The changing of seasons reminded me of a couple I worked with. When they split up amicably, I asked the woman, “What are some of the positive things from this relationship you would like to keep for the future?”
She answered that she liked the communication, openness and fun she experienced with her partner. Those became the “seeds” she planted. Later, when she got into a new relationship, those seeds became her focus.
Like a piece of fruit falling from a tree to the ground and dying, the ending of a relationship holds the seeds (potential) for future relationships.
In order to plant those seeds, we must first ask:
- What have I learned?
- What do I want to let go of?
- What do I want to keep?
As you might already know, I teach Huna, which is an ancient Hawaiian understanding of energy, healing and life. From my lineage and experience, I’ve learned that fall is a great time to release negative emotions and focus on what we want. According to the law of cycles and rhythms, fall is the time to take stock of our lives. This is part of Huna and other indigenous teachings.
Moving the Energy
The entire experience of our reality occurs as a flow of energy (similar to the alternating current powering electric appliances). For example, business people know they must spend money to make money. They learn how to monitor the flow of their energy (money) and have it return through their investments.
Likewise, our consciousness moves in natural cycles. In fact, we go into a light altered state every 90 minutes or so. In this state, our brainwave patterns change, and we enter a more relaxed state of mind. For instance, do you ever have daydreams? Or do you ever find that you need breaks to do something relaxing like walk around outside?
It’s a fact that seasons, cycles and rhythms in the natural world influence our lives. Take a look at lunar phases, for example. Every medical doctor I have talked to and worked with who has ever had experience in emergency care says there are more accidents and “crazy experiences” when the moon is full — even though there is no scientific explanation as to why. This is where the word ‘lunatic’ stems from. Early psychology recognized that, when the moon was full, crazy people got crazier for some reason.
3 Basic Energies
The ancient Hawaiians understood through Huna that there are three basic energies experienced in all cycles and rhythms. They are:
- Birth
- Growth, and
- Completion/death.
The cycle of fall that is upon us is when the earth is transforming and completing the change it began in the spring.
Working with the 4 Seasons
Sometimes students will ask, “Why are there only three energies when there are four seasons?” The spring is the beginning of the seasonal cycle, and the winter is the end. Meanwhile, both summer and fall are where growth moves to completion. Summer is the peak of that change or transformation. Fall represents the time where that seasonal curve moves toward completion.
As we bring the year to an end, fall is a time where we can begin to shed or release any of those things that we no longer want or need. It’s also a time when to prepare for winter. We can store the seeds of what we want to experience in the upcoming spring.
For example, my mom and stepfather live at a high altitude in the Sierra mountains. Fall is the time of year when he starts to prepare for winter. This is when he chops and stores wood. He makes sure his house is weatherproofed and that the roof is ready for the buildup of snow and ice. He also checks the road to his house and makes sure it can handle heavy snow.
Preparing for Winter this Fall
Likewise, we can take this to the spiritual level and prepare ourselves for both winter and spring right now by asking ourselves three questions:
- What have I learned from what I have put into creation and experienced?
- What do I want to change, transform or bring completion in the winter?
- What aspect do I want to keep for the coming spring?
Every time I do a training, I prepare myself for the next one by asking myself similar questions. I’ll ask:
- What did I learn from this cycle?
- What aspects do I want to let go of?
- What parts do I want to keep for my next training?
Take the Learnings into the New Year and Ask Yourself:
- What have I learned about myself? About my life? About society or our economic system?
- What do I want to let go of?
- What do I want to preserve?
When you’ve answered that last one, make the things you want to preserve your focus in the upcoming winter as you prepare for spring.
I remember that my grandfather always used to say, “Life is about learning. Good and bad, happy and sad, there is something to be learned.” Fall is the time to reflect on everything we have learned. Now is the time to reflect on what we want to release and what we will nurture in the coming year.
Mahalo,
Matt
