Autumn is a time of letting go and receiving

Your Seasonal Wellbeing

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water 

In traditional Chinese medicine there are Five Elements and each element gives birth to the next and nourishes it by a flow of energy.  So the bracken is burnt, the ashes go into the earth and form minerals, the water flows and there is new growth.  Kinesiology is an effective methodology for balancing the energies of your meridians which can improve health and wellbeing on a physical, mental and emotional levels.

Meridians are passages of energy flow located all over your body, as a kinesiologist I work with Chinese Medicine Five Element Theory, which believes that everything in the universe, including our health, is governed by five natural elements: WOOD, FIRE, EARTH, METAL and WATER. This theory underscores the Traditional Chinese Medicine understanding that human beings, both physically and mentally, are intertwined with nature.

An individual’s state of health manifests according to the balance between these Elements.

Autumn – Metal

The equinox on 22nd September marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, day and night will be almost equal.  The full Moon closest to the September equinox, is the Harvest Moon. On September 17th.  It will be a supermoon and is also known as the Harvest Moon or Corn Moon.

Autumn is the season of the harvest when we reap what we planted in the spring.  It is the time to gather fruits and vegetables, grains, and nuts.  The colours change all around us, and the sky is at its bluest.  The air is cooler and drier.  This can be the perfect time to make resolutions for the coming year.  Flexibility and adaptability are crucial for staying healthy and balanced during the winter months ahead.  During autumn you can prepare for the challenges of winter by completing unfinished projects, clearing away clutter, and making sure that you are physically and emotionally prepared for the cold, dark months to come.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn is the season of the Metal Element.  Metal reflects our core issues.  Our core issues are those dealing with questions such as, who am I, what is my purpose?  We are more concerned with deeper issues, and small talk becomes annoying.

The emotion connected with Metal is grief or sadness.  In autumn we are saying farewell to the abundance of summer and preparing for the reflective time that is to come.  Metal connects us with the ability to let go of the past and create the space for the new.

The direction connected with Metal is the West, reflecting the setting sun.  The sound associated with Metal is weeping; the colour is white.  When a person appears whitish around the mouth or eyes, it usually reflects an imbalance in this element.  The flavour of Metal is spicy or pungent, and the climate is dry; the sense organ and sense that reflects Metal is the nose and smell.

The organs connected with the Metal element are the Lungs and the Large Intestine, letting go and receiving.  It is common for people to be more vulnerable to colds, bronchial infection, and allergies in the cooler days of autumn. The pollens and mould in the air, as well as the cold winds of autumn, stress our immune reserves, making it a good time to support the immune system with some herbs and supplements.

The Lungs are the organs of respiration, responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to every organ of the body and eliminating the waste matter from the cells through our expiration.  The word used for breathing in is inspiration, which is the main function of the Lung, both physically and spiritually.  To be “inspired,” we must create space by getting the old stale air out.  We are more prone to bronchial infections and sinusitis.  Allergies are amplified and issues like asthma and heaviness of the chest can appear.

The Lungs and the Large Intestine seem to have little in common with each other, as one is involved with respiration and the other with digestion.  Viewed energetically the bowel is the organ of elimination and is responsible for helping the body eliminate waste.  Only when the body is cleansed of toxic matter can it receive the more refined energy brought in by its partner, the Lung.

The Large Intestine is responsible for making distinctions between harmless and harmful elements, and it discriminates between the nutrients the body needs and those it must eliminate.  Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, flatulence, and abdominal pain, all reflect problems with the function of the Large Intestine.

Keeping Healthy during Autumn

  • Organize your Life:  Focus on what you have accomplished rather than fretting about all the work that remains to be done.  Find a task you can finish in less than an hour, and then the rest one step at a time.
  • Write it Down:  Make a daily to-do list. BUT don’t expect to cross off every item by the end of the day. Congratulate yourself for finishing three or four items on your list.
  • Practice Letting Go:  Autumn is the season to unburden ourselves of old ‘stuff.  Write down anything lingering. Then, tear up or shred or burn.
  • Create time for Meditation and Relaxation:  Take a few minutes to do NOTHING. Traditional Chinese Medicine says that this is the time of year when spirit is more accessible.  Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, and for ten or fifteen minutes do your meditation.  Or just close your eyes and breathe.
  • Cleanse Your Body:  As you move into autumn, do a gentle cleanse. Nettle or Nettle and Cleaver Tea .  Avoid refined carbohydrates such as sugars and white flour products.
  • Drink Plenty of Water:  As autumn is associated with dryness, it is especially important to keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water, (1.2 litres per day), this also helps healthier bowel movements.
  • Breathe:  Breathing exercises, strengthen the Lungs, increase energy, still the mind, and lift the spirits.  Make sure that you focus on exhalation.  Exhale completely.
  • Spend time in Nature

The METAL ELEMENT is associated with the emotions of  GRIEF AND WEEPING

MERIDIAN MASSAGE

Lung meridian: Place one hand over the opposite lung and move it up over your shoulder straight down arm on off your thumb

Large intestine meridian: Place the open fingers of one hand at the end of the pointer finger of the opposite hand trace straight up the arm to the shoulder, cross the neck to beneath your nose and go out to the flair of your nose.

MAKKA HO STRETCHES

  • Stand up straight with feet shoulders width apart.
  • Your knee joints should not be locked, but soft.
  • Place your arms behind your back with thumbs interlaced.
  • Take a deep breath. As you take in the breath, stretch out your fingers, keeping your thumbs hooked together and begin to bend forward from the waist as far as you can comfortably and exhale.
  • When you have reached your limit, take another deep breath in and as you exhale, let go of the tension in your body and mind.
  • Breathe in again, taking in new energy.
  • Exhale once again, letting go of tension. Inhale once more and, as you exhale, bring your body back up to a standing position.