Autumn Equinox: the Season's Invitation to Pause and Reflect
- Marilyn Yaquinto, PhD
- Sep 22
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 24
It's that time of year again: that day every September when daylight and darkness strike a rare balance — before the scales tip toward longer nights. Seems like I just wrote about the last fun-packed weeks of summer. Yet, today officially kicks off fall. Or to use its more poetic-sounding name: autumn.
Officially it's called the "autumn equinox" in the Northern Hemisphere. It's when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a "nearly" equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes.
Honor the Rhythm of Light and Dark
That sounds pretty sciencey to me. My friend Dave, with his brilliant grasp of how stuff works (in outer space or under the hood of my car) sees the brush strokes in the science of nature. But he's not here to help me explain. The above picture, from my perspective, looks like a half-illuminated marble whose size I can't comprehend.
Dave, like autumn, is a blend of scientific precision and artful expression. Also, like the season, Dave doesn't fully grasp the extent of his gifts — an innate complexity masquerading as ordinary. A self-proclaimed "gear head" who can write the most soulful poetry (my description, not his). In our 20s, Dave and I had our summer-styled friends, with their aligned glamor and getaway appeal. But Dave and autumn proceed at their own steady pace, rarely advertising their layers or nuanced dimension.
To understand the magic of autumn, we must see its durable roots in nature, dating back more than 4 billion years. And it has something to do with the Earth's titled axis relative to the sun. Almost as rich a history is the myth-making that surrounds autumn's elusive allure. It can be used as a metaphor, as in describing the fading of someone's life force as their "autumn years." In the other direction are autumn's intense "bursts of color" — capable of inspiring and mystifying us.
Ever witness a "harvest moon"? In late September it can loom over the horizon for several nights shortly after sunset, looking more like an exotic, spherical invader from space than the colorless orb we routinely see in the sky.
The equinox itself, which occurs annually between September 21 and 24, is nature’s reminder that a balance point between opposites can exist. As days shorten and nights lengthen, we too can embrace opposite forces in our lives: be both active and at rest in equal measures. It's the season that empowers us to notice when to lean into energy, and when to step back into stillness. Perhaps it's also there to balance a world in which we search for facts but also open our minds to intuitively trust the wiser universe.
Autumn has always spoken to me. Maybe it’s the crispness in the air, or the blaze of colors from trees that are in the process of gently surrendering their leaves. We too could follow autumn's lead and let go, willingly surrender to embrace the larger rhythms of nature. The trees don’t resist — they trust the cycle. Why do we try to hold on to what no longer serves us?
As I'm out walking or driving in the weeks ahead — and passing the stunning displays of gold and crimson foliage — I'm going to try to mimic their ability to "go with the flow." Better yet, I'll write myself a slogan I can remember: to enjoy the glow and let go!
The equinox doesn’t last more than a day. And the colorful leaves only dazzle us for a few weeks. But their combined gift is a gentle nudge: to pause, breathe deeply, and trust in the cycles of change. While spring urges us to air out the house or invite the fresh air inside, autumn asks us to turn inward — to make the most of that liminal space between light and dark, between warm and cool, or between (summer) chaos and (autumn) calm.
Reflect on what to carry forward
Letting go or starting over doesn't mean simply putting away the summer shorts and flip flops and re-shelving our closet with socks and sweaters. It's about slowly contemplating the next chapter of life. To use this pivot point in the seasons to ask ourselves not only what are willing to part with, but what do we really want to carry forward?
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall," wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald.
For some such do-overs start with nixing old routines, questioning less-than-healthy habits, or lightening overbooked schedules. The latter was the point of my late summer blog post. It may be more profound: to shed an outdated version of ourselves. Autumn gives us permission to release what no longer fits into the lives we want to live. No matter our age, it's about shedding "old leaves" to make way for new growth.
Resetting our nervous systems
Many wellness magazines and programs about now boast about autumn's more immediate and tangible benefits: the chance to reset our nervous systems. As one blog from a chiropractic practice in Wisconsin noted, autumn is all about encouraging our:
🟢 Natural rhythms to return. Our nervous system thrives on consistency — and as our regular routines of work, school, and recreation return, so does our system's regulation.
🟢 Sensory overloads to fade. Summer was all about stimulation — from sun, sound, and socializing. Slowing down helps recalibrate our nervous systems.
🟢 Systems to realign. Physical misalignments from travel, poolside lounging, or carrying kids around theme parks can be corrected and reset to more sustainable norms.
An Oklahoma-based hospital system also described other benefits to autumn. First, are enjoying the homespun, heart-warming tastes of the season. Foods that often mimic the colors of turning leaves -- golden gourds, orange pumpkins, and red apples. And what about the intoxicating scent of cinnamon and nutmeg flavoring everything from desserts to freshly brewed coffees?
Another benefit is to get the chance to improve our sleep habits — a natural outgrowth of spending more time indoors. Yes, we're still walking, biking, and hiking, but with "cooler cooler temperatures, the risk of heat-related issues are reduced," noted the hospital blog. For a seasonal twist on exercise, we could always go outside and rake up those fallen leaves!
Chasing autumn: how to watch colors change across North America
There are a lot of sites available to help track how and when the foliage will change across the US and Canada during autumn. The more northern areas of the US and the southern parts of Canada feature spectacular fall color because of more notable changes in temperatures and available sunlight.
Why do leaves change from green to such vibrant hues?
Since my friend Dave isn't on hand, I'll do my best to explain. Or I'll let the environmental scientists at the State University of New York do it for me.
According to them, most of the year the yellow and orange pigments, carotenes and xanthophyll pigments in deciduous tree leaves are masked by great amounts of green coloring. Then, in the fall, "because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperatures, the leaves stop their food-making process."
That food, known as chlorophyll, "breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves their fall splendor."
If the process still isn't clear, don't worry. Just enjoy the colorful show.
🍁 Where to See Fall Colors Online: U.S. & Canada
The resources below are both entertaining and restorative — a way to contemplate nature, reset our nervous system, and feel connected to the rhythms of change no matter where we are.
🇺🇸 United States
SmokyMountains.com Fall Foliage Map — Interactive map predicting peak foliage nationwide. Tracks where color is just beginning, near peak, or past peak. Perfect for trip planning or simply watching the season unfold.
ExploreFall.com — Daily updated foliage maps for each state, plus forecasts and reports. Offers a satisfying, almost meditative check-in as the colors deepen.
EarthCam Fall Cams — Live streaming views from parks, mountains, and cityscapes. A calming “virtual walk” when we need a pause from our desks.
Almanac Fall Foliage Map — The trusted Old Farmer’s Almanac provides maps, peak dates, and tips for savoring fall’s colors.
National Park Service Webcams — Shenandoah and Yosemite
🇨🇦 Canada
Banff & Jasper National Parks Webcams — Live 360° views of the Rockies — from Sulphur Mountain to Maligne Lake. A meditative way to experience Canada’s fall grandeur.
Banff & Lake Louise Webcams — Track daily shifts in color and light across iconic mountain landscapes.
Mont-Tremblant Webcams — Panoramic cams capture the Laurentians turning gold and crimson.
Bonjour Québec Fall Colours Map — Interactive map showing real-time stages of foliage across Québec.
Ontario Parks Fall Colour Report — Detailed updates with percentage of color change and best park viewing spots.
These fall-color websites and webcams are more than travel guides — they’re windows into the quiet magic of the season. They track peak foliage across the US and Canada, showing where reds, golds, and oranges are blazing brightest in real time. Some sites offer interactive maps that predict when color will crest in a certain area. Others stream live views from mountaintops, forests, and lakeshores so we can watch autumn unfold day by day.
Why does this matter? Because even when we can’t get outside, contemplating nature still manages to calm our nervous systems. In previous blog posts, I've shared research that demonstrates how looking at trees, skies, or shifting landscapes can lower stress hormones and slow a racing mind.
Watching leaves change color invites us to pause, breathe, and remember how we’re part of something larger than our inboxes.
In a world that keeps speeding up or seemingly spinning wildly, these sites offer a reset button: a way to savor beauty, regain balance, and let nature’s rhythms do their quiet, restorative work on us.
Why not add a soundtrack to the fall spectacle?
The French composer and jazz pianist Michel Legrand (1932-2019) wrote a melancholy ode to the season, aptly entitled "Falling Leaves." It's been covered by many artists over the decades, giving voice to lyrics about coping with love, loss, and inevitable change. In any of its versions, it might be the perfect accompaniment to watching the colors change in the weeks ahead — whether from a web cab or out our own windows. 🍂 🌅 🍁
If you need help with anything that was shared in this blog, or want to share your thoughts, book a discovery call below. Remember I'm here to listen and help you map your path forward.
Comments