four seasons.

      I am happy to hear that your summer had the slow pace you needed and enjoyed. Fall beginning with a bang for you seems to reflect the explosion of color all around. Enjoy the process! 💖

  • Kathleen

    Yota, you perfectly capture the essence of early Fall–the melancholy mixing with the exciting arrival of the arrival of the season we all love. The fact that this in between time is so beautiful and brief makes it more precious. This balancing of opposites is pretty tricky. I sometimes feel one side of the seesaw is over weighted, and the change of seasons helps me shift the momentum. I remember as a kid that fleeting moment of equilibrium before you went up or down. Of course going up felt scary but fantastic!

    • Yota Schneider

      Kathleen, I love the image and metaphor of the seesaw. I remember the anticipation and that feeling in the pit of my stomach when I was on the seesaw. It never stopped me from going back and loving it, of course. This summer felt off balance somehow, but, as you said, the change of seasons is helping me shift and find my center again.
      Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.

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