Breathe in the newness of autumn. Breathe out everything you held onto from the summer season, and even before. Take in all that is new and fresh and exciting. Release what no longer serves you. With the lungs and large intestine being the dominant organs of the fall season in Traditional Chinese Medicine, we can step into the theme of exchange.
When we let go of what isn’t meant to stay any longer, we create more space and opportunity to be fulfilled and nourished by what is. And vice versa- by holding on and clinging to the things that don’t breathe more joy, opportunity, or health into our lives, we end up suffocated. Autumn is for remembering that we don’t need to be gasping for air. Clinging so closely. Holding onto things as tightly as we may unknowingly be holding our breaths. Autumn is for trusting that what is meant to come, will, as well as what is meant to pass. We can breathe easy knowing this.
The lungs are an organ of exchange. Through several cellular processes, the oxygen we breathe is exchanged for carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide we respire is a key object in the process of plant photosynthesis. Reminding us of how interconnected we all are. The exhale we took at some point or another contributed to the green that we watch fade into orange and yellow this season. As our seasons and environments around us change, so do we.
Deeply connected to the lungs are the emotions sadness and grief. The seasonal blues are a common occurrence as the temperature drops and this isn’t always by coincidence. The organs will take the opportunity to release their stored emotions in their dominant seasons. We can embrace what there may be to learn or express from the grief or sadness that may come knocking these few months, without allowing it to overstay.
You can practically feel the heaviness that begins to cultivate around this time. We become a bit slower, a bit sleepier, and maybe we find ourselves craving more stability and less spontaneity. Fall is made for us to settle. Into ourselves, our homes, our routines, and our bodies. It’s made for us to fall in love with our inner homes and safely experience this transitional season between the two extremes. We give what’s left to give and then we find storage, just as the last of the fruits drop from the vine and the vegetables are dug and kept for the winter. We self-preserve.
Just as what goes in and out through the lungs, we also experience an act of final exchange in the large intestine. The last opportunity to absorb or release in the process of digestion. The body will choose its last bits of water and vitamins to uptake, as well as the final waste products to let go of. We address separation- what we’re ready to part with here. We’re in a constant, daily cycle of harvest in our bodies. Just as we do with the apples, figs, and greens in November.
Supporting the lungs and large intestine this season can aid us in living harmoniously with nature and its evolving elements. Nasal breathing, time outside, breathwork, healthy communication, and allowing tears to fall if they may are all acts of nourishment for the lungs. Establishing stability, internal safety, regulated blood sugar, daily bowel movements, grieving, and hydrating with minerals all communicate love to the large intestine.
There are multiple ways to speak to our body in its own language. If we find ourselves with overwhelming sadness, seasonal allergies (the nose is the entrance to the lungs), constipation, or diarrhea- accept that these are messages from the body. Fall opens a door of opportunity in doing so through bitter and pungent flavors, relaxation, and organization. Step briskly, and breathe in the last of the warm air as its scarcity builds and builds.