Harnessing the Superpower of the Fall Equinox to Fuel Your Life

Balance. More energy. Focus. Inner calm. These are all things we crave in our fast-paced world. But, even when we consistently meditate or do our yoga practice, taking care of ourselves amidst the demands of daily life is challenging.

The ancient sages predicted that, in these times, we would face levels of intensity that our “internal operating systems” were not prepared for. Think about the amount of information you process or number of things you do in a day, compared to what people did just 20 years ago. The increase in speed and quantity has risen exponentially, and it’s not slowing down.

About a decade ago, after climbing the corporate ladder to live my passion of teaching self-love and feminine power, I realized that the pace at which I was operating was unsustainable. I knew if I didn’t find a different way, I was going to deplete my most vital resource—me. So I “asked” these ancient sages a question:

How do you do what you love, take care of what you love, achieve success, and have an impact in the world in a way that includes, instead of sacrifices, your personal health and happiness?

I found a common answer in the ancient wisdom of the yogic, divine feminine, and earth-based traditions I was steeped in:

One of the main reasons we feel so out of balance is because we are out of sync with the natural rhythms of the earth. To be in harmony, physically and spiritually, one must be in harmony with both the natural (physical) and spiritual worlds.

This made all the sense in the world to me. We live on earth. We are physical matter just like the earth. But we are not in tune with the earth. We are more attuned to the speed of the Internet than to the steadiness of the trees. We count time passing and set goals on calendars constructed by man, rather than instructed by nature. It’s as if the earth is moving one direction, changing speeds in a well-patterned synchronicity, while we keep running harder and faster at a pace we call “normal” but is anything but natural.

This led me to experiment with how to apply this ancient wisdom in practical ways in my daily life—in how I run my business, make my choices, and balance giving to others and taking care of myself. Here’s my modern translation of the ancient wisdom:

When you attune your body, mind, and spirit to the natural cycles of the earth, you harmonize automatically, and your work, health, wealth, relationships, and life become more sustainable, supportive, and successful.

I found that all three of these traditions had a common practice and philosophy—which always makes me think, There is superpower here! They all had rituals and practices that centered around four specific times during the year, which I have come to call the “feminine superpower days”: the winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice, and fall equinox. These are times of the year that mark a shift in the earth’s energy, each with its own rhythm.

Winter solstice (December)—the natural world slows down. Spring equinox (March)—new things are born. Summer solstice (June)—intense creative energy abounds.

Fall equinox, in mid- to late September, is known as “mid-harvest.” It’s a time to reap what you’ve been putting your life force toward these past nine months. It’s a time when there is an equal amount of light and dark present in a day—it’s all about balance—so it’s a powerful time to rebalance, restore, and refocus your energy. Also, because the harvest is not over yet, it’s a time to pause and look forward, to see where to best flow your life force during the last three months of the year.

Pre-Internet and pre–Industrial Revolution, when we were more agriculturally based, we tended and harvested our fields based on these powerful turns of the earth. While most of us are no longer farmers, we each have “fields” that we tend; they just happen to be the fields of our sacred work, relationships and families, home and wealth, and personal health and happiness.

I hold and practice these feminine superpower days as gifts from the universe and the earth, giving us permission to take the power pauses we need to re-harmonize, restore, and gain clarity, so we make choices that create sustainable, supportive realities. During the fall equinox, I invite you to pause and tap into the specific energy that is available to you, including these three acts of wisdom that will help guide how you spend the last part of the year:

1. Restore and rebalance. Become conscious about what your body is telling you needs attention, so you don’t run yourself ragged and fall over in a heap on December 31. When you take a power pause and listen to your body, you get guidance about what to proactively adjust in your day-to-day life. This rebalancing will help you stay devoted to your well-being as you move into the fall and the holidays, so you can complete the year with a full tank.
2. Reflect and receive. Look back at the year thus far and see all you have done and become. One of the biggest reasons we feel overwhelmed, and continue to stay stuck in the patterns of overworking, overdoing, and burning out, is because we don’t pause long enough to really receive what has happened. When you don't truly get what you have already done or become, you just keep pressuring yourself to do and be more. But when you pause to reflect on what has occurred, you stop making your choices from a place of stress.
3. Refocus. Get clear on what matters and where to focus your life force for the remainder of the year. Just as in a field of vegetables, if you only have so many resources to give and you try to water everything, nothing really thrives. Yes, there are many things you could do during the last three months of the year, and many you want to do, but what really matters most? What will yield the highest returns, and the most nourishing harvest?

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