On Autumn

On Autumn: The Season of Contraction

Autumn is the time of gatheredness. As the heat of the Summer shores up and the preparations for winter begin, Nature contracts at all levels in anticipation of the long, cold nights ahead. It is a time of harvest and of consolidation, of meditation and study. I'm sure you've been noticing the shift(s) happening since mid August. (Is it just me, or was this year's shifts notably jarring?)

In traditional medicine, Autumn is the time of the Lungs. The Lungs are an organ who's entire function is to expand and contract, to take in and let go- and life depends deeply on it both physiologically and emotionally. You see, the Lungs are associated with the emotion of grief. Grief is that empty feeling that persists when we are holding onto something that is gone and/or has left us; a loved one, an opportunity, a part of our self. It is the emotion related to loss of attachment.

And while the Nature of things is ebb and flow, and we as resilient beings adapt to those big changes in general, there are parts of us that can remain holding on; those parts of us are what bring on the grief. And that grief needs to be honored and respected as it is not pathological. Grief is a process, not a verb not a noun, and though it can sometimes stagnate it just needs to be lovingly allowed. And Autumn… well Autumn is the time for that.

Stuffy wet noses, blocked respiratory passages and sinuses, susceptibility to colds, allergies, etc. These are all features of the Autumn and is the attempt of the body at cleansing, releasing the grief (if we are conscious and allowing of it), balancing the Lungs after months of stagnation.

At the end of the day, Autumn is a lovely gift and one that I look forward to every year (perhaps I'm giving away my melancholic temperament). It remains a time of tremendous gratitude for the harvest of past and making intentions and looking forward to the following year of goodly plenty. I invite you all to take advantage of these rich days of introspection and give yourself what you need to gather yourself after a long expenditure. Autumn is the season of self-care that we all need and deserve.

General Recommendations

Journal

Focus especially on your grief and your unresolved sorrows.

By giving the grief a voice, you internally validate the emotion and that is the beginning of emotional processing.

Sharing with others who are safe and you trust, helps.

Pray

This is a time of contracting into yourself; not in a pathological way but in a way that gathers you and strengthens you from the inside-out.

Connect to yourself and connect to God; that is the supreme harvest.

 

Eat Protective & Purifying Foods

Pungent foods are great for both cleansing and protecting the lungs.

Pungent foods consist of warming foods like: peppers and chilis, as well as foods in the onion family like: garlic, turnip, ginger, horseradish, and more.

These foods should be cooked, not eaten raw, and easily digestible.

Beta-carotene rich foods can also be useful to support immune activity, via the vital force, within the lungs.

These foods include: carrot, squash, pumpkin, broccoli, parsley, micro-algae, as well as the herbs mullein leaf and nettles.

Herbs

Many herbs act on the lungs and in many different ways, so these recommendations are not specific for anyone but for general knowledge: garlic, onion, ginger, mullein leaf, marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, and licorice roots.

**Again, these herbs have specific functions and can be strong. Guidance is recommended before consumption.

 

Are you looking for more specific recommendations? Schedule with Dr. Mazen Atassi for a Naturopathic Intake, with Tabib Zain Yamani for a Homeopathic Intake, or with Erum Qureshi, DNP, APRN for a Temperament & Lifestyle Alignment.