Letting Go of Your Leaves

Like the seasons, human nature moves in cycles. Sometimes you cycle through a time in your life when you don’t have the energy anymore to hold onto things you were able to carry before and letting go is necessary to save energy you need to move forward.

I am in the park, forest bathing and nature writing. The ground is littered with golden elm leaves on the verge of browning. The crowns above still shine bright in the softening autumn daylight. I hear the papery tinkle of a landing leaf to the right of me and another soon after just behind me. They dance their way through the breeze to their descent. This one moment in time is so fast. This one moment when they do not belong to the tree and they do not belong to earth, when they are in between and floating in liminal space, the breeze escorting them to their final resting spot. Do they swirl and spiral in rejoice of life or despite their death?

Another one falls and patters amongst leaf debris, fur tufts, branches, feathers, stones, pinecones, cigarette butts and plastic straws, a beautiful mosaic of all that has been shed and released.

All around me the nature beings are shouting, “Let go! Let go! It's time to let go! Release what you no longer need to prepare for the cold days ahead.”

The trees must store energy now, as less water and warmth will be available to them soon.  They send their most vital nutrients to be stored in the roots. They will need to conserve water in their trunks, so they don’t dry out. They will no longer have the energy to nurture their leaves. And so, they must let them go.

If you were a tree, what things in your life are part of your root system, uncompromisable and necessary? This is where your energy is most needed. It might include home or shelter, family or relationships, financial or emotional security, art, self-care, spirituality, nutrition, time in nature, etc.

If you were a tree, what things in your life would be leaves? These are things that you love or hate but either way, they are dispensable. Anything from television, social media, chocolate, fashion, hobbies, sports, certain friendships, certain chores or duties, negative thoughts, etc. Of all these leaves, if winter were to approach and you knew your energy might decline, which would you let go of first?

I invite you in the next few days, to examine those things in your life-- physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological-- that you could let go of now and release. I invite you to let go of what no longer serves you and by this I mean, what no longer serves your highest good or your best interests, and also what no longer serves your energy flow.

Draw a tree like a map or make a list of your life roots and life leaves. Consider if you are ready to surrender and let go.

Ways to let go:

• Throw it in the trash.
• Say goodbye.
• Write it on a piece of paper and burn it. Or burn it directly, if possible.
• Whisper it into a rock and throw it in a large body of water.
• Compost it.
• Stop doing it for one day and then another day and then another day…
• Tell everyone that you know that you are quitting and ask them to hold you accountable.
• Surrender it to the Divine or your angels.
• Inhale peace or strength or courage and exhale what you are letting go of.
• Write it a breakup letter.
• Energetically release it into the Earth.
• Walk away.