Seasonal rituals: Autumn

“Autumn after autumn, the moonlight comes and goes; Human beings will gaze upon it for eternity.” These words from Ryokan capture the upcoming season’s true essence. In autumn, seeds drop to the earth and lie still. Similarly, we prepare to hibernate for the winter by drawing inward and consolidating our energy. At the ripe old age of 29, my seasonal rituals for autumn have evolved quite a bit from the Spiced warm drinks-Sweet treats-Gilmore Girls combo of my younger years, so I thought it would be interesting to share them with you and maybe even exchange notes to see how everyone else welcomes autumn in differently. 🕰️📜🍂🥮🤎

• Dabble in some guided journaling — It’s an ideal time to pause and take stock of everything that’s happened this year, and to introspect on how you’ve handled things so far. Here’s a list of some seasonal prompts to help get you started.
• Breathe! — Summer is the most hectic period for me in my annual calendar, with multiple projects happening at the same time and a LOT of socializing. Emerging from a very high-strung season, the first thing I notice is how I still hold onto my breath even after August ends. And so I inhale a deep bellyful (4 counts), and then exhale it slowly (6 counts). And repeat the process a few times. And remind myself to do it every day until my body gets used to breathing normally again.
• Go on long meditative walks — Crisp, dry air means it’s time to lace up your hiking shoes and venture deeper and deeper into the woods— and into your soul. I like to bring my journal with me in case I’m struck by something while walking. And a thermos of my favourite tea of course.
• Revise your dua list — After a period of reflection and journaling, your duas (prayers) will often look a little different this time of the year, because you know better what to ask for, what your current needs are, what you’re thankful for, and what personal shortcomings to seek Divine forgiveness and guidance for.
• Schedule in your space-outs — Yes, you heard that right! Try to schedule anything between 30 minutes to an hour in your personal calendar to sit still and do absolutely nothing. Maximum: I like to light incense and listen to dhikr or an ambient soundscape and try to keep my mind focused on only one thing at a time. A nice habit to try before going to bed to replace scroll time.
• Feed your brain — Intentionally slowing down will free up some CPU space in your brain for learning and retaining complex information! Use this time to read up on anything big or small, or perhaps you could prepare your own personal curriculum. I really enjoy diving deeper into topics like the Islamic sciences, philosophies & metaphysics this time of the year because I feel my brain is a lot more receptive to complex layered information. Some podcasts I’ve been enjoying lately:
  • The Thinking Muslim
  • Roots Community – Finding Felicity by Ustadh AbdelRahman Murphy. This is a series that interrogates the idea of what happiness and contentment really means, and goes on to suggest ways to align your life as Muslim to acheive contentment in an age of chaos, burnout, hyper-individualism, and the ills of hyper-capitalism.
  • Books for the Girls who love God – this is such a great book rec video from Awiista on YouTube. Some real gems in there! I love her brain.
• Do the creative thing you said you wanted to start this year — Film photography? Writing more? Painting your dresser? Air dry claymaking? Starting a blog? Go and do it in the coming months. You’ve probably bought all the tools you need. Now it’s just about taking that brave first step! Your soul will thank you for it.

• Keep a minimal social calendar — Start getting selective about where you’re spending your time and energy. This includes non-essential work events if opting out is an option! It’s almost the end of the year and I ain’t playing no more.
• Plan activity-based hangouts with friends — Not just a catch-up lunch or dinner. Plan your day around an activity you can all do together to create new memories. Home cafe dates, art jamming in the park, hiking new trails and other microadventures in the city – the possibilities are endless.
• Prioritize family & community — Fit in time for them intentionally into your seasonal calendar as a thank you for all the support they’ve given you this year! Travel with your parents, make them a nice meal, or volunteer for an upcoming community event.

• Eat and drink seasonally according to TCM — As the old saying goes, you have found me at a very Chinese time in my life. As I prepare to step into my 30s, I’ve found myself getting more and more drawn into the world of traditional medicine. Please don’t roll your eyes at me because they genuinely help with digestion and overall energy issues! Seasonal tea guide here (love some Tieguanyin Oolong this time of the year) and more details on how to navigate autumn based on TCM principles here.
  • Bonus: Watch The Best Thing (2025) if you’re still not convinced!
• Stock up on your herbal apothecary based on your household’s health needs — Researching ingredients for brewing different teas, soups and stews is genuinely a lot of fun. I have a lot of recipes saved on Xiao Hong Shu (Red Note) but this Youtube Channel is a great place to start! Start by stocking up on ginger, fennel seeds, cinnamon, goji berries, mulberries, black sesame, and Chinese red dates.
• Make a list of all the things you’d like to make at home this season — Can be anything from bakes and soups to warm comforting drinks. Even better if you make slightly bigger batches to share with friends, family and colleagues! Here are some on my list:
  • Kashmiri pink chai — An annual tradition it seems. Perfect with layered puff pastry biscuits. Take these on a picnic with friends this autumn.
  • Brown Butter & Black Sesame banana bread — I’m a sucker for all these nutty flavours.
  • Baba Yaga’s wild spiced honey cookies — Also a sucker for folkloric foods.
  • Add a few drops of rose water to your matcha latte this season (and thank me later).
  • Homemade snowy mooncakes — ‘Tis truly the season! Flavours I’m thinking of trying this year: brown sugar & milk tea, lavender & matcha, and maybe ube too.

• Craft tiny homemade things to hang around in your room — To physically usher in the changing of seasons into your own personal space. Thinking of making a string of acorns and wood pieces collected from my walks this year.
• Burn your favourite incense — The woodier and darker, the better! Crank up the atmospherics a notch to feel like a real wizard this autumn. You deserve it.
• And your favourite scented candles — Not the carcinogenic Bath & Body Works nonsense (we are boycotting those fools!). Treat yourself to real soy wax candles from local artisans in your city! If you’re in Hong Kong, I suggest The Blomstre for unique homemade scented candles.
• Clean up your socials — Declutter your feed and remove all acquaintances from your Instagram so that you only have friends and family following you. My rule of thumb: If I have exchanged more than 5 DMs throughout the year, they can stay. If not, we’ll continue to keep our interactions cordial at work/community events and LinkedIn, and keep our private lives private. I actually think it makes for stronger and more respectful relationships with my acquaintances at work and in the community!

And that’s it from me! What are your personal rituals for the season? What keeps you grounded, content and motivated as the leaves start to fall and the air gets dryer? Let’s exchange notes. 🫶🏽 I shall leave you with a small autumnal moodboard for laughs!