Tips for the Fall Season
Element of Fall: Metal | Organs of Fall: Lung & Large Intestine | Emotions: Grief, Letting Go, Refinement |
Herbs for Fall: Cinnamon, Ginger, Garlic | Foods: Seasonal produce—squash, pears, winter greens
Autumn has become one of my favorite seasons. The summer is a time of floating about and socializing, moving effortlessly from one event to the other, powered by the sun and the fire in your heart. Late summer is the time of harvest, reaping the benefits of the crop. And then comes Fall, I always know it is here when the mornings are a bit chillier, soups and stews start sounding more delicious, and it is that time when the rains begin to come but we are still surprised and honored with some last days of sun worshiping. And then the weather starts to turn, the mornings become more mysterious with their darkness and crisp air. That warm cup of coffee or tea starts to taste so much better as the house warms up for the day. The leaves start to turn and fall, and the days become shorter. Gatherings start to be around soup and less around the grill.
Why do Seasons Matter?
In Chinese Medicine, living in accordance with the seasons is one of the main principles to maintaining good health. Being aware of how we feel in each season and how the energetics of nature influences us allows us to make choices in our lifestyle, in the foods we eat, or the exercise we choose to do, that help us heal. Each season has a different qi, a different energetic vibration, and it is important for us to listen to it and live according to it. By doing so we are able to maintain our Yin (slower, colder, more dense energy) & Yang (faster, warmer, more ethereal) energies, this helps us to stay in harmony & balance all year long.
What are the Energetics of Fall?
Therefore in Chinese Medicine, Fall is the time when you take the best aspects of summer and choose what you will bring with you into the darkness—what pieces of light will you keep aflame as winter becomes closer and closer. This is the time when we let go of what no longer serves us and we store what speaks to your heart and makes you feel whole. The Metal element belongs to Fall, it is the element that knows grief, it is that cold air on your lungs first thing in the morning. The Lungs and the Large Intestine are the organs associated with Fall. These organs are about exchange and release. The Lungs bring air into our body to allow oxygen to be transformed and help pump the body throughout the day. The Lungs are also involved with detox via the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Elegant in their ethereal movement of life. The Large Intestine is also considered metal and it releases what no longer serves us, detoxing waste via the colon. This is the time where we refine our needs, release relationships, foods, habits that don’t allow us to be our whole selves. It is through this release, that we learn more about what we value and who we are. By only taking those things that help us feel whole into the more contractive months of fall and eventually winter, we maintain what keeps us warm through to Spring.
Common Ailments Seen During Fall
During Fall we see a lot of colds start to appear as the weather gets colder. Maybe during summer we may have been indulging in more pleasures than normal, sleeping less and socializing more. Now as the weather gets colder, we find ourselves more susceptible to getting external invasions or digestive issues. By external invasions I am referring to getting colds. In Chinese Medicine, these only happen when our Wei Qi, a protective Qi that is on the exterior of our body and helps us keep from getting sick, is weakened due to lifestyle habits, food, etc. This can also be thought of in Western terms as similar to the immune system. This is the time of year to start protecting your immune system for fall and winter time.
Tips for Fall:
Stay warm and wear a scarf when it is chilly. There are acupuncture points on the back of your neck that are called “wind gates,” this is where cold pathogens can enter the body and make you sick. Staying covered in this area is especially helpful. This is the advice your grandma always told you and you never believed until you came home after playing a few hours later, only to get hit with a runny nose and spend the rest of the week in bed. Listen to the grandma’s advice, it's good advice.
Eat warming foods and stay away from cold foods such as salads or smoothies. Especially now we want to boost the function of the Large Intestine and move away from cold, raw foods that can cause stagnant digestion. Start incorporating more soups, baked vegetables, & more hot teas to help your body energetically stay warm and your digestive fire to keep working properly. We know that our digestion is also related to our immunity, so maintaining good digestion is vital for maintaining overall health & wellbeing.
Drink ginger tea or incorporate warming herbs into your meals, such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic, onion, chili, etc.
Start going to bed earlier and sleeping longer. Allow your body more rest and deeper sleep, this is vital for maintaining a healthy immune system. And remember, if you are feeling more tired than usual, that is totally normal and ok! We’re not meant to sustain the same level of output throughout the year.
Listen to Casey’s Fall Podcast to help you get in the groovy mood of the season.
Journal or Meditate. Now is a great time to begin incorporating a journaling exercise or meditation practice if you don’t have one already. Write out your emotions, what is frustrating you or where are you having a hard time letting go, then imagine it being released from your body and life.
Deep Breathing. Writing not really your style? Practice intentional breath-work, this helps to strengthen the lungs and calm the nervous system. Practice taking long, deep inhales for 5 counts and exhales for 5 counts or more. Focus on breathing into your lower abdomen. Do this multiple times a day. You can even do it while you are walking, before bed, or first thing in the morning for about 5 minutes.
Cultivate your Yin. Now is the time to start cultivating your yin, the energy that moves a bit slower and more intentional. Instead of exercising hard core to the point of dripping in sweat and exhausted, take it down a notch. Do things that may be a bit slower but still powerful such as very intentional weightlifting, going on walks, yoga or stretching, moving your body in a way that feels natural and creates movement.
Get acupuncture, cupping, bodywork. Now is a great time to increase your self-care & acupuncture has been shown to help with increasing immunity, helping reduce pain, help you get a better night sleep, as well as so much more. Read more about what it can treat here.
Acupressure for the Season
Acupressure is something you can do on yourself at home and is effective. By massaging these acupuncture points you help to activate them and their benefits.
Acupressure for Lung 1 | English Translation: Central Palace | Chinese Pin yin: Zhong Fu | Character: 中府
This point is located 2 finger-breadths below the clavicle in the fleshy area of your pec muscle before your arm. It helps to open the chest and nourish the lungs. Can be helpful if you have a cough. It is the first acupuncture point on the Lung Channel. Massage this point multiple times a day to help open your chest and gain bigger breaths.
Acupressure for Lung 8 | English Translation: Across the Ditch | Chinese Pin Yin: Jing Qu | Character: 經渠
This point is located on the inside of the wrist on the thumb side (radial aspect). It is the Metal point on the Lung channel so it tonifies and helps the lungs. Massage this point gently on the inside of your wrist to benefit the lungs and metal.
Acupressure for Large Intestine 4 | English Translation: Junction Valley | Chinese PinYin: He Gu | Character: 合谷
This point is located on the dorsum of the hand between the thumb and index finger on the fleshy aspect. This point is very common and helpful for releasing pain, heat in the lungs if you have a cold, and it can help nasal congestion & headaches. Do not massage this point if you are pregnant.
*all acupuncture point images in this post are from A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman.
Acupressure for Gallbladder 20 | English Translation: Wind Pool | Chinese PinYin: Feng Chi | Character: 風池
This point is located on the back of your neck, below the occiput on the lateral sides. It is this point that we want to keep covered now as the weather is getting colder, damper, and more windy. (See more above). This point is helpful for massaging when you have a cold or feel like you may be about to get one, it helps clear nasal congestion, & neck pain.
We hope you have a lovely fall and that these tips help you align with the natural rhythms.
Acupuncture for Fertility
Becoming a parent can be full of ups and downs. One of the major benefits of Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is the way it can help support, improve, and optimize fertility.