in honor of autumn

wake up to the winds of the west

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"I feel the winds of the west

out breath

letting go of my leaves

all I do not need

into the darkness of the fall sunset

I release

receive

getting ready for the silence."

-lyrics from Ayla Nereo "Winds of the West"

On Monday, I had a sense that my morning lake swim was the last one of the season.

This year’s arrival of autumn felt very potent in my neck of the woods — a distinct shift in the weather, a movement of the winds of the west — like one day it was summer and the next day I woke up to autumn.

The temperature shifted 30 degrees on September 22 (Autumn Equinox), from 80 F the day before, and the 10 day forecast shows all signs that autumn is here. It’s wild.

I feel it within me too. There’s a deeper transition happening, and while many things are the same, I keep noticing how the same things feel different. Do you feel this too?

It’s all a gift.

In honor of autumn, and because I love meeting the season when it arrives, I’ve curated a self-guided autumn experience for guests staying at Forest & Flowers Retreat.

And… if you’re open to it, I think you can enjoy it from wherever this season is meeting you. You’ll find the link below.