Fall has arrived in the northern hemisphere. It is a time of year when we start to slow down and prepare for the long winter. The harvests are in and food is stored away for use until the next growing season. We also start to store up our energy. As we drive towards the end of the year and the time of rest think what you can do to prepare.

I have often talked of keeping your house in order and in good repair. In the summer we spend a lot of time outdoors. The windows and doors are open and fresh air streams into your house. During fall and winter we close up our houses to protect them from the outside elements. Summer activities may have filled up our house with sports equipment, vacation finds and the detritus of a busy life. This means indoor pollution can become a problem. We often do spring cleaning but fall cleaning is also necessary. Open your windows once in a while during the fall and winter. Let that fresh qi into your house.

When you are changing out your summer for your fall wardrobe take care that everything has been properly cleaned. This will help to prevent deterioration of fabrics and discourage moths from attacking your clothes. Do not store your out of season clothes or anything else for that matter under your bed. Feng Shui says to keep the area under your bed clear so that energy can flow around you on all sides. This is a good time to sort through your closet. Separate clothes into several piles. Keep, give away or discard, and repair. If you haven’t worn something in a year you are probably not going to wear it again. Feng Shui believes when your closets, drawers and basement are crowded with unused goods you have no room to accept anything new into your life.

Check around your house for anything that needs to be repaired. Screen doors get heavy use during the summer. Is there a hole in yours? Do you have any cracked panes of glass from an errant baseball? Do windows and doors need adjusting? Make any repairs now before it gets too cold.

Refresh and redecorate your home. No, I don’t mean a full renovation. If you have taken up rugs for the summer now it is time to put them back. Warm floors are a comfort in the winter. Think about adding a few throws or blankets on the back of the sofa. Choose warm colors. You will enjoy a place to cozy up as the weather cools off. You might even consider changing your art work to reflect the season.

Take pleasure in the change of seasons and take advantage of the growing yin to rest, and rejuvenate.