“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

― Albert Camus

If it weren’t for the Halloween decorations and heaps of pumpkins at the supermarket, it would be easy for me to miss the fact that autumn has officially arrived. I love living in San Diego, but I have to admit I miss the vividly colored, crunching leaves and crisp air that signaled fall when I was a boy growing up in New York.

Lucky for me, I’m teaching at the gorgeous Omega Institute in Rhinebeck New York this week – and while I’m here I plan to soak up the very best sights, smells and sounds of autumn!

The cycle of the seasons reflects the soul journey.

The Fall Equinox, which just occurred, is the point at which the days and nights are equal. After this point, nights get longer and days get shorter as we move toward winter.  The Autumn Equinox isn’t just a date on the calendar – like many celestial events, it has spiritual significance.

In ancient cultures, wise men equated the seasons with their own spiritual journey. They recognized that the cycle of darkness and light they saw repeating itself every year in the sky was reflected in their own soul journeys. To me, the falling leaves and longer nights remind me that in order for our souls to evolve and grow, we must first let go of what no longer serves us.

Here’s an exercise in honor of the season to help you to let go of what’s holding you back and make room for new insights, relationships and experiences.

Practice letting go:

Picture yourself as a strong, beautiful tree. Imagine your feet rooted to the ground. Breath deeply, imagining yourself connected firmly to the earth.

Now move your awareness up as you imagine your arms as the branches of the tree, waving in the breeze. Breathe deeply and “become” the tree.

Take several deep breaths and visualize yourself – hear the birds, and feel the bright autumn sun on your boughs, and the cool breeze rustling your leaves.

Now picture your leaves, brightly colored. Each dying leaf represents something you can let go of.

Imagine each leaf detaching and drifting to the ground…and as each one falls, let it represent something that isn’t serving you:

Let go of your need to be perfect

Let go of caring about what other people think of you.

Let go of the need to judge yourself.

Let go of guilt.

Let go of hurt.

Let go of the need to please people.

Let go of old resentments.

Let go of insecurity.

Let go of worry.

Let go of fear.

Let go of everything that’s holding you back.

Picture the leaves drying on the ground, and a gust of wind blowing them all away. Watch as they whirl off into the sky!

Let love fill the empty spaces.

Just as falling leaves make room for new growth, releasing old habits and negative thoughts make room for those things that enlighten your soul – love, forgiveness and joy! My new book – The Power of Love is all about how letting love energy in opens us up to the infinite possibilities of the universe.  I’m so excited to share it with you!