September 22 is the Autumn Equinox, the true midpoint of autumn in the Taoist calendar.
Day and night stand equal for a moment. Yin and Yang meet as true equals, held in balance at the center of the season.
This is the out-breath of the year. The letting go that began at Autumn Begins six weeks ago continues now, carrying us toward its completion at Winter Begins.
Grief and nostalgia belong to this window. If something quiet or heavy is surfacing, let the season name it. It is part of the medicine of this time of year. Give it room to move.
Favor sour and astringent foods that draw Qi inward: vinegar, sauerkraut, pickles, sour plums, olives, and grapefruit. Cook slowly and let dinner grow lighter as the year darkens. Cover your wrists, ankles, and throat, whatever the forecast says.
Let practice be short and indoors, morning and evening. Clear your altar, dust it, and allow this season’s intentions to be quieter and less ambitious than summer’s were.
Take at least one walk this week simply to notice what autumn is doing.
What is ready to be harvested in you?
What can you finally stop tending?
I recorded a podcast episode about the Autumn Equinox and the particular medicine of this turning.
Listen to the latest episode:
The equinox asks us to recognize the difference between what is complete and what is still ripening.
I think about this often in relation to Reiki.
A certificate can mark the completion of a course. Formation continues through practice, attention, mentorship, and the way Reiki gradually shapes how we listen, serve, and move through the world.
After years of practice, this is one of the truths I hold most clearly:
A Reiki Master is not someone who has mastered Reiki, it's someone whom Reiki has mastered.
The path begins with a strong foundation and deepens through living practice. For those who feel the call, mentorship and formation help Reiki become something we embody.
I recorded a 20-minute audiobook called How to Become a Reiki Master. It explores what happens after the certificate, where the real door is, and how this practice becomes part of the way you live.
You can listen here:
With love,
Bronwyn
For a full list of upcoming events, visit bronwynayla.com/events.