Autumnal Wellbeing
Slowing down, letting go, going within...
In five element philosophy, there is no official calendar for when the five seasons transition, as there is with other more traditional calendars punctuated by pivotal days such as Solstice, Samhain and Lammas.
Instead we take our lead from nature, noticing, sensing, checking, feeling. It’s a great practice to keep a seasons diary for yourself - everyone’s relationship with the different seasons will be unique. Bulbs to represent spring, trees in their fullest for summer.
For me, I always think the coming of the winds after harvest season signifies the start of Autumn. Here in the UK, we’ve been battered by storm Lillian this last week and the temperature has dropped somewhat, which prompted me to write this seasonal wellbeing post.
This season transition is my favourite. I love summer but I struggle with the heat as I run quite warm in my internal temperature. You’ll find me more likely stripping off rather than layering up. No surprises I like cold dipping and ice showers. The temperature drop always offers me a sense of relief having ‘got through’ summer trying to be as cool as I can in my work (thank the lord for desk fans).
It’s a cosy feeling realising I need to put my fluffy socks on at night to watch TV, to snuggle down under a blanket or dust off my jacket selection to walk the dog. Even the colours of autumn offer some magic, as if nature realised humans would need something beautiful to help them let go of the joys of summer. So she gave us those beautiful auburn, burnt orange, deep mahogany colours. A further nod to warming our soul ready for the cold of winter to come.
When I think of autumn, I think of falling leaves and halloween. My birthday is also in autumn so there’s a sense of hunkering together with loved ones and doing nourishing things like a group walk, a meal out, family sunday roast.
More philosophically of course, the falling leaves are a reminder to us all to let go of what we no longer need to take us through winter. If harvest had us storing nourishment for the winter, then autumn teaches us not to carry anything extra (physically, emotionally, spiritually).
In Chinese Medicine and Five Element Philosophy, the autumn seasons is a representative of metal energy. Metal carries enough weight to turn our energy downward and inward. It can also show up as precious metals, hinting that the good stuff is to be found within ourselves. Treasure waiting to be discovered. Or as a tool, most often depicted as a knife or sword, literally cutting and slicing away that not wanted. It teaches us, that our value lies within, not without.
Metal and Autumn wisdom teach us the following truths
Falling/letting go - In autumn everything falls; the leaves, the temperature, the angle of the sun. A sense of quieting. Acknowledging the impermanence of life and things.
Decay - leaves and fruit drop to earth and begin to decay to feed and nourish the soil for future growth. In this way we’re able to renew all life.
Space - once the leaves have dropped, the bare trees offer more space, fields lie fallow. Spaciousness offers a chance to breathe fully
Light - as the sun moves lower, the light softens and is more gentler, less intense. Offering an ethereal quality to the light. A closeness to something more spiritual
Cool - crisper mornings, cooler daytimes. Sweaters, hats, scarves retrieved to ‘keep the warmth in’.
Keeping physically well in Autumn
The organs connected to autumn and metal season are the Lungs and Large Intestine in Chinese Medicine. And the Lungs govern skin in this philosophy too. Paying attention to breath work
LUNGS:
The ‘Governor of our energy’ combining air energy, with energy from our food and sending it to our heart to keep us going.
Keep the lungs well protected from airborne diseases (the biggest risk to lungs after smoking). I think we’re all pretty well versed in this after getting through covid.
Exercise the lungs through regular breath work which has incredible positive links to other physical and mental wellbeing. Check out WimHoff for more on that.
The lungs like antioxidant foods which reduce inflammation; food like garlic, onions, green drinks, berries, dark chocolate. Pears are excellent at clearing heat and moistening lungs. Eliminate any food you’re allergic to. Good lung health also requires good sources of protein.
LARGE INTESTINES:
Literally the garbage disposal system of the body. Physically we want our energy to work downwards in order to avoid constipation. Mentally relates to our capacity to let go and not dwell on the past. Hanging on to things that don’t serve you anymore; possessions, people, beliefs.
Supporting your large investing by eating good fibre with your meals, increasing your water intake, increasing your veg and whole foods, and taking care of your gut microbiome is a good place to start.
Foods that support good health in Autumn/Metal season
All the white foods; onions, leeks, white nectarines, cauliflower, garlic, jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms, white potatoes. kohlrabi.
The more pungent the better as they cleanse.
Easy ways to add in these veg to your meals; throw in onions and garlic to nearly any meal, batch cook potato and leek soup, aloo gobi an indian dish is a great pungent dish with cauliflower and potato, roast a whole head of garlic with olive oil - use wherever you fancy, pear compote with yoghurt for pud.
What about our mental and emotional wellbeing in Autumn?
There are some significant aspects of life and living well that autumn gives us a chance to reflect on. Like all things, we can have either a healthy or unhealthy relationship to them.
Grief and letting go - our capacity to literally let go, say goodbye and move on with our lives when there’s been loss. Different types of losses need different types of letting go. Ceremonies are becoming way more popular ways to honour the ending of things. I intend to hold a ceremony to honour the end of my motherhood journey so I can create space (from letting go) like the trees, for whatever next. Reflecting on your capacity to hold on to things vs letting go can be rich prompt for your journalling. Noting which you favour and how it might hold you back. Do you hold on for too long? Do you struggle to let go?
Feeling valued and valuing self - If summer is a season of connection and giving to others, autumn reminds us to reconnect with ourselves. It’s a going inward journey. A coming home to self. In this journey we need to be able to value ourselves warts and all. Self love is a namby-pamby saying but its sentiment is super important right now. So many people run around projecting their not-good-enough stuff out into the world thinking it’s going to fix it, but the only person who can do that is you. Focussing on your good qualities, and reminding yourself daily what they are. Use a mantra like I am enough, until you find your own. Then build new healthier boundaries around your newly realised ‘value’. But be warned, this work usually comes with more letting go to be done.
Recognising what’s precious in life - metal teaches us the value of life because autumn shows us how everything decays, even humans when we die. In that way it offers an annual chance to reflect on what most matters in our lives. What do we hold most precious? Is it the opinion of others and fitting in? Is it that diet that will get you into your size 12 frock or is it that you were kind and thoughtful?
It’s true what they say that no one will remember or recall your achievements or your stuff at your funeral, but they will talk about your character.
So there you have it, the low down on autumn and metal element season.
Maybe you have a favourite ritual for autumn you like to do? Drop it in the comments, I’d love to know more about you and your relationship to autumn.
I enjoyed this reading Jennifer, thank you. Great reminder and insightful