Autumn mindfulness: The art of letting go

When I first moved from Lima, Peru, to the UK, I was surprised by how much the weather affected me. Lima has plenty of grey skies, but the climate there is generally mild, with gentler winds and far less rain. In contrast, the colder temperatures, the constant drizzle, and the strong winds here often left me feeling sad, even homesick. Over time, I realised something important: I couldn’t change the weather, but I could change how I related to it. Gradually, I began to notice the beauty of autumn — the orange and brown leaves carpeting the ground, the crispness of the air, the quiet invitation to slow down. What once felt heavy began to soften into acceptance. And I discovered that practising autumn mindfulness could be an opportunity to let go and begin again.

Autumn mindfulness: Letting go and acceptance

For me, letting go in mindfulness doesn’t mean ignoring difficulties or pretending everything is fine. It means recognising reality as it is, and choosing to meet it with a different attitude: curiosity, presence, and sometimes even gratitude.

Letting go is one of the qualities of mindfulness. It’s the willingness to release what no longer serves us — whether that’s a thought we keep replaying, an expectation we cling to, or the belief that life should always feel a certain way. Acceptance is what makes letting go possible. We don’t have to like what’s happening, but by softening our resistance we create space for calm. As one of my first mindfulness teachers always reminded us in class: “what resists, persists.”

Psychologist and mindfulness expert Rick Hanson notes that our brains are wired to hold onto the negative more than the positive — like velcro for difficulties and teflon for joys. This is why letting go matters. By pausing and resting our attention on what nourishes us, even briefly, we begin to balance the mind’s natural tendency to cling to the hard.

A practice for the senses 🍂

This season, you might try a simple practice while outdoors:

• Pause and breathe. Notice the cool air flowing in and out.

• Look around. Take in the colours of the trees: deep oranges, fading browns.

• Listen. Hear the crunch of leaves underfoot or the wind moving through branches.

• Feel. Notice the ground supporting you, the air against your skin.

• Receive. Choose one pleasant detail and let it sink in for a few moments.

If you’d like to deepen this, you can also try my Breathing Space Meditation — a gentle way to pause and reconnect.

For your journal ✍️

As this month starts, take a few minutes to reflect:

• What am I ready to let go of this season?

• Where am I clinging to perfection, and what would it feel like to soften that grip?

• What small sources of calm or gratitude can I notice in the midst of change?

Letting go of perfectionism

While writing this post, I set an intention to practise what I share: letting go of perfectionism. Like many of you, I often feel the urge to polish, refine, and get everything just right. When I don’t let go, I can find myself going round in circles, spending far too much time reworking a text — as I sometimes do with these blog posts. Yet mindfulness reminds us of the attitude of non-striving: that it is enough to show up as we are, here and now, without forcing or over-efforting.

As autumn unfolds, may we learn from the trees: releasing what no longer serves us, trusting that every letting go creates space for rest, renewal, and future growth. Just as the leaves fall to make way for spring, we too can soften our grip and welcome change with kindness.

🍁 What are you ready to let go of this October?