The change of seasons is an important time in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This is a time to consciously shift gears and to prepare your body, mind, and soul for the next season.
Summer is a ‘yang’ season, which is associated with energy, growth and creativity. In contrast. autumn is a ‘yin’ season where our vital energy contracts and moves inward. As we move into autumn and the weather changes, instinctually our desires and preferences change. We are drawn to warming, hearty foods such as soups, stews and roasted vegetables, rather than salads and other cooling foods that we tend to enjoy in the summer. Autumn is a time of harvest, and we begin to gather our crops, can our vegetables and pull energy inwards. The change of season is natures way of preparing us for the stillness of winter.
Diet, lifestyle, pace and energy should all be considered at this time of year. By understanding the next season we can make the transition easier and provide the support that our body needs to stay in sync with the seasons.
Qualities of Autumn
Yin
Contractive – Energy moves in. We may feel more reflective and introverted.
Element – Metal
Organs – Lungs and Colon
Emotion – Grief
Foods to assist in moving from summer to autumn
- Warming and hearty foods. Enjoy soups, stews, and roasts with root vegetables and include pungent flavors like ginger, radish and horseradish.
- Sour foods help to stimulate the process of contraction and improve mental focus. Try sour foods such as sauerkraut, lemons, vinegar, olives, sour apples and plums.
- Change of Season Soup is a TCM favorite for assisting the body with the transition between summer and autumn.
Activities to assist in moving from summer to autumn
- Spend time outdoors observing the season change, the geese migrating, the leaves changing colors and the change in temperature.
- Energy and patterns can have a tendency to be scattered in the summer. Autumn is a natural time to organize and regroup.
Follow these suggestions to support your energy and vitality through the fall and cooler months ahead!
