“There is something incredibly nostalgic and significant about the annual cascade of autumn leaves” - Joe L Wheeler
Falling into autumn...
In the US Autumn is known as 'Fall' and when we think about Autumn in respect of the Chinese Five Elements, the word 'Fall' makes so much sense...
Autumn is all about letting go, releasing and loss. It is about descending, cooling and drying.
... and in this season, Mother nature is letting go of all her splendour; her leaves, her colour, her vibrancy and daylight... and looking inward, gently mourning the loss of what was, as she begins to focus inwards and hibernate.
Our bodys' naturally fall in line with natures rhythms, so just like the earth, Autumn is a time for us to let go and retreat, to become more 'Yin', to focus inwardly and nurture ourselves after the busyness of the Summer.
Autumn is represented by the 'Metal' element - a rhythm of structure and organisation.
The meridians in this element are Large Intestine, which is linked to the emotion of 'letting go' and Lung which is linked to 'grief'.
So how can we naturally support our alignment with the Autumn/Metal element...
NURTURE MORE YIN
Have you noticed the wild animals this time of year? They are gathering food for the winter, beginning to slow down and getting ready to keep warm and conserve energy for the spring.
I've seen the squirrels here busily gathering food over the past few weeks, but we're seeing less of them now as they prepare for their winter months in hibernation, a time of rest and inward focus.
You don't have to try and hibernate, but you really should:
- Sleep longer
- Slow down
- Turn your focus inward
- Eat more moisture-rich foods
- Add warming spices to your foods, such as cinnamon
- Moisturise you skin using toxin-free, soothing products
Boost your immune health
It's the time of year when colds and flu, and nowadays Covid, are on the prowl. It's time to protect your respiratory system!
The Lungs are associated with the Autumn/Metal rhythm, meaning they are vulnerable in this season, so all the more reason to protect them.
Support them with deep breathing exercises and by breathing in lots of fresh air every day.
Onions, garlic and ginger can also support lung health, so why not incorporate them into warming foods and drinks to help strengthen immunity?
set boundaries, let go
As the trees are dropping their leaves for the year, it's time for us to drop what we no longer need too.
It's time to move on and let go.
Consider what isn't serving you well - unhealthy relationships, bad habits, negative mindset, things you no longer need...
Let them go and move on...
The structure and organisation of the Metal rhythm mean this is the perfect time to de-clutter and reorganise.
So why not tidy your personal and work spaces, donate to charity, and get organised?
The Large Intestine, one of the organ systems of the Autumn/Metal rhythm is all about letting go... or elimination!
Working with Large Intestine can be helpful in letting go on an emotional or physical level - headaches, menstrual cramps, constipation and so on.
A natural process
So the Autumn/Metal theme is one of grief and letting go.
Many of us find ourselves processing a lot of grief and letting go of ways of being that no longer serve us. In such transitional times this can be extremely difficult and is often something we resist.
There is a natural grieving process that accompanies letting go, be it the deep grieving of a lost loved one, or the simple loss of a cherished item.
These emotions will gradually subside if observed without judgement.
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