Autumn rhythm & the practice of grounding

Autumn Rhythm…

There’s a lot I love about autumn. The changing trees, mushy picking, little pumpkins, hot Ribena and an excuse for a cosy evening watching Gilmore Girls. A bit of witchiness, obviously.

But alongside all that cosiness, there’s movement. The wind picks up, the light changes and the trees look different from one day to the next. Some days I want to be outside amongst it all. Others, I want to gather in.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to find steadiness while things are changing.

Our inner autumn

Last Sunday, I held Something Is Shifting: Stress, Sleep & Perimenopause, and it was such a lovely gathering. Thank you to everyone who joined me and made space to move, breathe, rest and explore this transition together.

What stays with me is the value of making room for these conversations. There’s so much we can find ourselves trying to make sense of while carrying on with everyday life. Having time to pause, learn and connect with other women feels precious.

It’s also something I want to keep nurturing. In 2027, I’ll be creating an online community with more support around perimenopause, stress and sleep: a space for shared learning, supportive practices and connection as we find our own way through. I’ll share more as it takes shape.

One of the threads we explored in the workshop was perimenopause as an inner autumn.

Autumn rarely arrives neatly. There are warm days that feel like summer, followed by a morning when something has unmistakably shifted. That image resonates with my own experience of perimenopause: familiar rhythms becoming less familiar, and having to get curious about what I need now.

Before experiencing changes in my late thirties, I thought perimenopause was something much further down the line. I hadn’t expected to be reconsidering my relationship with energy, sleep and stress quite so soon.

The seasonal metaphor gives me a way to reflect on that experience. There can be uncertainty, frustration or grief in change, alongside a growing clarity about what matters and where I want to give my energy. There’s room for all of it, without needing to turn every difficult experience into a lesson.

A gathering-in can mean becoming more selective about what we carry, what we commit to and what sustains us.

You don’t have to be perimenopausal to feel the shift

You might be moving through a change in your relationships, work, health or sense of who you are. Or perhaps life is simply full, and you’ve noticed that you haven’t had much space to catch up with yourself.

Autumn offers a moment to pause and ask:

What feels nourishing now?

What needs more space?

Where could I welcome a little more support?

I return to these questions in my own practice and teaching. The answers change. Sometimes I need company and a good laugh. Sometimes I need to move, shake, dance or get outside. Sometimes I need fewer plans and an early night.

What does grounding actually mean?

When I talk about grounding, I mean finding a sense of contact and support in the present moment.

That might be noticing your feet against the floor, the chair beneath you or the familiar shapes and colours around the room. Something simple and tangible to bring your attention to when everything feels a bit scattered.

In practice, this can involve movement as well as stillness. I often want to sway, stretch or roll around before settling into rest. There’s space to follow that impulse and notice what feels helpful.

This is part of what I value about somatic practice: the invitation to be curious about how we feel and how we want to move. We can take our time, adjust, pause and choose.

Small moments of steadiness

I like to think about the ordinary things that give a day some shape. Making something warm to eat. Stepping outside and noticing what has changed in the trees. Putting my phone down long enough to drink a brew. Moving to a favourite track. Spending time with someone whose company feels easy.

They’re simple things, but they can easily get squeezed out when life gets busy.

Perhaps there’s one small moment you could make room for today. Something enjoyable or supportive enough that you’d want to return to it.

A free autumn grounding practice

I’ve created a short, free online practice with gentle somatic movement and time to settle into the support beneath you.

It’s an invitation to pause, reconnect with your body and find a little steadiness in the season you’re in. Whether you’re navigating perimenopause, another transition or simply a busy week, you’re welcome.

Come as you are, and adapt the practice to suit you.

Try the free 15 min Autumn Rhythm practice

As the season changes around us, perhaps we can make a little more room to notice our own rhythm too.