Autumn in Chinese Medicine: Taking In, Letting Go, and Staying Well
A few weeks back, Autumn made it’s presence known, as it does every year. The air changed, turning drier and sharper; the kind of air that commands your attention the second you’re exposed to it. The light goes low and gold this time of year, and the trees do something most of us find hard: they let go of what they no longer need, without apology.
Chinese Medicine pays close attention to this. Autumn belongs to the Metal element, and Metal is about two things: taking in and letting go.
Metal: The Lunge and the Large Intestine
In Chinese Medicine, Metal is paired with two organs: The Lung takes in breath and the qi that comes with it, and is traditionally connected with our skin, and as such, considered the body’s outermost layer of protection. The Large Intestine releases what has been used and is no longer needed. Together they describe a rhythm we depend on every moment of the day.
Metal is also the element of discernment: the ability to recognize what is truly valuable and what isn’t. That applies to what we eat and breathe, and to what we carry emotionally.
Taking in what nourishes
Autumn is also when colds and flu begin to circulate, and Chinese Medicine has a long tradition of seasonal habits for this time of year. A few I return to often:
Protect your neck and chest. In TCM, wind is considered an external factor that enters easily at the back of the neck. Similar to how a neck ache or tight chest might be the first signs of a cold, these areas are often first to be affected when a cold strikes. A scarf is a traditional, low-effort habit that protects these susceptible regions.
Eat warm, moistening foods. Soups, congees, pears and root vegetables answer autumns dryness and colder temps.
Keep your rhythms steady. Regular sleep and regular meals give the body a consistent foundation
While none of these practices are guarantees you won’t get sick (germs are germs, after all), they are ways of taking in what nourishes you instead of running on empty. An already stressed, depleted body is sure to pick up illness faster than one that is reliably nourished.
Letting go and the weight of what we hold
In Chinese Medicine, the Lung is also the organ associated with grief. This is part of why in Autumn, with its signaling of many endings and shorter days, can bring loss to the surface, whether that’s a person, a relationship, a version of your life, or a season of it.
Grief is not a problem to be fixed or wish away. It is a natural, necessary response to loss, and it moves in its own time. But the traditional view holds that the body and the emotions are not separate: when we can’t release what we’re carrying — when it can’t move freely through us — it can manifest physically. People describe it as a tight chest, shallow breathing, fatigue that no amount of sleep seems to alleviate, or digestion that has gone sluggish.
A patient came to me recently during an acute period of grief surrounding a family member. The first visit was mostly emotionally-focused. Within a week, it had shown up in her body, with significant digestive upset and disrupted sleep. After two treatments, she told me her digestion had settled and she was able to sleep more than 5 hours overnight (something she was not able to achieve prior). After each session, she described feeling grounded, calm and more connected. Her circumstances haven’t changed, and she is still grieving. But her system found its way back towards steadier ground. Her experience is her own, and of course results vary, but its a vivid picture of how closely the body and emotions are linked in Chinese medicine.
Support for the season
In my practice, I use acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and lifestyle guidance to support people through seasonal transitions, including stress, low energy, digestion, and the emotional weight that can come with this time of year. A first visit starts with listening; your history, your sleep, your digestion, your energy, and what this season has stirred up for you.
If you’d like support settling into Autumn, or any season this finds you in, I’d be glad to meet you.
