Jordan Peschek, RN-BSN, Publisher 
Natural Awakenings Milwaukee Magazine

Autumn always seems to offer a beautiful lesson in healing.

The trees don’t fight to hold onto every leaf. The landscape transforms in color, and animals instinctively adjust their rhythms for the season ahead. Nature reminds us that change is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes, it is simply part of the process of renewal.

Our October issue of Natural Awakenings Milwaukee explores healing in much the same way. Healing is rarely a straight line, and it does not always mean returning to exactly who or where we were before. Sometimes it means learning to work with our bodies differently, quieting an overwhelmed nervous system, rebuilding strength after illness or discovering new ways to live well despite what we have experienced.

I especially appreciate this perspective because health can become so focused on symptoms. Where does it hurt? What needs to be fixed? What can make this feeling go away? Those questions matter, but holistic and integrative wellness invite us to ask another one: What does the body need in order to heal?

Throughout this issue, we explore that question from many angles. Our local insights article, On Without an Off Switch examines what can happen when the nervous system becomes stuck in a state of high alert and shares solutions to help the body rediscover rest.

We also look at the complexity of chronic pain and the importance of considering the nervous system, tissue health, mobility and rehabilitation together rather than viewing pain through a single lens. Our Fit Body department explores posture, and Dancing Into Wellness reminds us of the healing potential of movement.

Perhaps nowhere is the meaning of healing more profound than in our feature story, Life After Cancer. Survivorship can involve physical recovery, but it can also encompass rebuilding confidence, processing difficult emotions, finding connection and rediscovering joy and possibility.

And because wellness should include a little seasonal pleasure, we celebrate one of autumn’s simplest gifts with “A Bushel of Goodness,” featuring delicious ways to enjoy apples.

Healing can mean many things. It can be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. It can involve modern medicine, integrative therapies, nourishing food, movement, rest, community or simply learning to listen more closely to ourselves.

As nature changes around us this October, perhaps we can give ourselves permission to do the same: to release what no longer serves us, nurture what needs attention and trust that healing does not have to happen all at once.

Wishing you a healthy, restorative and beautiful autumn.