Welcoming Autumn & the change in seasons

In TCM, this phase of the year embodies RESTRAINT, SEPARATION & REFINEMENT.

Autumn is the time when fallen leaves + fruit decompose, returning nutrients to fertilise the soil for next year’s growth. In the same way for us, its a time to eliminate what is unnecessary, and store only what is required for winter; a time of REFINEMENT.

The element rof Autumn is Metal, going back to the concept in alchemy of turning base metals into gold, autumn represents the transformation of materials in nature, returning to their source in preparation for re-creation. Metal is a substance that is made from the earth, generated by the process of reduction. There is a sense of loss in autumn of the fading sunlight and chills in the air. It is a time of contraction, dialling back, and a time of change.

The organs of metal are the Lungs and the Large Intestine.

The Lungs are the boundary between the inner + outer world, they suck in and refine the air we breathe, and disperse it around our body as required for energy production.

In an emotional sense, the lungs mentally + spiritually, allow us to ‘take things in’. They also represent our psychological boundaries which help us know who we are, filtering the good from the bad.

So, as we enter into Autumn it’s time to think about your own boundaries. The weather has changed, you will be socialising less - who will take up that important time? Not just socially, but physically and emotionally too - as it get’s colder and there are less hours of daylight we will have less time and energy, think about what you do with that time, separate out the necessary from the unnecessary and dial back & refine your routine.

The lungs also rule the skin and open to the nose. They are said to control our ‘defensive/protective energy’ which lies just under the skin. This protects us against ‘external invasion’ from the cold, damp and wind. If these conditions penetrate through this results in infections + achy joints. Someone with weak lungs may have poor resistance to catching colds/flus and be more likely to suffer from allergies to pollen. As autumn has arrived our lungs are now more fragile than ever, take consideration to wear scarves + protect your throat/neck from the cold + dry weather. Drink hot drinks to lubricate the throat.

The spirit of the lungs is the ‘Po’ or the corporeal/physical soul which is responsible for all physiological processes and responsible for feelings and sensations: It allows us to have clear sensations of the physical world around us: the capacity to take in quality & richness from the world and feel complete. Emotionally this includes accepting acknowledgement from the people around us enabling you to feel worthwhile. So, look around you… go for walks in nature, breathe in deeply & embrace the beauty of the falling autumn leaves and let it brighten your day and allow you to properly process the world around you.

The large intestine removes all waste products from the body. The large intestines function therefore opposes but complements that of the lungs which take in and purify the air we breathe. The same applies emotionally, where the large intestine is responsible for the ability to ‘let go’. Someone with a weak large intestine might have issues with holding grudges or holding onto unhealthy feelings/thoughts and be unable to move on.

Autumn is the time to think about what you might be holding onto unnecessarily, what is, but doesn’t need to be taking up energy physically or mentally? Let it go, now is the time!

Interestingly the emotion related to Metal is grief. Sadness and grief constrict the corporeal soul, suspending our breathing. The shallow and short breathing of a sad/worried person is an expression of the constraint of the lungs and the corporeal soul. The immune system of those who have been recently bereaved can become severely suppressed, leaving them open to infections + illness. In TCM, this fits in with the lungs being responsible for protecting us from invasion and them being most affected by grief.

How to nourish the lungs:

- BREATHE!! Take fresh air in regularly, and take a moment to breathe mindfully + diaphragmatically - this helps with stress and stimulates the vagus nerve, also aiding digestion, cellular health, lowers blood pressure and aids heart function.

- Swimming & conscious breath work.

- Singing and humming (also stimulate the vagus nerve!)

- Skin brushing

- Clean your home, get rid of whats unnecessary - especially clean the boundaries like your windows.

- Eat/drink pungent spices/teas to warm you up and foods that are full of moisture to counteract the dryness of autumn: apples, apricots, celery, chestnuts, egg whites, grains, mushrooms, olives, onions, pears, white radishes, tangerines, turnips, walnuts, water chestnuts, watercress, wine, pungent spicy food, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, ginseng. Root vegetables are harvested in autumn, and they are great to eat for the lungs!

- Cooking method: roasting, steaming, boiling.

- And last but not least, here is your friendly reminder to take daily Vitamin D + K2 supplementation for the less sunny months!!!

Autumn in TCM -

Climate: Dry,

Sound: weeping,

Emotion: grief,

Taste: pungent,

Organs: lungs, large intestine,

Opens to: nose,

Manifests in the: skin,

Soul: Po,

Colour: white,

Smell: rotten.