Autumn Ritual of Descent

You’ll need

A warm, quiet space, by a window or candlelight

A small bowl of oil can be gently warmed - coconut, sweet almond, or any emollient you love :)

Optional: a cup of tea

Begin with the Season

Take a moment to notice your surroundings, the dimming light.
This is the season of release, of roots deepening, of warmth drawn inward.
Let your body sense that shift.
Close your eyes.
Take a breath in through the nose, and sigh it out through the mouth.
Again, a slow inhale, a soft exhale.
Let each breath remind you: it’s safe to slow down.

Breath of Descent

Place one hand on your heart, one on your lower belly.
Imagine the breath moving down through you, from sky to soil, from crown to root.
Inhale light, exhale warmth.
Let gravity be your ally.
Allow your shoulders to fall, your ribs to release.
You might whisper…
I follow the light inward. I let myself descend.

Anointing the Body

Warm a few drops of oil between your palms.
With the intention of gratitude for self, begin at the base of the neck and sweep downward, long, grounding strokes across the shoulders and chest.
Move slowly to the arms, lovingly working with the hands.

Let this be an act of reverence for your body and all it has carried you through this year.
Not an effort to fix or repair, but a way of nourishing through tenderness.
Then to the legs, the thighs, knees, calves, anchoring your attention downward.

Using long, steady strokes, exploring different pressures, listening to what the body invites rather than assuming where to go.
Feel the subtle layers of muscle and skin beneath your hands, meeting each one with patience. Meeting your body where it is.

Sip and Root

If you’ve made tea, take a sip now.
Taste the warmth, the herbs, the earth.
Feel it move down through the throat and into the belly. A reminder that nourishment can be simple.

Sealing the Ritual

Sit quietly for a few moments.
Listen to the sound of your breath.
Maybe the faint hum of evening, a flicker of candlelight.
Bring your hands together at your heart.
You may say softly…
May I move through this season with ease.
May I rest in what is falling away.
May I gather warmth from within.

Open your eyes when you feel ready.
Before returning to your day, or evening, rest for a moment in the lingering effects of the practice. The warmth, the breath, the stillness 🤍