Seattle. It rained all night, making for a good night’s sleep. It was a rain we really needed. Autumn in Seattle this year has been beautiful. Cool nights, crispy early mornings, foggy sunrises, and sunny days have filled the month of October. On my Green Lake walks, I marvel at the deciduous trees showing off their colorful leaves. And, though I’m an adult, I still have an uncontrollable urge to drag my feet through the wind-blown mounds of leaves. And I do just that!
Last week, all my class dedications were inspired by autumn. This season easily draws forth life lessons. I expressed ways to relate these autumn inspired lessons to the yoga practice. Below, I share last week’s dedications with you. The photos are from my autumn photo collection.
Green lake
Monday, October 19
The Beauty of Letting Go — Like trees releasing their leaves, we practice releasing what we no longer need.
from In Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver
To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold itagainst your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.— Mary Oliver, In Blackwater Woods
There’s so much wisdom in those few words! Mary Oliver offers us an invitation to soften our grip—to recognize that we can love deeply and still allow things to change. Personally, I find this a deeply moving poem. I think of the changing seasons, letting go of the long light-filled days of summer. I’m also reminded of saying goodbye to my family members who have gone before me. It’s a very human poem and dives deeply into my heart. And I love it. I have this poem pinned to the bulletin board above my desk in my office. The entire poem can be read in this link.
Green lake autumn
Tuesday, October 20
Rooted Through Change — Today we focus on finding steadiness in our breath and bodies as the season shifts.
Rooted Through Change
The leaves fall, Like distant gardens withered in the heavens; They fall with a slow and lingering descent.— Rainer Maria Rilke, Autumn
A big thank you to Ursula Macmillan, who introduced me to Rilke’s poems some thirty years ago. Previous to meeting Ursula, I read Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet (Rick recommended this book to me) while living in Japan, but it is Rilke’s poetry that really strikes me.
In the poem above, we have a tender image of being supported through uncertainty. While we practice yoga and when we meditate, we can feel the earth beneath us and the steady return of our breath. Like Rilke’s poem, yoga is a grounding force of nature. The entire poem can be read here.
Green Lake
Wednesday, October 21
Autumn Haiku — Today we honor what we have learned, observed, nurtured, and received this year.
On a withered branch
A crow is sitting
This autumn eve.
Matsuo Bashō
A leaf falls. Totsu!
Another leaf falls,
Carried by the wind.
Hattori Ransetsu
Today’s dedication calls for a moment to appreciate what has taken root in our own lives: patience, friendships, wisdom, and courage. I believe the above haiku bring us there. Interestingly, these haiku were written in the late 1600s and early 1700s, but they are relevant to what we observe today.
On a side note, Hattori Ransetsu (1654-1707) was an Edo samurai who admired Bashō’s haiku. Ransetsu became a poet under the tutelage of Matsuo Bashō.
In Ransetsu’s haiku, we have the Japanese word “totsu”. I think it sounds onomatopoeic when said softly. I imagine “totsu” is like the sound a leaf makes when it touches ground. There are three ways to write the word “totsu” in Kanji and it has several meanings. The definition I like most was the following: totsu = Perfect – Complete and satisfactory. So does totsu refer to the perfect landing of the leaf? Perhaps my Japanese friends can shed light on the meaning of this word in the comments below. Translation LINK
Thursday, October 22
Turning Inward — Today we have autumn’s invitation to slow down, listen, and make room for reflection. This dedication is perfect for our Yin Thursday classes today and for this evening’s Restorative Yoga.
“O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.”— Robert Frost, October.
Robert Frost’s words inspire a beautiful opening for a slower practice. Here we give ourselves permission to pause and fully inhabit the moment. View a different rendering of the poem in its full form LINK.
Friday, October 23
Tending Our Inner Light — Nurturing warmth, compassion, and remembering to have fun as the days grow shorter. And I ended the week with a playful Winnie the Pooh quote. It’s so light-hearted! May Winnie the Pooh inspire all of us to jump into a pile of leaves:
“It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!” — Winnie the Pooh, Pooh’s Grand Adventure
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- The Om-Believable Monthly Membership, previously included in a newsletter and not included above, is no longer being offered.
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Photo Zina’s Cat Bella: Online Yoga Livestream in Maryland
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