AUTUMN-21rst October to 20th December
Element- METAL
Colour- Silver/Grey
Organs-Lungs & Large Intestine
Senses-Smell
Taste-Pungent
Thoughts-Valuing yourself
Emotions- Grief/Fulfilled
Autumn in Scotland can be a spectacle of colour, where the leaves turn from green to golds, rose, bronze, and oranges, just like the precious metals we love in jewellery.
Natures firework display in slow motion for all to see and enjoy for free.
In Seasonal Yoga we align with the Seasonal energy from the 5 Element healing theory from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each Season has an essence, a feel, a colour, organs & meridians, foods.
The weather becomes cold and dry and its our skin that feels the change in the environment first, time to wrap up warm, gloves/scarves/hats. Looking after our skin with body brushing, moisturising, hair masks, salt baths should become part of our weekly routine to help reverse the effects of the weather.
Our Lungs and Large Intestine in Traditional Chinese Medicine are the organs in Autumn, because these two organs have to work the hardest in this Season, the lungs inhale the air from outside, so cold & dry weather can chill and dry us from the inside all the way out to the skin. To help keep your drinks and food warm and moist. Things like ginger tea, stews and the Scots favourite soup.
Autumn is know as the Season of "Letting Go", as we exhale we let go of carbon dioxide & toxins, the Intestines also let go, waste the by products that our body has no use of anymore. The Chinese say that all Physical/Emotional/Mental issues are one. If you have a physical illness, the cause could be related to an emotion or a negative thought pattern in the mind. We are what we think, when we are happy we are seldom ill and vice versa.
So "Letting Go" of negativity and old toxic stuff, memories from the past is our way forward to clearing a path to a brighter happier healthier future.
Things like tightness in the chest, shoulders, neck, headaches, clenching teeth, shortness of breath are some of the signs of energy blockage or excess in the Lung and Large Intestine meridian. One of our greatest tools in Yoga to help balance the Lung energy is Breathing, our pranayama practice can greatly change this energy. Changing our mood, emotions ,clear and calm the mind.
Other tools we use in Seasonal Yoga , we call our lifestyle toolkit.......
Affirmations to start or end your day. Mini manifestations, statements made from positive present tense language to spell how we wish our future lives, how we evolve.
Meditation to check in with our inner selves, where are we in that moment, can we come back to what is real and happening in this moment. To often we focus on work, bills, kids and all the other stuff in western life and forget to go within and see how we are doing.
Yoga practice, postures and flows incorporating Chi Gong designed to move the energy around the body, especially to strengthen the lung and large intestines. Slow and stretchy with lots of breathing to release the issues in tight tissues.
Food, avoiding cold food & drinks, mucus forming food like diary, eggs and milk. Instead using plant based substitutes until Spring and warmer weather prevails. Lots of roots veg, meat or bean stews, Broths, soups, roasts, Trying to keep the food as organic as possible, avoiding the pesticides and chemicals. Drinking less Coffee and Tea and going for the herbal options like Orange or tangerine peel Tea, Ginger, Cinnamon, Chai Tea.
Great start to the morning an old favourite of my grans to keep away the colds/ flu, is warm water, lemon juice, ginger, honey. Mindfully eating, taste, smell, appearance enjoying ever mouthful.
Oils, this Seasons oils are eucalyptus and tea tree which help to open the nasal passages so we breath more easily, adding moisture to the nasal passages and mucosa. A few drops on your bed covers, in a bowl on the bedroom radiator.
Sleep , building a positive evening routine to allow you to unwind in the lead up to bed. Switching off from all blue tooth & TV stimulation, reducing blue light exposure. Think bedtime routine just like you would for a baby and toddler, where you set the scene for sleep..
Minerals also known as Metals, this is why Autumn is known as the Metal Element. In Chinese medicine we would get our minerals from the Autumn food and certain herbs prescribed for the lungs & large intestines.
Taking supplements like Vitamin D, Zinc, Iodine, selenium, magnesium, B12. essential for regulating the bodies systems, especially the immune system. In Scotland we only manufacture our own Vitamin D from the sun from May to August if lucky September, a very short window of absorption of the good stuff. So, using supplements is essential to help maintain healthy levels. Zinc, Iodine, Selenium, magnesium normal is found in our food as it comes from the earth, unfortunately due to high yield industrial farming these minerals have mostly been stripped away or locked away making it harder for the plants to absorb.
Pungent herbs and spices, are warming for the body, lungs and skin, they are aromatic and make bland food taste better, start using pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, think xmas spices.
Decluttering, while your clearing the negative from the mind & body, do the same with wardrobe, its very therapeutic. You may also feel an urge at this time to declutter and
re-evaluate your career, relationships, home, diet Its all part of the energy of Autumn.
Grief is associated with the lungs, sobbing an expression of grief. What do we grieve surprisingly not just the death of a loved one, but a job, situation, time, youth. It can be anything we are gripping tightly too. Learning to release and let go is an art, its a constant practice. Some cultures have whole rituals to help them release this deep root emotion.
The Hawaiians are the best at this, research Hopopono forgiveness and letting go.
Each year I love running an Autumn Yoga workshop where I teaching a Hopopono burning ritual to release grief .
A walk in the woods, get amongst the trees, soak in the extra oxygen, the smell of fresh air.
So Autumn in the Seasonal Calendar is a BIG BIG season to be POSITIVE.
A precious time like precious Metals like gold and silver.
A time of re-evaluation...What's working what's not !
What do I need to let go of.
A season to declutter and feel lighter and more positive.
To look at what you eat, a second spring clean of the year
A time to stay super fit & healthy as the most challenging Season on the body and mind ,Winter is coming up next, so you better be ready.
"Let go of the Armour, the negative protection around your inner wounds, release and open to the light, embrace positivity of possibilities & manifestation the world you dream of living in"
Much love
Julie Garrioch
Seasonal Roots & Seasonal Yoga Stirling
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