LETTING GO - WHAT AUTUMN ASKS OF OUR HEARTS
Autumn is my favourite season of the year, or Fall as its rightly named in America. When all of our protective layers begin to fall away, we are stripped down to our essence and prepare to turn inward for the winter time of hibernation.
As always, nature and the trees in particular show us the way if we just cared to listen. Out on my morning jogs I am reminded of our own cycles of creating and letting go; the trees are starting to turn from glowing greens to juicy orangey reds to brown to crisply yet gracefully saying goodbye to the branches that held them through the riotous fun of Summer.
In autumn trees don't stubbornly hold onto their leaves because they might need them next year or form an unhealthy attachment. But how many of us resist nature and organic cycles and hold onto what we've produced or accumulated - those decayed leaves, that old heavy behaviour? How can we hope for a fresh harvest next year unless we let go of the old and start anew?
The current energy of this season, more than any other, supports our letting go of the old, the stale and what's wasted away in our worlds, leaving us receptive to the pure and new, clearly showing us who we are intrinsically, without the fluff. Autumn returns us to our essence, moves us to eliminate what we no longer need, reveals again what is most valuable in our lives.
In Mexico, November 1st and 2nd marks the day of the dead, which is a nationwide celebration and remembrance of all those who have passed. This celebration ties into the Autumn season of letting go and knowing deep in our bones, that one day too, we will also pass.
Since my Yin yoga training I have deep dived right into Traditional Chinese Medicine which takes a WHOLE-istic approach to healing. Autumn season is associated with the Metal element which governs the Lungs and Large Intestines and hold the emotions of sadness and grief when blocked.
If you think about the processes of the large intestine / colon, it's responsible for letting go of metabolised food waste that needs to leave our system. On the flip side, our lungs are responsible for bringing in fresh air (prana or Qi) into our bodies, allowing for fresh oxygen to circulate around our bodies and minds. The inability to receive fresh qi restricts our breath, contributing to poor circulation and sluggishness.
Those who suffer with constipation (physical and emotional) could do well to learn a few acupressure points that help to release the large intestines. Like LI 4, located in the V area between thumb and index finger.
When you think about these two organs working efficiently and in harmony with each other it translates to a person who is able to take in fresh energy, come up with new ideas and thoughts, isn't attached to yesterday's mental activity or outdated thoughts and beliefs and has a healthy digestion, metabolising food and is able to release easily. It's no wonder that the Lungs and Large intestines correspond to the emotions of sadness and grief.
On an emotional level Grief is about letting go and being able to accept the passing of a situation, job, home, relationship or a human. To ease grief and sadness, you can start with just a simple walk in the woods taking deep conscious breaths into your heart space.
On a Chakra level heart is the element of Air, the colour green or pink and again has similar characteristics of mind-body- spirit function as TCM. To release a blocked heart chakra starts with deep conscious breaths and often tears. Remember tears are also a mechanism of the body letting go and should never be held back as salt is super cleansing and we ALL know how good we feel - not to mention lighter in the heart - after a good cry.
Remember the human body is a wondrous mechanism of wholeness, a microcosm of the macrocosm that is Mother Earth. Learning to move with outer seasons which corresponds to our inner cycles is the wisest way to live; returning us to ancient wisdom and balance of how our ancestors used to live.
So if you're feeling like your lungs are stagnant, heart is heavy and your body hasn't had a good release lately, can you go take yourself out amongst the trees and witness nature in all her wisdom, changing form and colour and see how that maybe mirrored in your inner world?
Are you able to accept, see and feel what it is that’s asking to be seen, felt and ultimately released; knowing that this is how to live in tune with the larger rhythms of life?
Enjoy and let me know how you go…x
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