Autumn Through the Lens of Chinese Medicine

Autumn is the season when the warm summer days grow shorter, the leaves begin to change color and start falling in anticipation of the approaching winter.
The chill can be felt in the air, and we bring out our warm clothes for the cold winter days ahead.
This is a time of gathering in, of harvest (Sukkot, the Festival of Ingathering) into our homes, and of preparing for colder days.

Autumn and Chinese medicine

In Chinese medicine, autumn is linked to the Metal element and to the lungs.
Metal’s qualities are order and organization, setting boundaries and protecting them.
This is a good time to finish processes or projects we started in spring or summer and to enjoy the fruits of our hard work.
It’s a good time to begin new projects focused on our body, our spirit, and inner work.

The energy of the lungs is “to let go,” “to release”, so this is a good time to let go of things that are holding us back and to make room for new things to arrive — things that will help us learn and grow.

The emotion of the Metal element: grief

In Chinese medicine every organ is linked to an emotion, and the emotion of the lungs is sadness and grief.
The lungs are linked to clear thinking and communication, openness to new ideas, a positive self-image and the ability to relax, let go, and be happy.
When the lungs are out of balance, people experience depression, difficulty coping with loss or change, a sense of alienation, and sadness that doesn’t fade.
The lungs are linked to communication, so if you have difficulty letting go of people from the past, this can indicate disharmony in the lungs.
It’s important to know that grief expressed fully is a physical and psychological strengthener, so one should not avoid grief but should face it in a healthy way. Coping in a healthy way with sadness is the key to happiness and to maintaining balance in every area of life.

One of the best ways to strengthen the lungs is to breathe deeply.
This sounds so simple, but most of us don’t breathe deeply, and this affects our memory, energy levels, immune system and more.
When we breathe deeply and with intention, we flood our cells and our brain with oxygen, which is essential for every process in the body.
The best thing is to go outside for a walk in the autumn air, fill your lungs with an abundance of oxygen and Qi (energy), and enjoy.

Autumn is the perfect time to reflect on your life. To organize, to tidy up, to get rid of the old and make room for the new.
I mean this in a very tangible sense, and yes, emotionally too.
Go to your closet, take out all the old clothes you no longer wear and donate them to charity.
Delete from your computer anything old that’s no longer in use.
Organize the closets at home. All of these actions release and bring you into harmony with the autumn season.
These actions strengthen the lungs and the ability to let go.

In autumn, the wind begins to blow.
Wind, in Chinese medicine, is the source of the “hundred diseases,” meaning it’s a significant factor in the development of many illnesses. So, take your scarves out of the closet, start dressing warmly and protect the back of your neck from cold wind. On the nape of the neck there are acupuncture points connected to the lungs, and exposing them to wind will allow it to penetrate and lead to illness.

Foods good to eat in autumn:

Because of the cooling weather, we eat fewer cold and raw foods such as salads and raw food, and consume more warming foods with longer cooking times.
Soups and stews that are easy to digest will strengthen us for the winter ahead.
Autumn is characterized by dryness, so we should include foods that contain moisture.
Here are a few examples of foods suited to autumn:

Garlic
Sweet potato
Ginger
Onion
Cabbage
Pears
Walnuts
Radish
Rice
Cinnamon
Leek
Beans
Almonds
Broccoli
Celery
Banana
Olives
Pickles
Apples
Yogurt

The best way to stay healthy, according to Chinese medicine, is to learn the nature of the season and act accordingly — both in terms of food and physical exercise, and in terms of what to avoid, knowing what is harmful and guarding against it.
This way, we live in harmony with the world and with nature, and our inner world will be in harmony accordingly.

In autumn, there is a slowing down and a turning inward, so we give attention to our inner lives. This is the season to give ourselves extra attention and add more self-love.
This way we’ll know that everything we need, and will ever need, we already have. Within.