In autumn, the maturity and ripeness of late summer finds its perfection and completion. The abundance is harvested and put stored away for winter, plants turn to seed and contract inwards to protect themselves. As we witness the completion of the seasonal cycle and the transitory, temporary nature of all life, there is often a sense of sadness at this transition. Equally, we may also find a sense of accomplishment at what we have harvested in our own lives from the time that has passed.

Metal (or Air) Element energy predominates at this time: the organs associated with this energy are the lung and large intestine. Both these organs and energies govern exchange with the environment and processes that allow the body to take in what it needs and release what is no longer necessary. Our first act of life is to breathe and from all our inhalations we receive oxygen and energy, exhaling what is no longer necessary. Similarly, the large intestine stores and eliminates our waste, choosing to keep vital water and nutrients and releasing the rest. Thus the metal element is associated with vitality, precision, discernment and clarity, expression and communication as well boundaries: those between inner and outer, me and not-me. It is also associated with what is valuable both inside and outside of ourselves.

These physical processes of exchanging with the environment are mirrored on a mental and emotional level. Those of us with a balanced expression of lung and large intestine energy have a good sense of our own self-worth as well as what is of value outside our own boundaries. An imbalanced expression of this energy can occur in those of us who do not feel secure in our self-worth and therefore we tighten our boundaries reducing our ability to receive from our environment. This often leads to constipation and shallow breathing and leads to becoming stuck in small details and unable to consider the bigger picture. Alternatively, we can place far too great a value on an external ideal, in the form of another person, or external status or a belief system that we use as a substitute for an organic sense of self-worth. When these situations stem from childhood, where many of us did not necessarily receive positive reinforcement of our self-worth in our environment, these problems can still be dealt with in adulthood.

Grief is the emotion associated with the metal element and even those with balanced energy are confronted by losses that come to all of us, including the consideration of our own mortality. In modern western society we have lost many of our traditions surrounding coping with loss, particularly a withdrawal from our external world to deal with our grief. We are expected to find ‘closure’ and ‘move on’ in a relatively quick manner, regardless of the fact that grief is not a linear process, that it cycles its way around within us, that later losses trigger earlier ones. As a result, fully expressing and processing our grief can be difficult and I see many people in my practice who have denied themselves the entire process, sometimes for years, particularly with losses experienced in youth. Talking about this process is awkward and uncomfortable for many and we tighten our boundaries so that we don’t show or communicate what is within us and perhaps look foolish or out of control. Alternatively, there are those who are comfortable talking about these issues on an intellectual level to avoid any emotional recognition of grief. We need to reassure ourselves that expressing our grief is healthy and natural. Finding space in ourselves without any self-judgement to honour this process and allow the grief to unfold in its own time is one of the most important things that we can do for ourselves. Taking the time express our mourning – in the form of weeping, breathing, writing about how we are feeling without censorship are some ways to cope, as well as seeking professional help when needed. The process of grief is valuable and only by entering into our grief and coming out the other side can we recapture our ability to once again engage with our world and open up to new possibilities.

Imbalances associated with metal energy include respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory and sinus infections, as well as bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel, boating, excess gas, acne and pimples and skin conditions such as eczema. Many of these conditions can be alleviated or improved with changes in diet. Foods such as brown rice, ginger, daikon, radishes and root vegetables (particularly lotus root) and autumn greens such as kale assist in gently cleansing the lung and large intestine. Pickles are also nourishing in autumn, particularly ginger, daikon and cabbage and other pungent foods. Kuzu is an excellent remedy for many digestive problems and several recipes are available on the  Remedies page as well as miso soup. It is also important to reduce foods that do not nourish lung and large intestine which are foods that are no longer vital.  These include flour products (particularly white flour) in the form of artificially yeasted breads, cakes, pastries.

Exercise becomes gentler and yoga poses are held for a longer time than in summer. Yoga poses that are appropriate in autumn are those that work the arms such as Plank and Chattoranga (Crocodile Pose)  and Forearm Balance (Pincha Mayurasana). Other poses include Parsvottanasana (like Down Dog but with one leg forward), Supta Pandangusthasana and Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose) that work the back of the hips and legs. Advanced practitioners may also wish to incorporate the arm balances and Handstand into their practice.

There is so much more I could write but I tried to focus on what would be most useful on a practical level. Please let me know if you have any questions.