The grasses have shifted from their glowing gold…

As summer begins to wind down, the grasses have shifted from their glowing golden color to a drab gray and already some of the leaves on the trees are starting to dry up. I often feel a sense of loss during this time. All the colors of spring and summer have all but faded. But as I was wandering through the land yesterday, I felt something different coming from the acres and acres of dry grass. I sensed a kind of deep relaxation as I attuned to what the grasses are really doing at this time: they are surrendering fully back to the earth after releasing the seeds that would burst forth next spring. They have done their work and now they can completely let go.

After spending the day busy with my endless list of to-do’s, I took up the invitation of the grasses, I gave myself permission to let go entirely. My shoulders dropped and my breath softened, knowing that I had done everything I could that day. I let the land hold me. What was at first an expanse of dead grass was now a teacher of surrender. As I continued to walk on the land, I began to notice more signs of this moment in the seasonal cycle: shrubs going to seed and the bright green acorns forming on the branches of the Live Oak trees. I felt that this time of letting go and surrendering is also a gesture of profound trust and faith in the cycles of nature, that all of nature is entrusting the labor of the past to give rise to the fruits of the future. From my time on the land, I felt more trust in myself and relaxed into a feeling of peace knowing that I too, like the trees and grasses, can trust that my work will create new possibilities that I cannot yet see.

I find that every time I walk on the land like this, with curiosity, openness, and wonder, I am deeply transformed and nourished. The land is always offering some new gift of insight or healing. I would love to share this experience with you. I offer nature meditation retreats on this beautiful land I call home in Penngrove. The next one is Sunday, September 27th from 10am-4pm, where I will explore this theme of relaxation, surrender, and trust. I hope you will join me.