Have you ever felt it, that pause before things start to let go?
There’s a quiet shift in the air. Mornings come with a thin mist that hangs over the fields, and the grass is wet, glistening with dew. The light shifts, almost shyly. It moves differently through the orangery. Softer and lower, as if it’s thinking about where to settle.

Autumn has its own rhythm here at Lescure. The trees haven’t started letting go yet. Their leaves are still green, though you can see the faint gold underneath, waiting. It’s as if they’re not quite ready. During our autumn retreats, people are the same. There’s a pause before we release what we’ve carried for so long, even the things that weigh us down. Eventually, the trees will begin their gentle surrender, letting go leaf by leaf, in their own time. And our retreat guests do the same, when they are ready.

THE INNER WORK OF AUTUMN

This season mirrors the inner work people come to do with IFS. The forest prepares for rest, and so they are invited to turn inward. To listen to the quieter voices within: the protectors, the vulnerable parts, the ones that long to be seen.

Between sessions, they walk through the woods, gather by the fire, or sit in silence in the hot tub, watching the light fade and stars appear. These moments of stillness are as much part of our IFS retreats as the inner explorations. Integration lives in these pauses.

Healing, like autumn, is not a rush toward light. It is a soft descent into truth. I am always moved by how the trees hold their leaves a little longer, then let go without drama. Trusting the rhythm of change: this is the invitation of the season, and of the work we do here.