According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), energetic Fall and the season of the Metal element run from August 7 to October 20. Energetic Fall’s the time to gently immerse yourself in the quieter, more introspective energies of the season. It’s a time of harvest and preparation for the upcoming energetic Winter. Here are tips for making a smooth transition from energetic Summer to Fall and beyond.
Autumn is a time of establishing a rhythmic order. There is a downward energy, grounding our bodies, minds and even our food into the earth. It is the ideal time to focus on the colon as life energy contracts and will prepare for a dormant state in the winter. Autumn is associated with white, and also the time of year our ‘white’ foods are at their peak. They are the digestives and immune boosting foods such as: apples, pears, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic and leeks. – Kate Kennington, Cleansing with Kate
As you prepare yourself for Winter (season of the Water element), get yourself more organized at this time of year. Establish more order in your life.
Throughout energetic Summer (season of the Fire element), you probably feasted and fested. You might have been more physically active enjoying vacations, social events and holidays.
But the season of Autumn provides you the new opportunity to retreat within body and mind and reflect on your life positively and productively.
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What can we learn from the past two seasons in a way we can constructively apply throughout Fall and Winter?
If you have unfinished projects you started in Spring and Summer, energetic Fall is the perfect time to complete them. The energies of the Fall season will support and encourage you to begin indoor projects that involve more mental and introspective processes.
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The lung and large intestine are the internal organs associated with Fall and the Metal element.
Lung is associated with the emotion of letting go. The very act of conscious breathing enables us to let go of what we don’t want as we fully and deeply exhale.
Some people so love Summer that Fall can be a challenging time for them. Now they have to give up longer days, warm weather and some outdoor social activities.
Utilizing the lungs to practice slowing down the breath helps you come to your center and the now moment. It will help you focus gratitude for the Summer which has passed and the Fall which has arrived.
Slower deeper breathing helps you maintain your physical vigor throughout both Fall and Winter. It can improve mental clarity and a nicely balanced emotional state.
Soul and spirit should be tranquil to keep lungs pure… – The Neijing Suwen
TCM finds the lung to be the "tender organ” since it’s the uppermost organ in the body making it particularly susceptible to wind and cold. As the temperatures change, be proactive with your health and dress appropriately for the weather.
Proper sleep encourages Fall vitality. The ancient medical text, the Neijing Suwen, advises we should retire early at night and rise with the crowing of the rooster during Autumn.
“There was temperance in eating and drinking. Their hours of rising and retiring were regular and not disorderly and wild. By these means the ancients kept their bodies united with their souls, so as to fulfill their allotted span completely, measuring unto a hundred years before they passed away.
The wise man will surely conform to the changes of the four seasons, adapt himself to the cold of winter and the heat of summer, neutralize joy and anger and live a regular life.
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Sources:
Maciocia, Giovanni. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine E-Book: A Comprehensive Text. 3rd ed., Elsevier Academic Press, 2015.
Kennington, Kate. Cleansing with Kate: A Whole Food Guide to Nourishing Your Whole Self. 3rd ed., Kennington, 2014.
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