If you’re new to Slower Space, then hello, welcome! I’m Jodie, A Yoga teacher & creator. I write about all sorts, but mostly my quest to live a slower paced more intentional life with themes of rest and seasonal living. Subscribe to support my work & to read more. Or, get cosy and join our Slower Space community to access all content including meditations and the journaling club!
The transitional seasons are where I thrive, there’s something about both spring and autumn that feel like a true renewal and this year (especially with it coinciding with me reaching 6 months postpartum), I’m tapping into it in a BIG way.
With “fail to plan, plan to fail” in mind, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m hoping to do with my time this coming few months, and I thought - why not share this with you!
Before we dive in, if you want to soften into autumn and celebrate together, I have just the thing for you…
On Monday the 22nd of September at 7pm (tomorrow if you’re reading this the day I press send!) I’ll be leading a Seasonal Living Workshop to celebrate Autumn Equinox… The session combines mindful movement with wellbeing and seasonal rituals for a chance to replenish and step into autumn feeling ready for it! Come and join us…
Right, let’s crack on!
Audit the first thing you do every single day. What’s the very first action you take in the morning? I realised recently I was waking up in a bit of an overstimulated funk. All of the developmental milestones are hitting my sons sleep (and therefore mine) hard, and I got into the habit of rushing out of bed to quickly get ready. So instead of rushing, I’m giving myself 5 minutes to recalibrate, stretch and properly wake up. A simple shift but I’m noticing the benefits. There’s something about lingering in bed in the morning this time of year that feels SO sweet.
Get into growing things from seed/ planting for spring. Whether you’ve got a big garden space, balcony, or simply a window sill, you can grow! I can’t tell you how much joy growing brings to me all year round, but especially during the autumn and winter months. This year I’m focusing on tulips and daffodils - I’ll be sharing more on this in October’s Seasonal Scroll!
Read. Regardless of the season, reading is one of the ways I’ve reduced my screen time hugely. Here’s what’s on my list that I’d like to read before the end of Autumn…
✨ We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
✨ Clever Cleaning - The Natural Way To Clean Things - by Purdy Rubin and Charlotte Fig
✨ This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell - this is the book club pick for our retreat in November!
Put your legs up the wall for 10 minutes before you go to sleep (I often do this in bed, to my husbands amusement). It has a whole range of benefits, but my favourite is how relaxing it feels.
Make an autumn vision board. Tap into how you want to FEEL this autumn then map it out visually. I love starting with this question of how I want to feel, setting some specific intentions then finding images to match on Pinterest. I’ve made a start on mine here. I really recommend doing this on desktop if you can!
Bring the coffee shop experience home… This is one I’m really keen to do this year. I work from home, I adore most hot drinks and I’ve seen so many little stations that honestly I feel like will elevate the ritual of making drinks every day.
Get outside and observe the seasonal changes. An obvious one, but an antidote to the autumn/ winter blues for me is being in nature and actually noticing what’s changed. Think about your senses while you stroll… what can you see, hear, feel, smell?
Complete a puzzle. This is something I usually reserve for that period between Christmas and New Year, but, the idea of having a puzzle on the go to dip in and out of on a drizzly Sunday, or once those nights start to feel longer sounds like heaven!
Join a book club! Despite it being cosy season and that tendency to want to hibernate getting stronger, I always find that a balance is key, and my tank is most full for seeing people and having that sense of connection to others too. Starting a book club has been a game changer for me, of course you don’t have to start your own, but if you enjoy reading I definitely recommend finding one in your local area.
Get into making bread. This is top of my list for this year. I’ve made focaccia and perfected flatbreads, but I’m really keen to get into making loafs. Sourdough is the goal, but here’s a simple recipe that I’m going to try to get me started…
🍞 Ingredients List
525g strong bread flour
7g quick acting yeast
15g Olive oil (or 1 tablespoon)
Dissolve 10g salt in 445ml warm water
3 handfuls of your preferred seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, poppy - whatever your preference is!)
🍞 Method
Mix your flour, olive oil, salted warm water and yeast together in a bowl. Then, cover with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for 2-3 hours (option to add seeds after 30mins).
Once risen, transfer the dough to a lined high sided baking tray, loaf tin or dutch oven. Try and use a tray that is no bigger than 30x20cm. Don’t worry if the dough is very loose and wet. Sprinkle with a little flour.
Before cooking, pre-heat your oven to 230C (fan)
Put in oven for 30-40mins until the bread is baked and golden brown (and sounds hollow when tapped underneath).
Remove paper, and put on wire rack to cool
Couch to 5k… I’ve heard people rave about the programme, but honestly I had no idea just how much of a fan I’d become. I’m telling anyone who will listen how bloomin’ amazing its been for my confidence and getting back into exercise. I hadn’t ran for a year and I was starting post C-Section and it gently eased me in.
Take a long bath. One of my favourite things about autumn is baths, and not just your run of the mill - stick in abit of bubble bath - baths, I make them count! Here’s your sign to light all the candles, put on some spa music, create a pillow with your towels and properly soak it up! I’m a huge fan of Mirror Water - especially their Smooth Body Oil, and recently discovered The Grown Alchemist*- I’ve never found a brand that truly brings that spa scent to your bathroom like their products do.
Learn to take better photos on your phone. I’m an iphone user, so found this video useful. It takes you through settings and a couple of other tips. I’ve started putting my phone on airplane mode and using it purely as a camera when I’m out and about with my son and don’t want to be distracted!
Learn and practice a new hairstyle… Okay, this is random, but something I’m keen to try and do this autumn to elevate my outfits. It’s so easy to get stuck into the same routine with these things, so I’m seeing it as my season to experiment. I’m thinking plaits, claw clips and buying some statement bobbles to fresh’un things up!
Stretch your body. Ending with a simple one inspired by my son… As soon as he wakes from a nap/ his night time sleep he stretches his little arms above his head and does the most gorgeous little stretch. We tend to lose this intuitive mind body connection as we get older, so it’s something I’m trying to incorporate more outside of my Yoga practice.
And, that’s a wrap! I hope this list has sparked some excitement for the possibilities of autumn and what’s to come… Ofcourse it’s not a to-do list, but more some inspiration of what you could get up to!
What are you planning on doing this autumn to make it your most wholesome yet?
Speak soon,
Jodie x
Oh, I loved this list. Legs up the wall before bed chills me right out, and I find that I sleep like a champ when I do it. And you reminded me to get my kitchen stocked so I can make my own fun warm drinks at home.
I loved reading this list and also can completely relate to coming alive in the spring and autumn. These in between seasons are when I thrive too.