By Wendy Weiss, M.Ac., L. Ac.
According to Five Element Acupuncture health and well-being are based on the seasons and the changing cycles of Nature. Each season has an energetic quality that also exists within us. Our health is a reflection of our relationship to Nature and the changing energy of the seasons.
What is the Fall Season? The ancient Chinese text, the “Nei Ching”, explains: “The three months of the fall are called the period of tranquility of one’s conduct…soul and spirit should be gathered together in order to make the breath of fall tranquil…all of this is the method for the protection of one’s harvest.” In fall, everything approaches their completion. Leaves change color and fall to the ground, reflecting the passage of time. Fall reflects the ongoing rhythm of life’s transitions, including the cycles of birth and death.
How does the Fall relate to us? What is true in Nature is true within us. Fall is a time to reap one’s harvest, to conserve energy, and to consolidate and store what will nourish the body-mind for the coming winter. Fall is the time to acknowledge what one values most in life. It is time to reflect on the purpose of life, one’s sense of self-worth, and the meaningfulness of one’s life.
What is the element of the Fall season? The Fall Season is associated with the metal element. The organs in the metal element are the lungs and the large intestine. They are in charge of receiving and letting go. The lungs receive the pure Chi, life force energy, from the heavens. When one inhales the breath, one can feel the connection to a greater source of inspiration. The large intestine is the great eliminator, in charge of letting go of all waste product. As one exhales one can intentionally release anything that is no longer of value to the body-mind.
What is the purpose of the Fall Season? Fall is a time to take stock of one’s life, and let ‘fall away’ any patterns that no longer serve one’s highest quality of life. Letting go of old patterns makes room to receive something new that better serves one’s greater purpose. The emotion associated with fall is grief. The falling leaves reflect how loss is a natural part of life. In times of loss and grief, one can be re-inspired and comforted through each breath. Grief brings one to a deeper place, urging one to allow the next breath, to accept change, and to trust in the ongoing cycles of life .
How can Acupuncture help us stay healthy in the Fall? Five Element Acupuncture can help to build up the ‘defensive layer’ energy and strengthen the circulation of life force energy in the skin and muscles to help prevent pathogens from entering the body. Seasonal treatments can also support overall health, correcting minor imbalances before they become serious problems.
How can I receive the Gifts of the Fall Season? During the fall, Nature’s brilliant and pristine colors nourish one’s inner quality and self-worth. Walk outside and breath deeply to strengthen one’s connection to one’s deepest purpose, and the unique beauty in one’s self and others. Consciously breath, and feel how the breath integrates the body-mind-spirit. Awareness of this essential connection through the breath helps to bring balance in the fall season. These are the ways we can receive the gifts of the fall season.
Wendy Weiss, M. Ac., L. Ac., is a Licensed Acupuncturist specializing in Five Element Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. She maintains offices in both Lakeport and Lower Lake and can be reached for further information at 277-0891.
