Fall is my second favorite season. After a hot
summer, the weather is starting to cool a little. Plants that were looking heat-stressed are recovering. The leaves are turning. There is a crispness to the air that is not felt at any other time of the year.
Fall takes many of us back to childhood, to a new school year, with new school supplies,
clothes, classes, and a fresh start. It sometimes feels more like a new beginning than the first of January.
I kicked off fall a few weeks ago with long, outdoor walks. I consider walks,
this time of the year, to be a treat for all the senses. Visually, fall colors are bright and energizing. The light is less intense but more invigorating. The air smells fresh.
Sometimes,
on a cooler day, you are treated to the scent of a wood fire from someone’s chimney. Maybe your sense of taste gets involved with a crisp fall apple to enjoy as you walk. You hear the birds and the chatter of the squirrels as they gather and run with the fallen acorns. You may pick up pinecones as you walk, appreciating their feel.
With kids in school, there may be less traffic to dodge. Summer days are over, and the busy holidays have not yet started. This is a window of tranquility to enjoy before the holidays begin to take over.
A fall walk is an opportunity to let your mind relax; not thinking about anything in particular, just letting thoughts come and go. The term "woolgathering" comes to mind, as my aunt calls it...indulgence in dreaming and imagining. Sometimes clarity comes when we are not focusing hard on a knotty situation.
Taking a fall walk up a level, how about a hike? Sights, sounds, and colors from a walk are intensified when you are surrounded by nature, especially in a forest or on a mountain. You get some exercise and likely good social time with a friend or hiking group.
Or… have you heard of forest bathing or forest therapy? It began in Japan in the early 1980s as a way to help workers relieve stress. It has caught on in the United States, and there are now over 700 forest therapy guides certified by the National Association of Forest Therapy.
An hour walk burns between 210 and 360
calories for most people...it's really good for your heart, it helps build endurance, and it strengthens your bones and muscles. If you have a dog, perhaps he or she can join you on your journey and benefit from an autumn walk as well.
Something I find encouraging is tracking the number of steps I've walked. If you have a fitness watch like me, it's pretty easy to do this. Alternately, some like to use a pedometer...less bells and whistles than
a fitness watch, but does the job.
I hope this encourages you to get outside this fall for a walk, or two, or three...or maybe even once a day.
P.S. When you do, send me a photo of something that inspires you along the way...colorful trees, an interesting leaf, a forest path, or take a selfie in the autumn splendor. I would love to include your photo in a future
issue of this newsletter.
