“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” - Pema Chodron

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn is a time of letting go, preparing for winter and returning to the earth. As nature prepares for hibernation and the trees shed their leaves, it’s a wonderful time for us to connect with the same rhythm of Mother Earth and let go of what is no longer serving us.

Fall is the season of Metal which rules the Lung (yin organ) and Large Intestine (yang organ) energy.

Lungs

Physically, the lungs control breathing and distribute oxygen. They have the ability to take in, process and filter out what is not needed. In TCM, the emotion associated with the lungs when they are weakened is grief. Grief and sadness must be processed and released to the earth to maintain health and balance within the body. Also, through exhalation, the lungs eliminate waste by-products. If this is prevented or limited a build-up of Qi can cause coarse breathing, headaches, tightness of the chest and shoulders, and mental distress.

Large Intestine

The large intestines absorb liquids and eliminates what we no longer need through the colon in the way of food, toxins and emotions to cleanse the body, mind and spirit. When the large intestine is not functioning correctly the mind can become unclear and cluttered. If proper elimination doesn’t happen we cannot take in what is fresh and new, leaving us feeling dissatisfied, uneasy, stale and lifeless.

The lungs and colon work in harmony as the lungs take in the fresh air of autumn and the colon removes waste. We must be able to do both in life - take in and let go.

Sources for article
Book: The Language of Yin by Gabrielle Harris
Book: Between Heaven and Earth, A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold