End of Summer

Aaaaah, summer. I think I am in the minority, but for most of my life, I have not loved summer. First of all, I don't love heat and humidity. I have very thick, curly, often unruly, hair - which means summer weather has historically not been my friend. I don't like to sweat, unless it's after a good work-out. I also don't do well with lots of unstructured time. It's not that I don't love a good vacation! But I do get excited when September rolls around again - the routine comes back, and I get energized in a different way.
When I was a kid, I loved going back to school in September. There was always a new-ness, a fresh-ness, a revitalization that felt good to me; new clothes, new books, new teachers, sometimes even a new school. In the start of the new year, you could promise to do some things a little differently. Like a New Year's resolution. Being Jewish, this time of year makes more sense to me for making New Year's resolutions. But putting religion aside, the way the light is waning, the weather is crisper, there is a quickening in the air that feels right for reflection.
I think September is the perfect time to take a look at yourself - take stock - and make a change for the better. There are so many easy things to put into place that can make a profound difference.
One thing I did recently was download a new app on my phone called "Headspace". Headspace is a free app that literally walks you through doing ten minutes of mindfulness meditation for ten days. The teacher is a well-spoken, genuine-sounding man who clearly has a lot of experience in mindfulness education. He uses real language, very accessible metaphors, and even lively animations to teach concepts so they are easy to grasp, even for the most distracted among us. He is also British, so I certainly don't mind listening to his voice for ten minutes! I have enjoyed these mini-meditations so much that I actually go to bed looking forward to waking early so I can listen to the next day's guided meditation! 
(I haven't yet gotten to the end of the ten days, so I'm not sure what he offers beyond that.)
As a health-care provider and a health educator, I certainly know of the myriad benefits of meditation - on mental, physical, chemical and spiritual health. I have an overactive mind, which in some ways is a huge plus, but has made it difficult for me to stick to a meditation practice in my life, although I have tried many times. In the five days that I have done this meditation, I have noticed feeling more energy, more calm and more insightful for the rest of the day. I am feeling very hopeful that with Headspace leading the way, I can start my new year with a new habit.