Ah sweater weather :)
Here’s to shorter days, crisp mornings, the return of West Coast rains and the amazing autumn bounty of apples, pears, squash and root veggies. Definitely a welcome respite to the scorched, dry days of late summer.
If you observe the natural world, autumn is associated with the gradual winding down and transition from the bright, energetic and yang energy of late summer to a season that is becoming darker, cooler and closer to yin. The trees put on their vibrant autumn colours and their leaves start to drop and wildlife prepares for migration or hibernation,. For us humans, aside from pulling your winter clothing out of storage, we must also mentally-emotionally allow ourselves to let go, lighten the load so our own energy begins to retreat more internally during this change in season.
October’s care package is loaded with resources to support your autumn transition, better understand what your nervous system is experiencing as the pandemic drags on, podcasts to help you reflect on why forests are a life line, always a soundtrack to lift your spirits and many tasty and seasonally-appropriate recipes to make the most of the season’s bounty.
So, remember to keep your feet warm, wear a scarf and don’t go out with wet hair – this is your Chinese grandma PSA. With the change in seasons, we are heading into cold+flu territory, which is being compounded by the pandemic. Please continue to regularly wash your hands, get enough sleep, support your immunity and of course, GET POKED to manage your stress!
Until next month :)
I asked the leaf whether it was scared because it was autumn and the other leaves were falling. The leaf told me, “No. During the whole spring and summer I was very alive. I worked hard and helped nourish the tree, and much of me is in the tree. I AM NOT LIMITED By this form. I am the whole tree, and when I go back to the soil, I will continue to nourish the tree. As I leave this branch and float to the ground, I will wave to the tree and tell her, ‘I will see you again very soon….
~Thich Nhat Hanh
- Here is a meditation to support your transition into autumn, A Meditation with Jack Kornfield for Letting Go.
- Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful (Here’s how to pull yourself out of despair and live your life), by Tara Haelle for Medium
Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters. - A little satire, “I’m a short afternoon walk and you’re putting way too much pressure on me”
We still encourage you to get out and move your body… - Op-Docs is the New York Times’ award-winning series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers. From emerging directors to Oscar winners, Op-Docs brings you the very best nonfiction filmmaking from around the world. Christina recommends, “Dangerous curves” and “Pickle”
- It has been just over a year that brave citizens have maintained what has been hailed as the longest period of civil disobedience in Canadian history, right in our own backyards at Fairy Creek, Pacheedaht territory. Here are some relevant perspectives that will allow you to reflect on why saving old growth is vital to our survival:
Suzanne Simard, Forests are wired for wisdom: from the On Being podcast
Suzanne Simard is the forest ecologist who has proven, beyond doubt, that trees communicate with each other — that a forest is a single organism wired for wisdom and care. Simard found that the processes that make for a high-functioning forest mirror the maps of the human brain that we’re also just now drawing. All of this turns out to be catching up with intelligence long held in aboriginal science. She calls the mature hub trees in a forest “Mother Trees” — parenting, eldering, in a mode of mutuality and reciprocity, modeling what we also know to be true of genuinely flourishing human ecosystems.
Ruth Łchav’aya Kisen Miller on Relations of Reciprocity: from the For the Wild Podcast
In this magnetic conversation, Ruth and Ayana consider where a politics of love can breathe, radical softness, mindsets of abundance, climate justice advocacy, and the steps we can take to create systems of wellness. In recognition of what might feel like a painful transition for many, Ruth guides us to think about what practices and acts of care we can implement with each other as a way of willing a more beautiful world back into existence. - Indulging you again with my deep love of NPR Tiny Desk concerts, strings edition:
Bill Frisell: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Rahim AlHaj: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Khruangbin: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
José González: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Andrew Bird: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Kishi Bashi: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Sam Amidon & Bill Frisell: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - In need of food? Have a surplus of food? Visit the Victoria Community Fridge at 2725 Rock Bay
Organizing on Lekwungen territories as a part of @communityfoodsupportvictoria to make food free+accessible to everyone who needs it. - Some seasonal recipes for the autumn bounty…note the cooked foods with warming spices to support a robust digestive fire:
Curried butternut squash soup, from the Minimalist Baker
Kale and Wild Rice–Stuffed Winter Squash, from Epicurious
Kabocha Squash Congee, from Food & Wine
Sauteed Cabbage and Apples, from Food Network
Baked Apples, from Simply Recipes
