The power of grace and falling leaves

The leaves are starting to turn! They’re also starting to fall. I do love all seasons, but Autumn, or Fall as I like to call it, is truly special. There is a practice that I like to do at this time of year. It is inspired by a post that I once read on my friend Brother Richard’s Facebook page. The post describes an Irish custom of saying a prayer for the dead every time a falling leaf drifts in front of your face. He explains that the leaf represents a departed soul asking for a prayer.

Now, I don’t know if I simply remembered it wrong or if I unconsciously chose to slightly shake things up a bit, in that while I have incorporated this beautiful practice into my seasonal rituals, I do it a bit different. What I do is I set an intention for the season or I reflect on something that I am grateful for, every time a leaf falls in my path. Perhaps, this is down to the leaves falling around the time of Canadian Thanksgiving, or down to my intention to turn towards the good things in my life as a means of mitigating the negativity bias that we, as humans, tend to have.

The negativity bias is the tendency to “attend to, learn from, and use negative information far more than positive information”. The function of the negativity bias is what some might call a noble function- it’s to keep us safe. The negativity bias stems from our survival instincts and is a symptom of being on the lookout for all the things that can harm us. However, what this bias actually does is keep us in rumination loops, ultimately affecting how we perceive the world, overall. This in turn has an effect on our bodies and the stress that we hold within them. Interestingly, what helps soften this bias is pausing, paying attention to how we are relating to ourselves and the world around us and using a bit of cognitive restructuring to find a more useful narrative. Tools that have been named as helpful include mindfulness.

Perhaps this is why I love the leaf practice. The falling leaves act as a support to bring me back into the here and now, to touch in with my thoughts, body and emotions and what is happening for me in that moment. This in turn helps me to choose a new narrative that is coloured by gratefulness. When I do the leaf practice, these falling splashes of colour can feel like grace being bestowed upon me. Now who couldn’t use a bit more grace?

So, in light of the season of falling leaves and thanksgiving, my challenge for you is to use the leaves as a conduit for grace. You may like to, as Brother Richard describes, use leaves as messages for prayer from beyond, or use them as a reminder to pause and be present, set an intention, or act as an invitation for gratefulness. Whatever you choose, falling leaves are a wonderful resource to touch in with the beauty that the season offers.

This week, at the Sanctuary’s Tuesday morning community meditation session, I will be leading a practice called Taking in the Good. This practice is inspired by the work of Dr. Rick Hanson, whose work addresses the negativity bias through education and meditation practice. If you’re interested in this subject, he has written a wonderful book, “Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom”.

Hopefully see you online!

-Jane

Click here to join me at the Sanctuary’s online community meditation this Tuesday at 10am.

Click the link below to try the practice of Taking in the Good, a practice inspired by Dr. Rick Hanson: