Autumn Energetics: Fall and Your Body

Chinese medical theory is rooted in the cyclical passage of time and its effect on our bodies. As seasons wax and wane, external shifts in the environment pull our innate energy like the moon pulls the tide. Fall in particular marks a stark time of transition in the body: we move from the expansive energy of summer to the contractile energy of winter.

Every season in Chinese medicine is associated with an element. The element of autumn is metal. Let’s take a moment to talk about the qualities of metal itself. Metal is the product of a very organized natural process: under the correct conditions, rocks break down within the earth to release elements, including metal. Metal is firm, strong, self-contained, and precious. Metal is impenetrable, yet can be molded under the proper conditions, like extreme heat.

Metal energy manifests within our bodies with these same qualities. Fall is the opportune time to sit back, reflect, and reorganize. During summer, our energetic tendency was outward: think of all the barbeques, picnics, hikes, and adventures you said yes to over the summer. You may find that your inclination as we enter fall is to attend fewer events, as your energy contracts.

Autumn is the time to reset your boundaries. Create a strong metal-like container for yourself. Boundaries can sound like limitations; they aren’t. Defining your boundaries is an opportunity to say yes to all the things you want and to let go of what is no longer serving you. Boundaries solidify and strengthen what is within. Metal energy gives us the opportunity to maintain that strength while also letting go.

In Chinese medicine, the emotion associated with fall is sadness or grief. You may find yourself feeling more sad than usual during this season. Sadness reconnects us to our true inner values. At the same time, it can lead to stagnation if we do not let go. I like to think of tears as our body’s leaves. Like trees losing their leaves, tears express our sense of loss. Remember, however, that trees release their leaves, they push them off, they let them go. Sadness is also an opportunity to let go, to say goodbye, and to carry with you only what you truly cherish.

Inside the body, we also see some clearly defined boundaries. The Lungs take in and release air, serving as a boundary between our internal organs and the external world. Oxygen diffuses through cells in our lungs into the rest of our bodies, but air itself is not whizzing around haphazardly within. Our lungs exhale what is not needed, establishing a safe, strong container and boundary. Consider as well the digestive tract. Food enters our mouths, and passes through the tract. Like air, food itself does not enter our delicate internal environment. Instead, our body extracts precious nutrients, and we excrete what we do not need.

In Chinese medicine, there are 12 meridians associated with internal organs, and each meridian is associated with an element. It is no surprise that the Lung and Large Intestine are considered Metal. Both organs establish and support boundaries, extract what is precious, and let go.

Fall is the optimal time to support seasonal Metal energy by supporting the Lung and Large Intestine meridians. The Lung meridian emerges in the chest, and passes down the inside of the arm to terminate at the thumb. The Large Intestine Meridian begins at the index finger, rises over the back of the hand and arm, and through the shoulder joint. It rises up the side of the neck, passes over the jaw and cheek, and terminates next to the nostril.

There is one more thing I’d like to talk about regarding this season, and that is immunity. We know fall is cold and flu season. In Chinese medicine, there are many different types of qi, or energy in our bodies. The Lungs in particular are associated with wei qi, or guardian qi. This qi runs closer to the surface of our body than other types of qi. Guardian qi serves as an energetic boundary against the types of external pathogens that can cause colds, or the flu.

If our bodies are overwhelmed by the transition from expansive to contractive energy during fall, our immune systems weaken. By returning to breath, solidifying our boundaries, and strengthening Metal energy, we build our guardian qi. Cold air can easily make us gasp. Focus on side body breathing during fall, allowing your Lungs to expand in the face of cold. This ensures your guardian qi can expand as well. You can also support your guardian qi at home by eating seasonal fall foods like sweet potatoes and pears. Wearing layers when outside, and taking special care to cover the nape of the neck, keeps guardian qi strong in the face of blustery fall winds.