Autumn in Tacoma
Hello!
Autumn marks the rise of the yin cycle. The amount of light each day is decreasing. We have moved into less than12 hours of daylight in the 24 hour cycle, meaning the dark (yin) is beginning to dominate the light (yang), at least until Spring when the light will, again, dominate the dark marking the start of the yang cycle.
This is the beginning of the moving inward energy that becomes more pronounced in winter. This applies to both the your emotional and physical being. Here in the PNW I find that many people are still active getting outside doing things like taking a stroll, a paddle, or however they enjoy our mild Autumn weather. Even with this activity the emotional and physical body is beginning to quiet down. If you are finding the end of summer to be especially difficult some acupuncture could help smooth the transition into autumn. The acupuncture can help both the physical and emotional body which often affect each other.
So what can you do for yourself in the fall? Well, a process that promotes deep breathing is going to get a little extra boost by practicing it now because autumn is the time of the Lungs. You may want to try out a Chi Gong video, do a few minutes of conscious deep breaths, or perhaps make part of your walk a bit more vigorous to increase deeper breathing for a few minutes.
| For Autumn the classical Chinese Medicine texts advised people to go to sleep early and rise with the crowing of the rooster. They want you to prioritize getting good and enough sleep. This is the perfect excuse to put that pre-bed screen time policy back into action. What you wear can also have an impact on your Lung health. The Lung is the uppermost organ in the body and is thus considered to be more susceptible to wind and cold, aka catching a cold. The back of your neck and your uppermost back is called the Wind Gate. Keeping the wind gate covered is another way to support and protect your body, and Lungs, from unnecessary stress. The Wind Gate area is part of the Window to the Sky which encompasses the neck and the upper most chest and includes a dozen or so acupuncture points that are all located in this area. These points share an additional function of helping to open the communication between the head and the body or the heart and the head. By protecting the Wind Gate, your neck, you are also supporting the communication between the heart and head. Lastly, Traditional Chinese Medicine is all about moderation. For autumn the addition of moderate amounts of pungent foods are considered to promote lung health and improve circulation. This is the time to have some ginger or peppermint tea. Here is one recipe for supporting Lung health and below is a small list of some pungent foods. |
Feel free to share your adventures with breathing and cooking for this Autumn season, I would enjoy hearing what is and isn’t working for you.
May you be showered with more than enough health, laughter, and peace in this life.
– Romi
“Whatsoever you have done is nothing in comparison to that which you can do. And nothing is whatsoever you can do in comparison with that which you are.” – Yoda
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