Welluvia’s Guide To Autumn
As we make our way well into autumn, a shift in lifestyle and perspective occurs. As the days become shorter and the air begins to cool down, the carefree months of summer are over. The attitudes associated with summer have transitioned to more sombre and serious states. Autumn sees us being able to harvest and gather the brightly covered seasonal vegetables that grow at this time of year so they can be put away for winter. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is recognised that our lifestyles and habits synchronise with the seasons harmoniously in order for us to be healthy. Today we’ll look at some more fundamentals of autumn, things for us to do, associations within Traditional Chinese Medicine, self-care and diet.
Traditional Chinese Medicine & Autumn
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is associated with numerous things that are to be focused on during the months:
Element - Metal
Yin Organ- Lungs
Yang Organ - Large Intestine
Emotion - Grief / Sadness
Climate - Dryness
Stage of Development - Harvest
Flavour - Pungent
Colour - White
Sound - Crying
Healing Sound - Sssssssss
A look at the Yin and Yang Organs of Autumn:
The Lungs and their emotion, Grief
Autumn is associated with the lung system. The lungs are associated with clear communication and thinking, adaptability and positive self image. When the lungs are out of balance we lose the ability to cope with loss and change, feeling alienated and experiencing prolonged senses of grief that don’t go away. The lungs are also associated with attachment, so if you are someone that finds it hard to let go of things, becoming easily attached to people or objects and constantly reliving experiences of the past, this may signal to a Qi deficiency in the lungs. When the lungs are weak it is easy to experience overwhelming and constant states of sadness that do not ease.
Yang Organ: The Large Intestine
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, every organ has a partner. The Yang to the Lung’s Yin, the large intestine is the lung’s partner in maintaining balance in the body. The lungs are predominately responsible for processing the new, while the large intestine is responsible for letting go of the waste. Due to this physical and spiritual connection, autumn is the time to look at things we are hanging onto and let them go for good. It is also recommended to now finish up projects that began in spring or summer and enjoy the fruit of your labour.
Food and Diet
Whenever the seasons transition I look through my copy of Maggie Beer’s “Maggie’s Harvest” - a 700-page encyclopaedia that is split into seasonal recipes, each with a written excerpt from Maggie about the ingredients. Seasonal produce in autumn is one of the most exciting in the year, the brightly coloured vegetables and fruits reflect that of the autumnal leaves about to fall from the trees. Some of my favourite seasonal produce of autumn includes almonds, carrots, crabapples, fennel, figs, grapes, mushrooms, olives, pears, persimmons, sweet potato, pomegranates, pumpkin, quinces, rhubarb, and walnuts.
Due to the weather becoming cooler, we should cook and eat warm food to aid digestion, so now is the time to change from summer food options like salads and smoothies to more considered meal options such as porridge, soups and stews. It is the time to utilise cooking methods that take more time such as stewing, baking and roasting.
As autumn is seen as a time to harvest and prepare for the cooler months of hibernation ahead, it is the perfect time to practice things like pickling, fermenting and preserving so that there is an adequate food supply for winter. When we look at Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are various foods that can assist with autumn’s associations in the body.
Foods To Nourish Qi In The Lungs:
Pears
Water Chestnuts
Cauliflower
Lotus Root
Almonds
Foods To Support The Large Intestine:
Flax Seeds
Probiotics
Dried Fruits
Oatmeal
Chia Seeds
Counteracting Dryness
As these months are associated with dryness, it is important to focus on adequate hydration. This is a great time to drink herbal teas and make hydration a ritual throughout the day. I drink warm water with a slice of lemon every morning before eating or drinking anything else as a sort of daily ritual.
Growing Guide
As we are spending a lot more time at home, autumn is an excellent time of the year to spend gardening and preparing for winter and spring. I’ve personally been spending a lot of time researching flowers and planting new species I’ve acquired. Autumn is a transitional season, a pivotal time to harvest what is available now and plan for the seasons ahead. There are several flower varieties that blossom now so are suitable investments for a bit of autumnal-to-winter colours in your garden. Cyclamen, poppies, snapdragons, calendula, dahlia and kangaroo paw are autumn flowering blooms that also make wonderful cut flower varieties to incorporate into your flower arrangements.
Now is also the time to look at preparing flowers for spring. Popular bulb varieties such as daffodils, jonquils, hyacinths and tulips need to be prepared now and planted in the coming months, so they have gone through their necessary cold hibernation period, ready to flower towards the end of winter/the beginning of spring. I’ve planted a variety of hyacinths in many different colours lately as each colour has a unique scent, and I’m super excited for those to come out! Another type I love are jonquils, a smaller version of the typical daffodil but also in the narcissus family, jonquils are generally less showy than daffodils but produce a strong intoxicating perfume that daffodils lack—looking forward to sharing more on this when spring comes.
When it comes to edible produce now is the time to plant baby spinach, radishes, snow peas, garlic, kale, broccoli, beetroot, carrots, silverbeet and onions. Pumpkins and sweet potatoes should be just about ready to harvest now and should be incorporated into slow and carefully considered dishes to support the body during these colder months.
Sleep
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes we should adjust our sleeping cycles according to the seasons. As we know sleep plays a vital role in bolstering our immune systems, and due to the days being shorter in autumn, it’s a great time to begin sleeping earlier than usual and rising earlier than we normally do, waking up with the sunrise.
Relaxing
Autumn is a great time to catch up on things you didn’t have time to do during the faster-paced months. It’s a chance to slow down and spend time reading books you’ve been meaning to read or watch films that you’ve bookmarked.
General Takeaway
Breathe Deeply
Wind in our environment plays a huge factor in the months ahead, so practising breath work such as diaphragmatic breathing or in practices such as yoga and meditation is important during these times. Using diaphragmatic breathing can help support our lungs maximum capabilities.
Letting Go
Using time to focus and reflect on things that are bothering you and your body. Now is the time to properly address those things and let go, allowing the body and mind to heal.
Re-Organise and Clean
Spring is generally associated with cleaning and re-organising clutter in one’s mind and home, but autumn is also a great time to address our possessions and cleanse our environment before hibernation.
Eat and Harvest
Autumnal months are the time to eat well and harvest the efforts from the past few months and prepare for the colder months ahead. As mentioned above, pickling, fermenting and preserving is a great way to provide sustenance in the future.
Relaxation and Rejuvenation
As we move to more somber and introspective states of being, now is the time to relax and recharge and focus on yourself. Sleep a little longer and pay extra attention to self love and practicing wellness within. Allowing things to stew and remain unresolved wrecks havoc on both our physical and mental health as we go into colder weather.
Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and fruitful autumn.
With wellness,
Aleksandar
Photography by Aleksandar Zarić for Welluvia
