Shedding Season
Honor it. Sit with it. Celebrate it.
This time of year is my favorite. I'm thrilled that it's October! So many lessons will appear this season, and I am ready for them. Journal open, pen uncapped, and prepared to take notes. Last week, I was in Santa Fe teaching with some amazing humans at A Writing Room retreat. Everyone who showed up in that space, from the facilitators to the attendees, were beyond wonderful. Folks came from around the globe to share space, learn, and be unapologetic truth-tellers. We all showed up ready and willing to do the work, individually and collectively. It's amazing to be in a room full of people who are curious about themselves, their truth, and how they want their stories to take up space in the world.
Teaching is my favorite thing. Being around people passionate about uncovering their truth is soul-filling—creating space for healing, vulnerability, and curiosity is deeply meaningful.
I love it all.
I love the people who show up.
I love the folks who aren't sure and are scared but also willing.
I love us for being a champion of our truth and inherent wisdom.
We did deep soul work in New Mexico.
We cried.
We wrote.
We laughed.
We told the truth.
We learned.
We leaned on one another.
We wrote some more.
Whenever I teach or speak, the reminder I always start with is: YOU are your own greatest teacher—leaning into the truth that our stories, voices, and deep truth are such valuable gifts to give to ourselves. That's exactly what we did in Santa Fe.
Every time I finish teaching, especially during this season, I think about what I need to let go of and what I want to make space for. In my mindfulness practice, I refer to this as releasing to receive. This practice of intentional shedding allows me to make room to truly see what is in alignment and what isn't. I am constantly learning to find harmony in my life to pay closer attention to what is for me and what is not. When I peel back the layers of this healing work, at the core, releasing to receive highlights the cyclical nature of life and the importance of peace and flow in my personal growth and transformation.
When I lean into what it means to let go with honesty instead of criticism, I can see the intricacies of my healing. Taking inventory to see what can stay and needs to go is profoundly transformative but also so damn hard. And even with the challenges that arise, I love Autumn because it's a reminder that even when things are changing and dying, they can still be beautiful. The trees are my teachers this time of year. As they release their fiery leaves, I am reminded to shed my own layers, beliefs, and habits that no longer serve my highest or truest self.
If I've learned anything on this healing path, it's that everything isn't a forever thing, and everyone can't come along for the whole ride. Despite how challenging it can feel, examining the people, places, and things in our lives that require attention and adjustment is necessary as we shed and prepare for a new, or more aligned, beginning.
The Fall is a constant reminder to reset, recharge, and reclaim our truth.
In its purest form, healing isn't just about rebuilding or fixing. It's about being open enough to bear witness to what needs to be let go without guilt or harsh judgment. Every year, I feel invited into a space of introspection and self-reflection. As the weather cools and the leaves change, more times than not, this seasonal invitation to turn inward is a silent dance of releasing, of saying goodbye to parts of myself that, although once integral, no longer resonate with who I am becoming.
For so long, I felt guilty for changing—even when I knew it was for the better. But I've grown to understand that shedding is a symbol of honor. It's an homage to the various experiences, the joys, and the pain points that have shaped and held me this year.
The older I get, the more I learn to observe the fragments of myself that have fallen away during this process. Everything that's danced to the ground is a testament to my journey as a whole—one marked by resilience, growth, and lasting hope.
Learning to embrace our seasonal shedding not as a loss but as a path to liberation allows us to open up and get grounded in what feels true and resonant. Hopefully, we're not just tossing things to the side carelessly. Instead, we're mindfully clarifying and simplifying in ways rooted in compassion and care. Making space for the new, the enlightening, and the nourishing is pivotal to our many transitions in life.
Lean in and be open.
Something I love about stepping into this shedding season is the openness it creates in my life holistically. As hard as letting go is, the process grants me the freedom to breathe deeper, love fiercer, and live fuller. It reminds me that how and where I invest my energy and time is important, not just for me, but the people I'm in community with.
So, as we journey through this constant spiral of healing and becoming, let us not rush past the shedding. Let's honor it. Sit with it. Celebrate it.
Happy October, everyone. May this season treat you well!
A Gentle Reminder to Watch: Here
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