In Appreciation for Our Inner Autumn (aka Perimenopause)

After my pod chat with Natuopath Heidi Hogarth recently (you can listen in to that pod ep right here) when we spoke about the inner seasons of our menstrual cycle on the micro (and the inner seasons of our life cycle on the macro), I have been reflecting on the parallels of autumn in nature / perimenopause which is described by some as a life cycle autumn .. .. specially through the lens of autumn and the Metal element in Five element Theory.

In appreciation for Our inner Autumn aka perimenopause:

1. After summer warmth, autumn can come as a shock.

Given our life summer (generally our 20, 30s and into our 40s for some) can be a time
of high energy and a lot of outwards-facing action eg dating, mating, procreating or
climbing the corporate ladder, or juggling all-the-things....
The coolness and lower energy states of our autumn can come as a(rude) shock!

2. Autumn is a time to gather the last of the summer harvest

Think about the earlier years as the go-out-and-figure-it-out years, our autumn cycle is
about taking all these learnings, gathering them to our heats and integrating them
into our souls.

There is something very special about this when you lean into this energy.

3. Autumn is a natural time of dropping leaves.

Feel into the energy of deciduous trees dropping their leaves. Why does this happen? It
is a great time of shedding old stuff, letting go, deep surrender, trusting the cycle of
the seasons to bring fresh growth in the coming springtime season.

What sweet relief to have the space and grace to surrender what no longer serves us.

4. Autumn is a great time to “clean house” and declutter

After the years of gathering the material things, trying on different ways of being, the
trial and error of the earlier leaves, it’s a delightful time of clearing space... we find
ourselves asking “do I really need this anymore?”, “do I really want to do this anymore?”
Hello opting out of anything that isn’t important, or is costing us too greatly.

5. Autumn is for slowing down and turning in

Following all the outward other-facing energy-giving years, a natural time to slow
down, and turn our attention (perhaps for the very first time) to our own needs, our
own space, our own desires.

6. The cool of autumn is sweet relief if you have over-heated

If, like me, you have historically not been great at understanding your own limits, and
have tended to over-give, over-do, over-work, over-deliver in any aspect of life, you
could very well have overheated sweetheart.

What a divine gift the coolness of autumn and the drop in desire to do, do, do.

7. In autumn, the veil drops, we see things more clearly, and our intuition is strong

Maybe as a result of slowing down and tuning in, maybe due to our power and wisdom
of years lived accumulates... but show me a woman in her 40s and 50s and I will show
you a being deeply guided by her internal knowing.

Please let that most true inner voice speak to you and through you.

8. In autumn, the inner critic can rise. Befriend her, and listen up.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the metal element is clean, clear, discerning and
easily able to say what is or is not for me. When our inner critic rises more in the
autumn, lean in and listen. Ou runner critic can be a horribly debilitating internal part.
Yet, when befriended, she often has the wisdom of metal.

She is easily able to discern:
- What is and is not for me?
- What is calling my attention?
- Where am I being invited to release a pattern?

Ahh, when we feel into the purpose of this autumn cycle, and really sink into the same faith we have in the seasons in nature - that as surely as autumn is a time of turning in, we will descend into winter (menopause) and the wheel will turn once again into our Inner Spring.

And I don’t know about you, but spring just so happens to be my favourite season!

X Kylie

Ready to Approach Your Inner Autumn with More Appreciation, and less Angst? Especially when we reach midlife, we may become aware of relationships, behaviours, past interactions that have come at a cost to ourselves.

And maybe, you have now arrived at a time when you understand it is time to call it all back home. Your power. Your energy. Your time. Your divine attention.

It may well be time to turn inwards, call your power home, and rest until your second spring emerges.

Enjoy a gift of gently reclaiming your resources and healing past hurts, from me to you.

Grab your FREE download of my menoPAUSE Meditation Calling Your Power Home here.