Reflection, Warmth & Flow
Many trees have already let go. Others are releasing slowly, like the apple tree outside my window, giving us the brilliant colors that only shine through in the fall. When the layers begin to drop, and we find ourselves bare with more darkness to navigate, it’s a good time to turn our attention to what sustains us, feeds us, and takes us through to the next season.
This season invites something similar in us.
A slowing. A shedding.
A quiet call to look inward and tend to what’s underneath.
Our days are shorter now. The air is colder. But winter isn’t only about what’s lost, it’s also about what we gather close, what we intentionally warm, and what we return to when the outer world feels still or stark.
A Season of Nourishment and Practice
In August, I traveled to Hollyhock, a beautiful retreat center on Cortez Island off the coast of British Columbia. I spent a week in Conversation and spiritual practice with my teacher, Rev. angel Kyodo Williams. The experience was incredibly nourishing. Insightful teachings, grounded embodiment, soulful connections that reminded me of the wisdom we each carry, and the power of being witnessed in it. It allowed for deepening relationships and adding new ones. I was gathering both internal and external wisdom, resources to not just get through winter, but to meet it with presence, clarity, and care.
In September, I joined a group organized by Rev. angel to learn the Shaw Method of swimming in London. A body-wise, breath-centered approach that teaches you to move through the water with more ease and alignment. It was humbling. At first, I felt awkward and uncoordinated. But as I softened into it, I started to trust the rhythm and myself, again.
We’re not always starting over. Sometimes, we’re just learning to move differently through familiar waters with more ease and grace.
Following that momentum, this fall, Bridget Bertrand (Expressive Arts Therapist) and I launched a Mindfulness Support Circle for Activists, a space for rest, reflection, and honest connection. A place where those doing the hard work of change-making can come home to themselves and to each other.
If you're longing for a space like that, I’d love to invite you in.
We meet once a month for an hour for guided reflection, grounding practices, and meaningful dialogue.
Revisiting the Prompts
In the first newsletter, I offered four reflection questions, gentle invitations to return to your center:
🦋 What brings you hope—even now?
🔥 How are you taking charge of your life—even in small or subtle ways?
🪴 What’s one positive step you can take—even if it’s quiet?
🌊 How do you maintain your peace—even when the world outside feels cold or chaotic?
As winter settles in, I invite you to revisit them, not to fix or figure anything out, but simply to notice what has shifted. What’s still true. What’s asking for care?
Reflection Questions for This Season
Let these guide you gently:
What are you doing (or letting go of) to stay warm emotionally, spiritually, relationally?
What is winter teaching you about your pace, your boundaries, or your priorities?
There are no perfect answers. Only practice.
Would You Like to Be Held in This Work?
This is what coaching can offer:
A space to return to yourself. To be seen. To move forward with presence, purpose, and grounded care.
✨ Book a free 15-minute consult
📧 Or reply to this email, I’d love to hear what’s stirring for you.
With warmth and trust in your unfolding,
Ashnie
Inner Work Outer Play