By Dove Sprout (R.TCM.P), the co-owner of Creston Acupuncture and Natural Health Centre
Autumn, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Way
Autumn is the time when the days become cooler and shorter, the leaves turn brilliant colours, and nature rids itself of what is not needed when it sheds its leaves to let go of the rubbish it no longer needs. With those leaves it produces its own compost, enriching the soil, ensuring the next cycle has the nutrients it needs to grow.
We sort through and put away our summer clothes, letting go of whatever we did not wear this season, and bring out our favourite sweaters, hats and scarves. It is a more introspective time as we let go of some of our carefree attitudes of summer and settle into some favourite routines and plan on new ones to nurture ourselves over the coming months.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn corresponds with the metal element and the lungs. It governs organization, setting limits, and protecting boundaries, just as your immune system does.
It’s a good time to finish any projects you have started so you can enjoy the benefits that they have brought you. The expansive energy of summer begins to contract, moving towards more introspective time — a great season to cultivate body, mind and spiritual personal growth.
It is also a great time to let go of anything that may be holding you back to make room in your life for new experiences that will help you learn and grow.
Other correspondences of autumn
- Element: Metal
- Yin Organ: Lungs
- Yang Organ: Large Intestine
- Sense Organ: Skin
- Emotion: Grief or Sadness, Acceptance and Letting Go Climate: Dryness
- Stage of Development: Harvest
- Flavour: Pungent/Spicy
- Colour: White
- Sense Organ: Nose
- Sound: Crying
Yin Yang Organ Pairs
Every organ has a yin and yang pair in TCM. Autumn corresponds to the yin organ — lungs — and the yang organ — the large intestine. They work together to promote balance.
The lungs are responsible for taking in the new, breathing fresh, clean air and filling us with the oxygen we need to function optimally. The large intestine, being the last stage of digestion, is responsible for only holding on to what is important for our health and vitality, and letting go of everything that is not useful.
Emotionally speaking, it would not be uncommon for someone with difficulty letting go to struggle with chronic constipation. Metal is what gives a person decisiveness, a sense of justice and righteousness. A good quality metal element in a person’s chart means a person has good leadership and decision-making ability.
Grief
The lungs are associated with clear thinking and communication, and the ability to relax and let go. When the lungs are out of balance, you may suffer from a prolonged sense of grief and have difficulties coping with loss and change.
This may show up with attachment issues or spending too much time living in the past as it may be difficult for you to let go of people, objects or experiences. Fully experienced and resolved grief can strengthen the body and so it is important not to avoid grief but to experience it, accept it and let it go.
Fall practices
- Breathe deeply: flood your body with all the oxygen it needs to fuel vital processes.
- Walk outside: this is one of the most beautiful times of year to connect with nature and breathe in the crisp, cool air.
- Let go of negativity in your life: sometimes spending some time becoming aware of these habits can cultivate acceptance that these no longer serve us and it can become easier to let it go.
- Reorganize, clean out and donate: closets, cupboards, emails — you name it. Sort through it and let it go, and you’ll be surprised how much lighter you feel on an emotional level.
- Wear a scarf and put on a hat: protect your head and the back of your neck because in TCM, wind is the cause of more than 100 diseases, including all kinds of viruses, colds and the flu.
Foods to Eat
Garlic, ginger, onion, cabbage, radish, leeks, asparagus, broccoli, celery, sauerkraut, pickles, olives, sweet potato, pears, grapes, apricot, banana, lemons, limes, grapefruit, apples, plums, yogurt, eggs, cheese, sourdough bread, almonds, walnuts, navy beans, miso, rice, chilli, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and vinegar.
TCM teaches us how to live in harmony with nature. Autumn is a time of contracting, slowing down and becoming more introspective. Make sure to get enough sleep and eat warm and nourishing food to protect your immune system, and nourish your inner self to give you a greater sense of self-worth. You have everything you need inside of you.
Dove Sprout co-owns and operates the Creston Acupuncture and Natural Health Centre alongside her husband, Paul Gaucher (R.TCM.P).
For more information or to book an appointment, call the clinic at 250-428-0488. For further questions about what acupuncture and herbal medicine can treat, you can e-mail Dove at acupuncturecrestonbc@gmail.com or check out her website acupuncturecrestonbc.com.