Autumn: A Daoist Perspective
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In Autumn we have the opportunity to learn more about ourselves than in any other season. The Summer season of harvest, bounty, and activity passes, and Nature then makes the world bare and quiet. At the equinox the exuberant outward energy of Summer turns inward to prepare for the coming colder slower seasons. The qi (energy) of Autumn symbolically is represented by the moment a tree lets go of its leaves. After the leaves fall to the earth, they compost and become nourishment that fuels renewal of life in Spring. The ebb and flow, loss, things dying away, letting go of what is no longer needed, rebirth, and renewal are all part of the annual cycles of nature - and of life.
The qi of Autumn is related to the metal element in our bodies and is manifested as two organ systems: the large intestine which governs letting go and the lungs which govern inspiration, self-worth, connection to the sacred, and the feeling that life is meaningful. These organs work together – one eliminates waste, and one takes in what is pure.
This is the perspective of Taoism (a philosophy) and Chinese medicine (a medicine based on Taoism). Taoism explores the cycles of nature and relates them to human experience, physiology, emotions, and the workings of spirit. Ancient people found that exploring the macrocosm sheds light on the microcosm. These ideas are expressed as elements and qi.
Imbalance of the Intestines
In Autumn the qi of metal is at its peak which makes it the perfect time to seek balance in the large intestine and to become mindful of its job – letting go. Trees do not stubbornly hang onto their leaves. Are we holding onto our decayed “leaves” such as old modes of being, things that no longer exist, patterns that no longer support us, situations or relationships that no longer fit, resentments, conflict, anger, or some toxicity? What happens to our minds, bodies, and spirits when waste keeps building up?
On the physical level, when the large intestines are blocked by constipation and unable to release toxins, the effects can spread to all systems of the body and prevent us from taking in new fresh nourishment or appreciating the here and now. The spirit and mind are the same way – we need to let go of the old and the toxic to make room for newness, growth, and renewal. When the energy of the large intestines is imbalanced, we hold on instead of letting go, and toxicity builds and clouds our mind and spirit. It obscures what is meaningful, valuable, sacred, and inspiring in our lives.
Imbalance of the Lungs
Sometimes we resist letting go because we aren’t in touch with an inner sense of real worth and value – this is an imbalance in the energy of the lungs. Some people seek meaning and worth externally through accumulating possessions, seeking praise, respect, prestige, status, power, wealth, achievements, or conquest. They seek recognition and value from the outside because they lack true meaning and worth within. They have difficulty letting go because their sense of self is tied to external validation which clutters the mind with ideas that lack enduring value and are not connected to their true nature. You are not what you do, what people say about you, or what you own. You are so much more.
Sometimes we “hold on” because we resist loss or its associated emotion of grief - grief, however, is healing and loss is an unavoidable part of life. Grief resides in the lungs and allows us to process and cleanse ourselves of what we no longer need or what is no longer present. Grief is part of the process of letting go. During these unprecedented times we have all lost so much – old ways of being in the world are not available. Feel your grief – it is natural and healing, especially currently and in this season when metal energy predominates. Allowing yourself to experience grief creates the space for healing.
There is no blame in these trying times, despite your best efforts, to be in a state of imbalance in your metal element. When the energy of the lungs is imbalanced, grief may be excessive, ongoing, or absent; we may not be able to access inspiration, the taking in of new fresh energy. In an ancient text it is said that the lungs “receive pure qi from the heavens” which nourishes and inspires the body, mind, and spirit. When the lung energy is impaired, we may not feel connection to the sacred or to self-worth or to that which we deem valuable in life. We may feel that life has no meaning. We may feel adrift and disconnected. Grief is the opposite of connection and worth. We often acutely feel the void within when our metal element is out of balance.
Restoring Balances of Intestines and Lungs
If your large intestine cannot let go and eliminate waste or your lungs are unable to take in pure, inspiring, and meaningful energy, we can restore those functions. Fortunately, nature gives us guidance on finding balance in the metal element. Consider taking a cue from the trees and work to let go of your leaves in this season of loss. Now is the time to go inward to conserve energy by focusing on what really matters and let go of the rest. Use your will calmly and quietly and guard against overexertion. Focus on what matters. Acknowledge what you have lost and approach grief as a natural healing process. Remember that every Autumn things die away, and Spring follows with renewal and growth.
Chinese medicine can help restore balance in the metal element, too. Acupuncturists, with their knowledge of energy, can unblock the qi of the lung and large intestines and can support you as you let go and reconnect with inspiration and meaning. When a person increases balance in the metal element, they feel more peace and self-worth, resentments fall away, stubbornness dissolves, the beauty of life becomes apparent, and energy is spent on what is precious and has enduring value.
Suggestions of practices to balance your metal element this Autumn:
Clean out your closet, desk, garage, and junk drawer. Reorganize the cluttered areas in the spaces you occupy. Donate items to those in need; make gifts of things to others who will find value in what you offer.
Examine your inner self and your attitudes, including preconceived ideas, prejudices, jealousies, stubbornness (which is the inability to let go), envy, guilt, anger, and any other emotion or attitude that doesn’t serve you. Resolve old issues with others if possible. If they can’t be resolved, write them down with details and specifics, then burn the paper, symbolically releasing them back to the earth for transformation and renewal. Resolve old issues with yourself in the same way.
Take time each day to breathe the cool, fresh Autumn air. Receive pure qi into your lungs from the heavens and release old energy from your mind and spirit. Breathe and feel renewed.
Take a yoga class and acknowledge the miracle of breath and renewal that is available to us in each moment. Perhaps set an intention for your practice: consider your breath to be your direct connection to that which you deem sacred, (receive the pure qi from the heavens).
Contemplate who you are beyond your possessions, achievements, prestige, and reputation. Who are you beyond all the roles you play and the hats you wear? Who are you without these ego-based identifications? Who are you really?
Know that you are valuable, worthy, important, and loved. You are precious. When your mind tells you otherwise, recognize this as the ego telling lies out of trauma, hurts, misunderstandings, and inaccurate preconceived ideas. All that you own, all your possessions, and all your achievements are worth nothing compared to the inherent value of you.
May you know peace, contentment, and freedom in this season of loss, grief, and letting go.
*Note: This article was first shared in Autumn 2020, in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic. While some things have changed in the years since, the effects of the pandemic still linger.
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