Making The Most Of Life This Autumn Through Meditation

As autumn draws into its final month, woodsmoke fills the air with the scent of change and the time is ripe for a period of personal transformation. There could not be a more appropriate time for a Marie Kondo-inspired clear-out. Simply consider whether it “sparks joy” and, if not, consign it to the flames of the – metaphorical or literal – bonfire in a profound autumn refresh.

This is the perfect opportunity to declutter your cosmic closet as well as your physical wardrobe. Unless we’re talking about baked potato topping variations, less is always more. If you are familiar with the idea of spring cleaning, get ready to embrace fall clearing, its chunky-knit clad autumnal equivalent. As the leaves begin rustling with the promise of all things pumpkin-spiced, take this amber opportunity to let the patterns and habits that no longer serve you fall away. This guide covers seven simple steps you can take to ring the changes on your life in step with the changing of the season.

1. Axe self-limiting storylines. The fabric of your universe needs taking down for reupholstery. I’m talking about any narratives that you’ve clung onto for years; that you never keep conversations flowing on dates, or always find yourself left out of friendship groups. You have operated within the confines of these restrictive misperceptions for so long that they have started to feel like self-evident truths, instead of spurious claims that need fact-checking. Make a shortlist of your strengths and reread it whenever you catch a whiff of any familiar strains of self-criticism. The time to fire your fatalistic inner scriptwriter has come.

2. Tear up old to-do lists. Procrastination – the baleful malaise that the prospect of beginning certain activities engenders – catalyses a state of constant stress and increases the risk of health problems ranging from insomnia to gastrointestinal strife. A seasonal clear-out is the perfect time to identify underlying reasons why certain ‘to-do’s may have developed an unscalable stature. (How does each task tally with your core beliefs? What are your core beliefs?) Leave any endeavours which have been weighing you down for months like millstones on the cutting room floor and give yourself permission to channel your energies into projects that ignite your passion.

3. Bury the hatchet. Multiple scientific studies have documented links between long-held grudges and physical ill health, in particular the increased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Conversely, the mindstate of forgiveness significantly reduces the body’s stress levels. Its healing properties include regulating blood pressure and improving sleep – just in case you needed a selfish excuse to let go of old grudges. If you’ve quarrelled with anyone this year, invite them to walk with you through the crunchy leaves and blow any cobwebs in your most cherished relationships away.

4. Burn creaky bridges. There is nothing more detrimental to your well-being than regular contact with poisonous personalities. In his 1995 book The Lucifer Principle, sociologist Howard Bloom portrays malevolent behaviour as contagious. Just as bacteria become toxic themselves in response to adjacent toxicity, we are hard-wired to take our cue from others in resorting to bitchiness. Taking a spiritual census of your life will allow you to identify any figures who throw shade on your personal growth. Weed your contacts list of strangulatory stragglers. By the same token – unless your connections have alchemised into genuinely uncomplicated friendships that reliably bring you a superabundance of pure joy – it’s time to break up with your exes, for real this time.

5. Silence mental chatter. A proper clear-out can be daunting, and it is easy to put it off, imagining how time-consuming it will be to sort through multiple boxes of detritus. If only there was a way to make the whole ragbag mess disappear at once without sorting through it. Luckily, it is possible to do exactly this when it comes to your mental clutter. A technique which allows you to clear out your head anytime, anywhere, mantra-based meditation involves silently repeating a simple Sanskrit phrase to yourself for the duration of your practice, until you’ve emptied every unwanted box from the attic of your psyche.

6. Lay off social media. If you find yourself looking wistfully at ancient online interactions with people you’ve fallen out of contact with, you may have fallen into the trap of fetishising the digitised past at the expense of participating in the present. Minimising time spent in what has become an arena for virtual comparison will make space for personal connection. It might not be possible to totally avoid social media if you use it for work, but experiment with limiting your personal use to one session per day, or less. If you are looking to fill the void left by Facebook and Instagram, try buying a photo album and filling it with polaroids of you with your favourite people, making fresh memories together in real life.

7. Bounce beyond your exercise routine. Exercising in the same place, in the same way, day after day, can result in feelings of ennui. It can be easy to lose momentum and motivation, particularly if you have been working for a sustained period of time towards a set of distant goals. Whatever your habituated setup, it is worth shifting the goalposts, and offering yourself the chance to try some endorphin-boosting alternatives. If fear that you won’t be good at it is the only thing stopping you learning to dive, for instance, take the plunge. It is also worth shaking up the scenery; if you’re a regular at the gym, move your session outdoors.