Autumn

Autumn

Today I spent a few hours clearing the piles of leaves that had dropped from the many trees that surround our property. These trees encircle us like arms curved in a hug.

Leaves fell as I raked and swept, the trees letting go with such little effort, so little attachment. I could see our perimeter fence, the fields behind, the edges of our property in a way I have not all year. I noticed a twiggy nest high up in the Sycamore tree. I could see that Nature was beginning to lay everything bare, to highlight only what was essential. There was still glory in the colours of the sky, the leaves, the sunset but I had the sense that soon this rich ‘Last Hurrah’ would soon be over and we would be left with only what is necessary.

I distributed the leaves I collected beneath the forested areas and I layered them into our compost. The trees no longer need them, but they will be put to good use and return to the earth to enrich it and promote new growth in the new year.

As I raked and swept I was aware of how fresh the air was, how clear, refreshed, clean. I could feel it in my lungs. Gulped down like a long glass of water.

I pulled up old, dead plants – tomatoes, cornflowers, weeds. All brown and brittle now, all ready to be disposed of, returned to the earth. Waste that it would not serve Nature to hold on to any longer.

In Chinese Medicine Autumn is the season of the element Metal (or air). It is a time to turn inward, to leave aside the outward energies of Spring and Summer and to let go of things that no longer serve us; possessions, ideas, negativity. It is a peaceful time, a time of release. Without letting go of its leaves, the earth beneath the tree, and therefore the tree itself, would not be nourished and there would be no room and no energy for new buds grow the following Spring.

The two organs of the Metal element and therefore of Autumn are the Lungs and the Large Intestine. They work together to bring balance to the body. The Lungs draw in what classical Chinese medicine refers to as ‘the pure Ch’i from the Heavens’ – they are our connection to the divine, however you view that – to God, Mother Nature, the good in ourselves.

Conversely the Large Intestines or Colon helps us to eliminate what is unnecessary or toxic from our bodies. This has a physical manifestation of course, but we are more than just our physical selves. Daily we are bombarded with so much that we do not need to hold on to and our Large Intestine ensures we eliminate mental and spiritual rubbish as well as the more physical kind.

When the Metal energy is blocked within us we can develop physical ailments such as cough, allergies, colds, asthmas, bronchitis, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and constipation but we can also experience difficulties letting go of old emotions. We can hold on to feelings of grief and sadness or be unable to process those emotions for ourselves and we can also suffer from depression, stubbornness (inability to let go) and excessive isolation and negativity. We may also feel the need to seek validation, respect and recognition from outside ourselves because we do not feel that quality and sense of worth from within.

Spending a little bit of time out in Nature in this season, breathing deep and watching the leaves fall, can show us so much about how we can be within ourselves.

Tips

CLEAR OUT
Go through a drawer, a bag, a wardrobe and clear out what you no longer need. When was the last time you used it? Why are you keeping it? Give away, recycle, sell whatever you don’t need to hang on to. Looking at that clear space feels really good!

BREATHE DEEP
Set aside a few minutes each day to sit quietly outdoors, preferably somewhere in Nature. Close your eyes and breathe deep, filling your belly with every inhale. Visualise filling every cell in your body with new fresh air and light. With your exhale see if you can let go of negativities, obsessions, worries, pain. I have a wonderful breathing exercise I will share on my blog soon and share the link here.

LET IT GO!
The Large Intestine has its peak time of the day between 5 & 7am. So this will be the best and easiest time of the day to do a poo. If you are having difficulties with constipation aim to sit on the toilet for about 20 minutes every morning for 10 days between these hours. It also helps to rest your feet on a small stool. This should regulate your system and remind your body of when and how it should be removing toxins from your body.

EAT THE SEASON
Food-wise it is a good idea to leave aside salads and cooler foods and replace them with cooked foods – soups, roasted vegetables, warm teas. A good rule of thumb is to eat food the colours of the season. Think deep greens, rich yellows, warm and brilliant oranges. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, broccoli, spinach … This Sweet Potato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup will hit the spot. Many of the yummy recipes I mention in this blog post are also good for this time of year.

STAY MOVING
Moving in to this slower time of the year it is tempting to stop exercising and curl up in front of Netflix until sometime mid-April. But exercise is a great way to keep your mood up in the darker months and also helps keep your immunity strong. It is a good idea, however, to consider changing what kind of exercise you do. Switch a potentially chilly evening swim for an evening yoga class in a warm room, a rainy morning run for a forest walk wrapped up in your woolies.