Transitioning Through Fall to Winter
/
We are in the throes of Autumn, the temperatures are dropping (we've had a few snowfalls already, eep!?), the leaves have changed and are falling from the trees. As you may well have heard or intuited, the present themes of the season revolve around slowing down, moving inward and letting go. With each season being associated with pairs of organ systems in the Chinese medical paradigm we have a cyclical opportunity to check-in with ourselves. The turns of the seasons and the time they occupy allow us to take inventory of our physical symptoms, our current emotional state (perhaps you've noticed seasonal themes for yourself) and our spiritual practices.
In Wisconsin we have the somewhat unique opportunity to experience the stark contrast between the four seasons. The distinct quality of energy in each season is palpable and sometimes quite dramatic! It is understood in Chinese medicine that our bodies mimic what is going on in the natural world. In this way, the Fall season gives way to possible physical conditions associated with dryness (or dampness, depending upon the Wisconsin weather report), contraction or congestion. In Chinese medical theory, Fall belongs to the Metal element and the organs associated with the Metal element are the Lungs and Large Intestine.
The Metal Element
The Lungs in Chinese medicine govern the physiological function of respiration, play a role in sinus congestion or dryness and have some contribution to the health of the skin. The Large Intestine's main role is that last step along the digestive tract and governs the function of healthy elimination.
Emotionally speaking, the Lungs (and Large Intestine) help us process grief. I think a larger discussion around grief is warranted as it pertains to life's cycles - macro and micro. Some folks would say that change is the one constant to life. We've touched upon the seasonal changes but small or big changes occur daily, monthly and annually in our human existence. Whenever we are moving towards something new - a relationship, a job, a home or apartment, a birth, any new opportunity, any newly discovered facet of our identity - we inherently have to let go of something old in order to make space to fully integrate this new thing, whatever it is. Sometimes changes are things that we plan for and sometimes they occur spontaneously. Sometimes changes are wonderful and joyous and sometimes they are more painful, unexpected or laborious. In any of it or all of it there is some experience of grief that can occur. It is normal, functional and physiological.
Which brings me to the spiritual function of the Lungs and Large Intestine: discernment. Specific to the things we consume or take in, the Lungs and Large Intestine help us determine: what is useful, what do we keep? And what is not useful, what must we let go? Taking a breath in, the body utilizes what it can and we exhale what is no longer useful. Consuming food, we can't and shouldn't keep it all, but ideally we extract the usable nutrients and then we properly eliminate what is no longer useful. Thus, the Fall season is ripe with the opportunity to examine physically, emotionally and spiritually what do we want to take with us as we walk through these darker seasons or as we walk through our lives? And what might be possible, what is it we want to gently release? Or what do we observe is naturally falling away?
Acupuncture For All Seasons
Specific to these colder, darker Fall & Winter months acupuncture can be used to support the immune system. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can reduce the symptoms and discomfort of the common cold, various viral conditions and help combat chronic or acute sinus congestion. You all might well know I have a personal crusade against phlegm and this is the prime time season for combating such conditions. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can also be used to promote healthy digestive function and elimination during a season when the bowels might have the propensity to be sluggish or slow down.
Within the Chinese medical paradigm it is understood that your emotional state and your physical organs and tissues are linked. Woven together, the emotions influence the tension, strength or weakness of the tissues. The inverse is also true: the quality of our tissues can impact our emotional state. With colder weather comes contraction, our muscles can feel tighter and we can experience more pain or more tension. And we can also experience a greater amount of emotional distress. Acupuncture and cupping therapy can alleviate muscle tension, tightness and pain while also supporting the nervous system to ease our experience of stress during the more difficult months of the year (more on this in the next newsletter!).
Foods to Eat and Personal Practices
While you prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, feel free to include any of the following food items as they nourish and support the Lungs and Large Intestine. The color white is associated with the Metal element and so, as a general rule, all of the foods of the same color support the health and energy of those systems:
Parnsips
Turnips
Rutabaga (a great substitute for white potatoes which are inflammatory)
White daikon radishes
Celeriac root (makes an excellent addition to any stock!)
Apples
Pears
Mustard or mustard seeds (good for phlegm in the lungs)
Honey (moistens the lungs for a dry cough)
In addition to eating a clean diet that incorporates seasonal foods, you can support your vital energy with gentle, restorative breath practices. Begin by noticing the quality of your breath! This can vary moment to moment, sometimes when we are moving very fast we hold our breath, sometimes we find ourselves yawning throughout the day, the breath can be shallow, deep, restricted or expansive, none of it is right or wrong. I received a simple breath suggestion from one of my favorite colleagues, Ellen McKenzie, that helps the body get accustomed to diaphragmatic breath:
* Place your hands near your waistline - well above the hips and towards the bottom of the ribcage
* As you become aware of your breath, notice the points of contact where your hands are placed
* In beginning to take deeper breaths, also consider making the breath fill the entire space of the ribcage
* Notice it deepen but also widen into the 360 degree expanse of the lungs: it fills the front of the body but also the back of the body
* You will feel your abdomen expand but also your chest as you fill the entirety of the lungs
* Follow the length of your inhale as well as the length of your exhale, notice what might feel restricted but what also might feel more free and relaxed
* Go gently as you bring your attention to your breath pattern, there's no need to force it to be different than what it is
* Observe for yourself how things might naturally shift within the quality of your breath, your mood, your mind and your body as you give it a little loving attention
