đź•‘ 4 min di lettura
The word equinox comes from the Latin word equinox, meaning the moment when day and night have roughly the same duration.
The autumn equinox is a moment of  balance and pause, a transitional period between the light half of the year and the dark half of the year. Often, we don’t notice this transition due to our hectic lifestyle, but it is a real shift from the “outward” energy of spring and summer to the “inward” energy of autumn and winter.
During this time of the year, it is very important to invite balance into our lives; a balance that will surely be different from the summer we just passed.
It is crucial to slow down, make space for moments of mindfulness, and notice what physical and energetic changes are occurring. Do we feel particularly tired? Difficulty digesting? It’s important to pay attention to the messages our body is sending and not ignore or fight against them.
Here are my tips on how to slow down and welcome the shift of a new kind of energy:
Practice mindfulness during breakfast: Bring your full attention to the coffee or tea, sip by sip. Every time the mind, always lurking, bombards us with thoughts and the usual to-do list, calmly and without judgment, bring your attention back to breakfast, the smell of the warm drink or food.
It’s time to start or continue that project left aside. Make space for creativity.
Make sure your phone is on silent, and “immerse yourself” in the forest or park. During your walk, it’s important to slow down and ensure you create a connection between nature and the senses of sight, touch, and hearing. What do you see as you walk? Observe the play of light, the shapes of trees or shrubs, the leaves; what smells do you notice? How does the wind feel on your face or hands? And what happens if you touch the trunk of a tree? Let’s have fun creating a connection between our senses and Mother Nature.
Create a “sacred space” at home where you can practice breathing exercises or mindfulness or yoga. It’s important to note that in this context, the word “sacred” has no connection to religion, worship, or deities. In this case, the word refers to “sacrum facere”, a sacred action, often involving a sacrifice (in this case, dedicating time) and a commitment to honor (the daily practice of meditation, breathing, or yoga).
Welcome fresh, seasonal foods: cabbage, radicchio, chestnuts, mushrooms, pumpkins, dried fruit, beets, soups, and broths. Let yourself be nurtured by their intense flavors, smells, and colors.
I conclude with an invitation to take care of ourselves and the environment around us. The autumn equinox is not just a symbolic moment of balance and transition, but also a concrete opportunity to pause, take stock, and make space for calm and reflection. It’s an invitation to slow down, listen to the body, and embrace the new energies that the season brings.
At this time, nature offers us its support: the landscape changes, the leaves turn warm colors, the air becomes cooler, but there is also a great abundance of foods that will nourish our bodies and prepare us for the colder months. It’s time to put into practice the wisdom of the season, seeking a balance that, like light and darkness, need not be perfect or rigid but dynamic and adaptable.
Let’s welcome autumn as an opportunity to renew ourselves, just as nature renews itself. Let’s slow down, give ourselves time to reflect, and above all, rediscover the joy of small daily gestures that center us and recharge our energy.
May this equinox be an opportunity to be kind to ourselves, to live with mindfulness, and to embrace change with serenity. Happy autumn equinox to all, may it be the right time for a new beginning, more grounded and harmonious with the flow of nature!
