The Season of Autumn

Elements...

The Autumn season corresponds with the Metal element in Chinese Medicine. The organs associated with this are the Lungs and Large Intestine - capitalized because in Chinese Medicine this means they represent not just those actual organs, but also all of their associated senses, emotions, fluids etc.

Just like the lungs and large intestine, the Fall is about giving and receiving.

Letting go and storing up.

The loss of leaves, flowers, daylight, and the harvesting of veggies, fruit, berries.

Revelling in the beauty of the Autumn colours, soaking them in as we prepare for the world around us to turn towards black and white.

Inhaling oxygen, exhaling carbon dioxide.

Breathing in fresh air, letting go of (for lack of a better word!) crap.

Life is about constant shifts and the transformation from one thing to the next. In this, balance is key, or else we find ourselves in a state of stress, or illness, or disease. This is true on personal levels and on environmental levels.

Environment…

I feel like the language of Chinese Medicine - of heat and cold, of dryness and dampness, of excesses and deficiencies - is becoming more real to people as they see it more and more outside of us, in the world. We are making the connections.

Growing up in Vancouver I had little knowledge of aspen trees. It wasn’t until moving North that my husband pointed out a golden yellow patch on a mountain side and explained how in the Fall you can see how all the trembling aspens are connected. How what may look like thousands of individual trees across the landscape are actually one single organism. They are connected - unseen, underground, hidden, but connected - and the “trees” are actually “stems” of the same being. The most extraordinary example of this is Pando, an aspen grove in Utah which is an 80,000 year old organism of 47,000 "trees".  For my business, I chose an aspen grove as a reminder of the interconnectedness of us all, and of everything, regardless of how separate we may appear on the surface. This is true of our bodies, our communities, and our planet.

Emotions…

The emotion related to the Metal element is grief, sadness. These emotions are more likely to arise at this time of year, in those who are sensitive to it. They are also arising more at this time of growing concern for the planet - environmentally, socially, and in terms of both mental and physical health concerns.  Every element is related to a different sound. Laughter, singing, shouting. The Metal element is weeping, and that’s okay too. Expressing your grief, through your tears or just through that catch in your voice as you try not to, is authentic and allows others to connect to you and support you. I think there may be a fear of going into these emotions at this time of year, fearing that with the long Winter ahead we may be inviting a long slide down the slippery slope into the darkness. But it’s actually a way to prepare for that. Let go of the tough stuff. Unpack. Make room to store up the essentials for the season ahead. Harvest that which supports us.

Nourishment...

A classic Chinese food recommendation for Fall is pears - poached, raw or juiced. The Fall season is associated with dryness, and pears help with dry throats and coughs by lubricating the lung system. Honey has a lubricating effect as well and is great for coughs. Mushrooms are also a powerful immune boosting food and are great to include in meals and as a supplement.

Other foods for Fall are:

- soups & stews
- orange & yellow root vegetables
- dark leafy greens like kale
- apples
- lemons & limes
- walnuts
- pungent foods like garlic, ginger, onions, mustard, vinegars & horseradish

If you have a tendency to phlegm in your lungs (including sinuses, throat etc) then minimize:

- dairy
- sugar
- greasy fried foods
- excess meat
- excess wheat
- cold foods
- raw foods

And finally…

Breathe.

Let go.

Receive.

Copyright ~ Anni Elliston RTCMP 2020