The Autumnal Equinox: A Time to Let Go, to Slow, to Bloom Anew

There’s something magical in the air as September wanes here in Colorado. The sunlight softens. The breeze shifts toward cool, crisp. Leaves begin to whisper in color. It’s the turning of the season: the Autumnal Equinox. For me, it’s more than a date. It’s a doorway — a liminal moment inviting reflection, release, and renewal.

In this post, I’ll share some history of the equinox, how I see fall as a time of letting go (including something personal: releasing my other clinic, Holistica), and how we can align our health, our rhythms, and our soul with this season. You’ll also find concrete naturopathic tips for thriving through autumn in Colorado (or wherever you are), and a short poem — because what is fall without a little wistfulness?

What is the Autumnal Equinox: History & Meaning

The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the equinox, the sun crosses the Earth’s equator moving south (in the Northern Hemisphere), and day and night are nearly equal in length.

Astronomically, it marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Cultures around the world have long observed it with ritual and celebration: harvest festivals, offerings, remembrance, and renewal. Ancient agrarian societies depended on these markers for knowing when to harvest, when to prepare for winter.

Beyond agriculture, there is symbolic weight in the balance of light and dark. There is something sacred in a moment when day and night are equal: a reminder of balance, of change, of the inevitable turning.

The Feelings & Flourishes of Fall

Let me linger here a little in the sensory. Because I love the smell of fall: woodsmoke, wet leaves, damp earth. The colors: golds, ambers, reds, browns, the deep twilight blues. The return of favorite autumn beverages: spiced teas, chai, apple cider, pumpkin soups. Comfy, baggy sweaters, layers, scarves. I especially adore the days that are a mix — warm sun overhead, cool crisp air in the shade. The mingling of heat and cold reminds me that change is always in between.

These little joys ground us. They remind us we are living in seasons. We can taste and touch this beauty. It’s medicine.

Ways to Engage the Equinox & Enjoy Fall in Colorado (or Anywhere)

Here are ideas I love, here in Colorado, to fully enter into fall. You can adapt them to your own place.

1. Nature walks in the aspens — Visit Colorado’s high country or foothills. Watch the golden trembling of leaves. Breathe the crisp air. Collect fallen leaves to press or journal with.
2. Harvest meals — Cook with local produce: squash, pumpkins, root vegetables. Roast garlic, simmer soups, and preserve the bounty.
3. Seasonal rituals — On the equinox, pause. Light a candle. Write down what you wish to release or invite. Symbolically burn (safely) or compost what you’re ready to let go.
4. Cozy nesting — Clean, declutter, re-organize. Bring out cozy blankets, warm socks, and make your home feel grounded and nourishing.
5. Mindful slowing — Schedule days where you rest more. Walk slower. Eat slowly. Reduce screen time. Let dusk envelop you.
6. Community — Invite friends for soup, apple picking, or a harvest potluck. Share stories of release and renewal.

Fall’s Health Rhythm: Why Nature Slows — And So Should We

Nature doesn’t rush. As the equinox passes, we see daylight shorten. The air cools. The growing season winds down. Plants go dormant. Animals prepare. This slowing is natural. It’s essential.

Our culture often fights this pace. We push forward even as the world outside asks us to rest. But resistance to the season can generate dis-ease: burnout, weakened immunity, stress, imbalance. Some people begin to fall sick in autumn — oftentimes not because of a virus alone, but because their internal rhythm is out of sync. They’ve ignored signals to rest. They continued the pace of summer well into the colder, darker months. They’ve neglected to nourish the grounding, slowing parts of themselves.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, I believe aligning with the season is a profound act of medicine.

Why Sometimes We Fall Sick in Autumn & How to Avoid It

It’s common: as we move deeper into fall, some people feel a dip in energy, more colds, more low mood. I think part of this is biological; part is cultural; part is what we resist in ourselves.

• Biologically, the immune system is adapting. Days get shorter, sun exposure less; melatonin cycles shift; cortisol rhythms adjust. If one doesn’t give the body rest, nourishment, warmth, vulnerabilities open up.
• Culturally, we often keep the summer schedule — more activity, more exposure, less rest — even when the external cues tell us to slow. We may push ourselves in social, work, or caregiving roles beyond what is wise for this season.
• Emotionally, fall is about endings and transitions. If we don’t process letting go, grief, change, these unexpressed inner shifts manifest as stress, insomnia, immune suppression.

To avoid getting sick:

• Listen to your body’s cues: fatigue, appetite, emotional heaviness, chill. Don’t push through without checking in.
• Prioritize rest, good sleep.
• Support immunity as above (nutrition, herbs, hydration).
• Reduce stress: ceremonially let go, process emotions, connect with supportive people.
• Stay warm, especially in Colorado where nights can drop fast. Keep core warm; avoid sudden temperature swings.

My Health Tips for Fall — Naturopathic Suggestions

Area	Practices / Tips
Immune support	Focus on rest & sleep — aim for earlier bedtimes as nights lengthen. Vitamin D — as sun exposure wanes, check your levels; supplement if necessary under guidance. Herbs such as echinacea, elderberry, ginger, astragalus.   Plenty of fluids, warm broths. Hydration matters even when you don’t feel hot. Probiotics & prebiotic foods to support gut health, since much of immunity flows from there. Reduce sugar and ultra-processed foods, which can dampen immune resilience.
Nutrition	Eat seasonally: root vegetables, squash, mushrooms, apples, pears. Favor warming foods (soups, stews, roasted veggies), the ones that build warmth. Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, turmeric, ginger. These not only taste like fall — many are anti-inflammatory, warming. Incorporate healthy fats: nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil — to help with dryness and to keep energy stable.
Mind & emotional health	Reflective journaling: what am I ready to release? what am I longing to invite? Meditation, breathwork, especially in the morning and at dusk. Gentle movement: yoga, walking, Qi Gong — moves that ground you, connect you to earth. Creative work: art, crafts, writing, harvesting photos or memories.
Sleep & rest	Darker evenings: dim lights, avoid blue light at least an hour before bed. Warm baths, herbal teas (chamomile, lemon balm) to help transition into rest. Consistent sleep schedule aligning with sunset and sunrise more naturally.
Environment & Lifestyle	Add humidity indoors if air gets dry. Use cozy textures: wool, flannel, blankets. Slow your pace: fewer commitments, more margin; schedule “white space” in your weeks. Dress in layers to adjust to fluctuating temperatures; protect your lungs from chilly winds.

Letting Go: Why Fall Is My Favorite Time to Release

For me personally, fall has always been the season of letting go. Just as trees let go of leaves, so much in us can be pruned lest it weigh us down.

Letting go shows up in many areas:

• Work & vocation: Sometimes the work we pour ourselves into is right, but perhaps not forever. As we grow, priorities shift.
• Relationships: Some people need distance; some seasons ask us to release expectations.
• Beliefs & habits: Old patterns that maybe served in the past now drag; voices that no longer align need to be quieted.
• Physical things & environment: Cleaning, simplifying, donating, decluttering — these external acts support internal release.

Letting go doesn’t mean losing. It means creating space for what wants to grow.

On Letting Go of Holistica: My Heart, My Pause, My Bloom

As I mentioned: I’ve been carrying Holistica close to my heart — my other clinic — for some time. It was a dream, full of purpose. And yet over the last months and years, I’ve come to realize that it isn’t aligned with what I most need in this season of my life. I need to make room. Room for rest. Room for being a mother. Room for nature’s pace.

I have been feeling deeply that my path needs to align more with mothering, with being present in my home, with listening to internal rhythms rather than external expectations. Holistica was born from beauty: a vision of holistic care, community, growth. But as seasons change, what we need changes.

So I’m letting go of Holistica. It’s a hard letting — but a necessary one.

Saying goodbye to Holistica isn’t shutting a door with regret — it’s shifting purpose. It’s saying: “I trust that in this space of openness, new bloomings will emerge.” It is also deeply connected with fall’s invitation: release what no longer fits, so that what is essential can flourish.

I believe this letting will allow me to show up more fully for Denver Naturopathic, for my family, for the work that aligns with my heart. And perhaps this equinox is exactly the catalyst I needed to lean into slower time, to trust that rest is fertile.

A Poem for the Equinox & the Letting

Golden leaves drift, a sky of amber light,
Soft wind whispers endings, turning toward night.
Sunlight balances with shadow, breath held in between,
I release what was, in trust of seeds unseen.
Roots sink deep into cooling earth,
In quiet dark, the promise of new birth.

Closing Reflections

The Autumnal Equinox is an annual checkpoint: a chance to slow, to prune, to listen. To honor what we have harvested — in joy and in effort — and to clear what no longer serves. To make space for what wants to grow, perhaps in forms yet unknown.

If you are feeling stretched, or wondering what you might need to release, or simply longing for a gentler pace, let this equinox be your guide. May you find what needs letting go, may you rest in the intervals, and may you bloom again.

September 22, 2025