It's time to celebrate Fall, and the end of long summer days abundantly filled with activities and indulges. Fall beckons our awareness to go within. It's a time to reap what we've sown, and to reflect on where we've been this year. Can you actively respond to this seasonal queue by making a list of things your body, mind and heart have endured this summer?

What kinds of feelings come up when you remember emotional and physical experiences from the summer? Can you listen to your feelings? Can you feel the energy they stimulate? Does the energy have a color? Where in your body do you feel it? Then, ask yourself a bigger question — can you gauge and schedule the activities of this season from reaping what the summer has provided for you?

Shorter days and colder temperatures make being indoors more appealing. Fall sheds opportunities to schedule dates with the cozy couch and the kitchen table. Those of us who endure high pressured schedules can benefit from recognizing the power seasonal change bestows. Our capacity to deal with stress flows most succinctly by following the circadian rhythm. Scheduling activities that coincide with daylight hours allows our body and mind optimal rest and energy output.

Seasonal changes queue the body in many ways. Traditional Chinese Medicine speaks about these queues as our capacity for adaptation. The more easily the body adapts to environmental changes are signs of health, and our ability to cope with stressors. The level of your restorative capacity can be seen by how often you catch seasonal colds, and/or how often you feel allergy symptoms, and/or feel run-down.

A strategy I'd like to share about how you can honestly assess your available energy is through grounding into the present moment. Take a few breaths to feel your feelings and hear your thoughts. Looking outside to see the natural environment that surrounds you can help start this process of grounding into the present moment. Operating from a grounded place within connects us to our energy. Being grounded helps us assess the level of "play" we are up for from moment to moment.

So, the next time you are wondering how to react to a situation, or are judging how you feel in the morning or are wondering about the day ahead of you; take some deep breaths, look outside and take-in seasonal queues to help shape your feelings, thoughts, reactions and plans for the day.

Dawn Sitchon

Dawn is a Certified Nutrition Consultant (NC) from Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition & Culinary Arts. She works at Elevate Acupuncture & Wellness Center in South Lake Tahoe and teaches cooking classes at Lake Tahoe Community College.