Autumn

Autumn has arrived. The seeds that were sown in the summer have grown and blossomed and are now ready for harvest. We can gather the fruits of labor and store them for the winter. (Fortunately for those of us in California we can continue to harvest the bounty throughout the winter months!) We are preparing for the time when we will go within, winter. 

The idea of harvest can be applied to our bodies as well. It is a time to start gathering our energies preparing for the quiet of winter. In nature everything is contracting, moving inward and sending the energy to the roots. We can apply this principal with the foods that we eat by preparing foods that supply more energy that is required in the cooler temperatures. Baked and sauteed foods help stimulate the appetite while the root vegetables help thicken the blood. Eating more sour foods will begin the process of contraction in the body but do not eat too many because they do have a strong effect. Using less water, lower heat and longer cooking times helps concentrate the energies and internalize your focus. Slow cookers are a great way to do this.

Fall is the time of the lungs and colon represented by the metal element and dryness. Grief is the emotion. During the fall lung conditions are prevalent; dry skin, nose, lips and throat along with itchiness and thirst. To support the lungs during this time eat foods that are moistening such as tempeh, spinach, millet, pear, apple, persimmon, seaweeds, almonds, pinenuts, honey, eggs and black and white fungus. Using a little salt when cooking will also moisten dryness.

Unexpressed grief can cause long-term issues with the lungs interfering with their function of dispersing nutrients and qi. This will result in congestion. This can also affect the colon. If you are having chronic lung or colon issues it is important to clear any unresolved sadness or grief. Looking within and identifying these unresolved feelings and perhaps even discussing them with another can help dissipate them. Also taking long, deep breaths throughout the day is an important tool to help transform the grief.

Use this time of fall to reap the rewards of your summer plantings. Help to re-establish the balance of the lungs and colon by resolving any grief or sadness. Enjoy the fall harvest and use it to your advantage.

*Pitchford, Paul, Healing with Whole Foods, Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition, Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1993, p 306-309.