What Will You Choose This Fall?

Hello friends!

These few weeks feel like the Sunday night of the year. The golden evenings stretch long, but underneath, we hear the faint call of routines returning. Back to school. Back to inboxes. Back to the grind.

But what if this transition didn’t have to feel like a collapse into sameness? What if it could be a quiet revolution?

Let’s talk about the grind—not the romanticized version where hustle is heroic, but the one that feels dull, draining, and slightly soul-numbing. It’s when effort becomes obligation, and aliveness gets replaced by autopilot. We don’t mean to choose it. But slowly, it slips in—through our calendars, our shortcuts, our shoulds. We start repeating what worked last year. Or what was merely manageable. We confuse structure with meaning, effort with worth, exhaustion with accomplishment.

But what if grinding less is actually the braver move? A strategic move that brings you closer to the life you actually want?

Last fall, between lunch-packing and jammed schedules, we slipped into a pattern—meals became repeats, creativity got shelved, and our senses dulled. Nourishing ourselves on weeknights was just another “to do.” And something in me—and in my family—started to ache. Not for gourmet meals, but for inspiration… for just more out of life. More out of our plates.

This fall, I said no more—and decided to experiment. I reorganized my week to carve out space to cook at new times. I built a GPT-powered recipe coach, joined a motivational group chat with a nutritionist, and—most importantly—I’m staying curious and open. What meals feel fun to make? What flavors bring life back to the table?

It’s not about becoming a perfect planner. It’s about reclaiming a part of my day—and my life—that can spark joy instead of sap energy. Maybe for you it’s not food. Maybe it’s a silly fiction book. An extra-long bubble bath where your toes get soggy. Or going to a ropes course on a random, nothing-special Sunday. Why not carry more of that lightness into the year? Why not lighten the grind?

“Spirit never repeats. Spirit always creates.” – M. Tamura

This fall, we have a choice. Slowly slip back into the grind. OR intentionally create moments of gentle rebellion. Our transition into the season isn’t an obligation to “get back to it” and trade joy for dull tasks. It can be a soul checkpoint. Even our most ordinary choices—what to eat, when to rest, how we read—can become tiny acts of remembering. Remembering that life isn’t meant to grind us down, but to stir us awake.

So here are a few questions to carry with you:

✨ What would feel different, lighter, more alive in your routine?

✨ What are you carrying forward just because it’s familiar?

✨ And how can you grind less?

Maybe it’s a different kind of meal. A walk at a new hour. A fiction book that makes you laugh out loud. Or maybe you nap your way through an entire yoga flow class (that happened this week—whoever you are, good for you!). Whatever it is, let it be something that makes you feel more alive— and lets the grind gently fade away.

Classes

• Fall Visual Meditation 7-Class Series

  Explore the 7 chakras over 7 classes through guided visual meditations. Open to beginners and experienced students alike.

  Thursdays · Every other week · Sept 11 – Dec 4

  Arrillaga Center, Menlo Park · 12:00–1:00 PM

• Willow Workplace: Garden Yoga Flow
  Join me for vinyasa-style classes held outdoors in Willow’s gorgeous garden!
  Fridays at 9:30 AM · Sept 5, 12, 19, 26
  WillowWorkplace Garden, Menlo Park
  The first class (Sept 5) is free! Following classes are free for Willow members or $25 for non-members. Message me to confirm your spot—or just show up.

• Willow Workplace: Drop In Meditation

  A short and spacious mid-day visual meditation to reset your week.
  Tuesdays · Sept 9, 16, 23, 30 · 12:00–12:30 PM
  WillowWorkplace, Menlo Park
  Message me for details.

• World Healing Meditation
  Join me and my teacher, Julia, for a beginner-friendly meditation to support healing and peace—both personal and global.
  Saturday · August 23 · 10:00 AM · On Zoom

• The Grounded Leader (Pilot Program)
  Learn to build your own GPT coach from a place of grounding and inner clarity. Currently looking for pilot participants—reach out if this sparks your curiosity.

With warmth and spice,
Mathilde