The Wheel Turns: From Summer into Autumn
After the relentless heatwaves of summer and the intense energy of the sun, we begin to move gradually into a different rhythm: fresher, slower, and more reflective. Autumn brings an energy of gathering, reaping, harvesting, and storing as we prepare for shorter days, longer nights, and the inward retreat of winter.
I often sense this shift at the end of the day, especially when I am in nature. At the yard in the evening, as everything begins to settle, there is still activity all around me: birds singing, rabbits hopping, and horses quietly mooching and grazing. Yet beneath it all, there is a stillness in the air: a calm, quiet quality that I can feel within myself as the sun slowly drops below the horizon.
The Daily Rhythm of the Seasons
This evening energy reminds me that each day carries a rhythm similar to the cycle of the seasons:
Spring is like the morning: a time of freshness and renewed energy as we emerge from rest into activity.
Summer is like midday: the sun is at its peak, and our energy may feel at its fullest.
Autumn is like the afternoon into early evening: a time to reap the efforts of the earlier part of the day, share our experiences and achievements with partners, friends, and family, and nourish our bodies with food.
Winter is like evening and night: the sun goes down, the temperature drops, and we are invited to bathe, rest, reflect, sleep, and replenish our energy stores.
Each day offers an opportunity to work with, rather than against, the cycles and rhythms of nature. These rhythms are part of our natural biorhythm, and when we are able to attune to them, they can support us in feeling more balanced, grounded, and fully ourselves.
Autumn’s Invitation
As we move into autumn, I am reminded of the evenings drawing in and the energy beginning to shift downwards. This is a season of reaping and harvesting all that we placed effort into during spring and summer.
I also notice the familiar fall of leaves from trees and bushes as the natural world begins to release what is no longer needed: wilted, crisp, weathered, and richly coloured leaves. In the animal world, coats begin to change in preparation for winter warmth. Animals feed on the bounty of the autumn harvest, nourishing and preparing their bodies for the long sleep and stillness of winter.
During autumn, the days shorten, the sun’s heat slowly fades into warm evening glows and crisp mornings, and the nights become longer and cooler. Our homes begin to offer the warmth and shelter needed as the wind, rain, and colder air return.
Autumn is a time of transition: a season for letting go of what is no longer needed, slowing down, reaping and storing, and preparing for the next phase of winter.
Questions for Reflection
This can be a good time to reflect on what we may need to release, and how we might begin to prepare for a period of rest, restoration, and reflection. We might ask ourselves:
What am I ready to let go of?
What do my body, mind, and spirit need in order to restore?
What nourishment can I offer myself in preparation for the retreat of winter?
How We Prepare at The Heard Therapy
At The Heard Therapy, we also begin to wind things down at this time of year. We work towards the end of our funded programmes, prepare the site for winter by taking down the yurt and carrying out repairs, and gradually shift towards more online and indoor therapy. In doing so, we allow ourselves and our horses to move with the natural rhythms of the season and slowly retreat into the rest of winter.
Our horses live out 24/7 with free access to food and shelter at all times. We believe this best supports their natural way of being, while also recognising that winter can be challenging when they are exposed to the elements. By giving our herd the opportunity to pause therapy sessions, they have more capacity to care for their own needs in what can become adverse weather conditions.
Horses are naturally equipped to manage winter, but they also need the space to manage it in the way they know best: often standing together as a herd, with their backs to the wind and their heads down. We often observe them like this in winter, appearing to draw inward into a calm stillness as the weather moves around them.
In this, they mirror the retreat of other animals who hide, sleep, and rest. They are not trying to achieve anything or become anything; they are simply moving with the cycle of change. There is wisdom in that natural rhythm, and perhaps it is this rhythm that most deeply feeds the soul.
