Reflections for a Healthy Autumn
In Chinese medicine, each season is associated with different vital organs in our body. As the late summer (or “Indian summer” as it’s sometimes known) draws to an end, it is helpful to reflect on the season ahead and harness its energies for our own well-being. Autumn is the time of the Lung and the Large Intestine and if you think about what these organs are responsible for, you can draw upon their strengths to help you through this beautiful and sometimes challenging time of year.
The Large Intestine is about letting go. Its job is to move the waste products from digestion—the stuff that has had all of its nutrition extracted from it—out of the body. If we extrapolate that function into the emotional realm, we can see how a healthy Large Intestine could help us let go of the emotional “waste”—the feelings, thoughts and emotions that no longer serve us—for our greater good. We have all felt the burden of difficult or uncomfortable feelings that cause us pain the longer we hold on to them. Anger, fear, frustration, regret, guilt and resentment all put our spirits in a bind when we cling to and re-live them, feel justified in them or judge ourselves for them. The letting go energy of the Large Intestine can be a helpful tool to conjure up when we find ourselves hooked by difficult emotions that we would rather leave behind.
The energy of the Lung is about inspiration. Literally, that means breathing, but it can also mean the feeling of being touched by things that inspire us. The quiet change and color of autumn that follows the warmth and buoyancy of summer is inspiring in and of itself. But it is that deep breath that allows us to slow down, check in and re-connect with the deeper parts of ourselves. The emotion associated with the Lung and Large Intestine is grief, which can also be translated as sadness or regret; really it is the emotional energy of letting go. Saying goodbye to old patterns or stories that are causing us more pain than good, grieving the loss of a loved one or even the loss of a dream unfulfilled; it is the action of letting go that allows us to make room to be inspired for something new.
As we move into the fall and think of ways to protect our immune system, remember the vital role balanced emotions play in our complete health. When you find yourself “stuck” with a difficult emotion or thought pattern, think of how you might be able to move more gently through it and transform it into something else. Perhaps take a deep breath, go for a walk outside and take in the changing season and harness the energy of fall to help you “let go” of what’s unnecessary so you can begin to “take in” a new, healthier way of being.