Autumn has arrived. Shorter days, longer. nights, crisper leaves, a harvest moon. The wisdom of East Asian Medicine teaches us that this time of waning light and falling leaves outside in nature is also reflected within. Enriching yin, tending our digestion, engaging our breath and letting go are four ways to align ourselves with autumn.
Enriching Yin
As the sun sets in the west energetically, yang sinks into yin. Yin, the cooling, moistening and still aspect of our being needs to be adequate to contain and balance yang. This time of year, especially in a deep drought, tending our hydration is key. When yin is dry, you may notice dry skin, dry eyes, constipation, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, headaches. worsening menopausal symptoms, tendon & muscle tightness or low libido.
Practice: Drink 64 ounces of water or herbal tea daily. Eat yin moistening foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, avocado, oils such as coconut and olive, fish, and dairy if well-tolerated. Treat yourself and your dry skin by moisturizing your skin topically with a creamy and luxurious shea butter or use the EWG’s Skin Deep App to evaluate the safety of your fav moisturizer.
Tending Digestion
Yangming is the name for the Large Intestine and Stomach energy associated with the west and autumn. How we digest is a keystone of our health, and every system of our body depends on getting nutrients via our diet. It is your birthright to feel good in your body. When Yangming is out of balance you might notice becoming uncomfortably full too easily, or getting hungry too often. You may feel bloated and uncomfortable and /or experience constipation or diarrhea. You should be having daily formed, easy elimination. If your digestion isn’t feeling easy and comfortable- a first start is to try the following.
Practice: Simplify your diet to mostly cooked, whole foods, regulate your mealtimes and get plenty of water and add fiber in your routine. Here is a healthy grocery list to peruse. Try the breathing exercise below as well.
Engaging the Breath
Lung and the element of metal is also highlighted in the autumn season. Besides keeping us alive by providing the oxygen to every tissue in our body, breathing can be engaged as a tool to regulate our nervous system, ground us and process sadness, anxiety or irritability. It can even be a tool to experience our happiness and joy more completely. Belly breathing or Diaphragmatic breathing is a simple but powerful tool. By engaging the diaphragm, you can guide the breath more deeply into your lungs and allow the vagus nerve to get the message you are in rest and digest mode, rather than fight flight or freeze mode.
Practice: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted. Place one hand on your abdomen just below your naval and the other hand on your chest. Use pillows under head or knees if needed. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing the breath to expand into your belly- you should feel your lower hand on your belly rise while your upper hand on your chest remains still. As you exhale through your mouth, allow your abdomen to relax, moving down to its original position. Practice belly breathing for 10-20 minutes per day. For more instruction, check out this video.
Letting Go
Spring gets all the press as a time for clearing and cleaning out, but autumn is the real star here. Just as the leaves drop from trees in autumn, this is a good time for letting go of what is no longer serving you and hitting the re-set button. Whether that means donating clothing you no longer wear, compassionately ending relationships that are not good for you, letting go of an attachment to the past, or re-evaluating commitments that are taking time you need for yourself, consider what is calling for you to release.
Practice: You may want something in your life to be different, but start by first acknowledging what it is. Acceptance is about opening and investigating the moment you are in with curiosity, courage and deep breaths. Practice compassion for yourself and others. Make a plan for what you want to let go of and how. Ask a friend for support if you need it.
If you are feeling a bit out of balance this autumn with dryness, digestion, sleep, emotions, hormonal balance or lung and sinus, the team at Double Happiness Health would love to help. East Asian medicine is uniquely suited to tailor treatments for your particular pattern. Give us a call at 415-255-2252 or book online.
Happy Autumn!