On embracing change, reclaiming our rhythm, and finding new ways to move through midlife
What if midlife is an invitation to reconsider how we want to move through the rest of our lives? Its arrival holds both continuity and change, acceptance and resistance; sometimes these changes are chosen, and sometimes they’re not. Regardless, the life we knew is shifting, and it’s time to move with more intention and openness toward what feels true now.
Growing up in New England, I developed a finely honed sense of seasonal transitions. There’s a feeling of anticipation in the body for what will come. I feel it now in the evening, in the cool air drifting through the bedroom window, and soon in the crisp crunch of leaves underfoot.
I think that is why I have always loved the fall and spring. The temperate weather allows me to ease into more extreme conditions. Nature gives us an interval, time to adapt. What if we take this time to notice, experiment, adjust, and move into the next season on our own terms? What might that look like?
With anticipation comes hopefulness for what lies ahead as we adapt to a new season of life. We can evolve the routines and rituals that strengthen and ground us, and explore new ways of moving that excite and challenge us.
For me, it’s pulling back on running intensity and introducing more restorative and strengthening practices. It’s letting go of comparison to see what is possible now that I hadn’t considered before.
What am I holding onto simply because it worked before? What might become possible if I allowed myself to move differently now?
The beauty is, we intuitively know what’s best when we get still and listen. We don’t need to be told; we thrive when we are guided by our bodies and by each other.
