Imagine ... A New Season, a Familiar Invitation - Pause and Notice

It is happening. Here in the New York Hudson River Valley any excursion means being immersed in an increasing glow of oranges and yellows. This area is known for its spectacular fall colors and to me it seems that this season is especially glorious. We’ve had lots of rain this year and an unprecedented amount of downed trees because of oversaturated soil and some ferocious wind gusts. Among the losses on our property, we count a beautiful maple and a very old mulberry tree. I have found myself musing that maybe the trees that are still standing are putting on a show in solidarity with and in compensation for their fallen comrades. 

You might think that I am taking this a little too far, yet the world is a more beautiful place to me when I look at it through the eyes of interconnectedness. Indeed there is a growing body of evidence that trees in a particular ecosystem are communicating with each other underground via the mycorrhizal network. Isn't that fascinating? We still know so little about how everything actually works on these levels of reality. What we can aspire to, however, is getting to know ourselves a little more each day.

For me, this time of year brings a renewed invitation to come back to myself within this inter-being worldview. An invitation to slow down enough to notice the world around me and to reconnect with what matters most. A new season can be a reminder to pay attention in a deeper way. Practicing the Imagine Way - pausing, noticing, and meeting each moment with curiosity - can make the ordinary look transformed and enchanting.

What do you notice when you slow down for a few moments? That particular gold of an autumn afternoon? The sound of leaves beneath your feet? Or the appearance of a gentle green shadow over everything if you're on that side of the planet. A familiar feeling you haven’t noticed in a while? A moment of connection with someone you love? Finding a few seconds to show compassion for yourself within this overwhelming world we are trying to navigate?

Maybe you could go outside for a 10 minute walking meditation and pause midway to simply notice the transition happening around you. Maybe you could write a short letter to the season that is now behind us, naming what it gave you and what you're ready to let go of. Then writing a second short letter welcoming the new season and naming an intention for the months ahead. Or maybe you decide to sit quietly for a few minutes, noting where your life feels balanced and where it doesn't - and exploring where you can restore some of that balance.

May this new season give you plenty of opportunities to pause and notice. May you find moments to slow down, reconnect, and begin again with curiosity and compassion.

We’re grateful to have you as part of the Imagine Mindfulness community.

• The Imagine Team