View of Lake Red Rock from Cordova Park as Fall transitions to Winter
I’m going to be the one that stands up for Fall. This time of year, everyone forgets that we are indeed STILL in the season of fall. Snow may be flying and the air may be chill, but transitional seasons always carry complications… Spring reminds us of that too.
Fall has a purpose and about this time of year, most people tend to forget it.
Yet instead of honoring Fall’s purpose, we often override it with frenzy.
This is the time when panic creeps in — the rush to finish, to attend, to check every box before the year closes, as if the calendar itself were Y2K.
And while we ARE still in the season of releasing and finishing things as seasonal energy calls for, it’s as though the only way we can tell this from the world around us is by the number of concerts, programs, holiday parties, gifts to purchase for all the people who help raise our children, and year-end sales, and 2025 round-ups from all our favorite media consumption avenues that get shoved into our faces and inboxes this time of year.
It’s a time of year that is nothing short of dis-harmony when the season of harmony is hijacked by deadlines, demands, and distractions.
Do people actually even still remember that we are still in the season of letting go?
The days are getting darker, the air is getting colder, and what was harvested earlier in fall is tucked away for the winter. Yet in this season meant to draw us towards stillness and song, we’re drowning in noise.
Heck, my daughter’s basketball practice schedule has gotten rearranged 3 times already this week because it’s competing with all the concerts for gym space. It’s annoying enough as a parent, let alone for a child who thinks the schedule is going to be one way when they go to school, then it’s totally different when they arrive back in your care. It can be tough to go with the flow sometimes when there’s so much going on.
Am I the only one feeling this way?
Raise your hand if you recognize it too.🙋♀️
It’s a lot to carry, and I bet your shoulders and neck are feeling the load kinda like mine are.
I want to invite you in these last ten days of Fall to pause, to breathe, to honor the quiet work of releasing and finishing.
And to remember the rhythm of the season in which we are actually still in even when the world may feel completely hectic right now.
Celebrate what has been harvested in your life this past year. Appreciate the labor of the year. Let go of what no longer needs to be carried.
The days themselves whisper that it’s enough to finish, to celebrate, to appreciate what has been done. To let go of the noise and remember the harmony that slowing down brings.
And here’s why that matters: because the truth is, we can’t fully step into Winter’s stillness and do the inner work to integrate the past year and prepare for the coming year unless we let go of some of what is weighing us down from the past year.
These little pauses, invitations to res{e}t, remind your system to live in rhythm instead of chaos.
The world may keep rushing, but we don’t have to. We can choose to honor the rhythm of the season.
Perhaps the words on this paper are just the thing you need to remind you of this, and the pause you took to read may be the very pause your day needed to reconnect with nature’s rhythm so your rhythm could realign with it.
For now, I’m just over here rooting for Fall, and for you, Reader, to finish strong with grace.
Cheers,
P.S. Remember: finishing with grace doesn’t mean doing more, it means carrying less. P.P.S. If you want some help with your neck and shoulder tension, a class just might be the thing for you… check out the schedule below.
5:30 PM • All levels welcome A restorative class with longer held postures & mindful breathing to build stress resiliency & bring balance to your fast-paced life.
WEDNESDAY – Yoga + Breath Work Flow
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome Active, flow-based practice integrating strength, balance and mobility. Intentional breath work practices included.
THURSDAY -The Weekly Breath Reset (Virtual)
8:30 AM • 30-minute virtual breath work Your breath has the power to change how you experience stress. Harness that power of your breath to start your day with intention.
SATURDAY – Yoga + Breath Work
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome This class is generally blend of a flow-based practice and a restorative/yin practice.
Special Events:
THURSDAY, JAN 22 – Snowflake Inspired Yoga
6:00 PM • Cordova Park Classroom 1378 Highway G-28, Otley IA 50214 Join MCCD and Cairn Yoga and Wellness for an evening of snowflakes and grounding yoga practice. We’ll explore the wonder of snowflakes and the symmetry found in nature while enjoying the warmth of the fire. The session will include a sequence of yoga postures inspired by snowflakes, designed to open your heart, clear your mind, and connect you to the quiet beauty of winter.
Please bring a mat or blanket to practice on. Other yoga props will be provided.
Registration is required by January 20 at 4PM. This event is part of the Nature & Yoga Fireside Series. We will have a new topic each session. Join us for as many sessions as you would like. The fee is $25 per class; each class will have its own registration. Register for each one here.
THURSDAY, JAN 8 – Circles of Renewal: The Healing Journey of Grief
6:00 PM • Pierschbacher Celebration Center In the midst of a change in life, whether it be from the loss of a loved one or the anticipation that illness may take someone you love, grief can weigh heavy on the spirit. It can often seem like an emotional roller coaster.
You don’t have to go it alone.
We’ve partnered with Jacki Ballou of Radiating Joy Therapy Services and Pierschbacher Funeral Homes to bring you a series of healing circles designed to support you in the midst of loss.
Group & Individual Sessions:
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE – Personalized Group Stress Resilience Training
TBD • At your location or at the studio In these sessions I guide groups through practical, embodied practices—like breath work, mindfulness, gentle movement, and/or emotional awareness—to build stress resilience. Each session offers simple, effective tools to help participants reset, regulate, and respond with greater calm and clarity in everyday life.
The podcast:
Listen to Health Harmony Happiness with Cathy and get show notes at CairnYogaWellness.com/Podcast or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!
