hello, october
it's time to begin again
I’m back, and oh how I’ve missed these little letters. I couldn’t stay away for too long. For now, I will be giving myself some breathing room with one letter per month - leaving room to grow!
So, here we are. It is properly autumn here in nyc. We are still doing that dance back and forth with brisk mornings and hot days. The layers of clothes come on and off and on again. Nic and I biked to the park for sunset last week, and we talked about how we can feel the weight of fall in the air. Everything feels ready to descend, but is holding on for one last encore. Some of the leaves are darker, while others are already starting to yellow and drop.
My business and I feel at odds in this moment. Like we are living in different seasons. She seems ready to grow and grow, while I am itching to plant new seeds and settle into the darkness of a new chapter. I find myself sort of suspended in between these two energies, trying to make space for both to be true.
—You can find announcements about changes to my offerings listed below!—
Things to consider this month:
Early fall invites cooler air and space to shed some energetic layers. This is a time of year when we practice the art of letting go. We engage deeper with the acceptance of death as a part of life. We find peace in the endings that allow us to breathe more space into the next beginning.
You may feel a natural drop in energy as the seasons start to change. Your body mimics the descent of nature around you. In Chinese Medicine, this season is connected to the emotion of grief and the idea of death. It’s a time of year that is represented in the body by the lungs and large intestine. These organs encourage elimination, letting go, and embracing an ending of sorts.
While I will invite you to contemplate what you are shedding and choosing to eliminate this season, I will also invite you to consider this a practice of meeting death. Embracing a final ending while still having faith in your ability to keep growing, living, and thriving in the cycle to come.
A simple practice to connect to this idea is taking full, deep, cleansing breaths. Witnessing the emptying of an exhale and the life-giving energy of an inhale. Grief and sadness can constrict the movement of the lungs. Practice stretching the sides of the body and meditating on the life and death cycle of each inhale and exhale.
Practice:
Find a comfortable seat. (perhaps propping your hips higher than your knees by sitting on a pillow or blanket to make more space in the waist)
Start by taking one hand to the ground next to you lifting the other arm up and over head to get a big stretch in the side body. Stay for about 3-5 breaths and then switch sides.
Come back to center and bring your awareness to your breath. Gently begin to increase the amount of air you take in and let out.
Pause at the top of each inhale for 1-3 seconds. Observing what it is like to be completely full.
Then pause at the end of each exhale for 1-3 seconds. Observing what it is like to be completely empty.
Let your breath return to normal and notice how your body and mind feel.
Take this practice for 5-10 minutes each day as a simple autumnal meditation.
What I’ve been up to:
A random list of things that have been on the top of my mind over the last month.
1/ I have been continuing to crave a deeper digital detox, mostly from social media. It has been approximately 365 days of successful limited instagram use that I mentioned in this newsletter. I feel like I am on the verge of a big 2-3 month break. Stay tuned, I suppose.
2/ In effort to assist with limiting my screen time as someone who spends a lot of hours on my computer, I have still been starting a lot of my writing projects by hand before transcribing them to the computer.
3/ I have also picked up The Book of Alchemy from the library as a daily writing practice. So far I am loving the guided prompt that inspire me to write about things other than my own personal dramas or where the moon is in the sky. It’s refreshing for my brain to channel different frequencies.
4/ I have been practicing biking. If you know me well, you know that I actually developed quite a strong aversion (aka fear) of cycling in the city. Near my birthday in August, a friend sold me her bike. Since then, I have been enjoying the early fall weather by slowly and gently biking to my studio throughout the week. It’s literally the shortest ride ever, straight down one street, but I feel so proud of myself 🥲
5/ On Saturdays, I wake up early with the sun to prepare for my weekly yin class. I’ve been listening to Ram Dass lectures while I cook my oatmeal and drink my coffee. Highly recommend.
Announcements:
Okay, here’s the tea:
1/ Remember when I wrote, created, printed, and shipped out 100 LUMINARY JOURNALS last year? Are you one of the very sweet and kind people who bought one? Or did you miss the boat? I am considering creating another similar (simpler) moon journal for 2026 and want to gauge interest. If there are enough people interested, I will go for it! What do you think?
I promise I will not be mad if you select not really! This is just a helpful way for me to collect some data. If you have other desires from a printed journal — feel free to respond to this email!
Okay next order of business…
2/ ASTROLOGY READINGS are changing! Over the last year, my books have been quite full and I have been scheming up a way to streamline my different options into one singular offering…I will also be increasing my rates. So! If you have been on the fence about booking a reading, hop in there right now before I make these changes. The new private session style will likely go into effect in December. Questions? Send me an email :)
3/ THIS SUBSTACK! Boy, do I love it here. And boy, did I burn myself out with 5 Substacks a month for the last year. woo. Moving forward, I will be keeping steady with one monthly musing for all subscribers with an option to upgrade to a paid subscription that features an additional monthly letter and access to a virtual seasonal workshop…stay tuned for WINTER SOLSTICE ❄️
okay deep breath, that’s all for now.
Being a teacher, practitioner, and modern-day creator can be isolating and challenging at times. It is also incredibly rewarding and life-giving. I am so grateful to have a community like you, supporting me as I navigate personal evolutions and professional pivots. I hope that I can inspire you to be messy, stay curious, and keep spiraling through our own wild and beautiful seasons.
Until next time,
xxAnna
Thank you for this gift!
Oh Anna...you are back just in time! And congrats on your mindful journey of honoring your balance and your calling. I look forward to future monthly offerings as you have a way of resetting my inner self with your insight, wisdom and talent. thank you!