“Nature instructs us about our own cycles of creating and letting go: Trees in autumn don’t stubbornly hold onto their leaves because they might need them next year.”
– Neil Gumenick
I have to say autumn has to be my favourite season of the year. The air becomes crisp and fresh and has a sense of purity about it. It is the season when the trees let go of the leaves and fruits that no longer serve them, in turn returning essential nutrients and organic matter to the Earth.
The energy of this season, more than any other, supports “letting go” of the waste, and the old and stale in our lives, leaving us receptive to the pure and new and granting us a renewed vision of our true self. It returns us to our true essence and moves us to eliminate what we no longer need so that we can reveal what is most precious in our lives. It is the season where we take what we have harvested from the summer months and turn our attention inwards, baring all in a beautiful state of vulnerability, just as the trees bare all.
In Chinese medicine, the season of autumn is associated with the Metal element. In Chinese medicine, the Metal element relates to the large intestine and the lung organ. Both these organs are considered elimination organs that function to let go of that which is no longer needed by our bodies.
The Metal element relates to the emotion of grief. We all experience loss, separation, and “letting go” and we appropriately feel grief at those times. Grief cleanses us however when the energy of Metal is blocked or imbalanced within us, our expression of grief likewise becomes imbalanced and inappropriate. For example, on one hand, it may be excessive and ongoing or, on the other hand, may be completely absent due to a person’s inability to express their grief.
Further, just as Metal is a valuable Earth element (in the form of gold, silver etc.), the Metal element speaks to us of our own self-worth and value. An imbalance in this element may encourage a person to seek value from outside sources rather than from within, in turn leading to feelings of unfulfillment and frustration. Further, knowing one’s values and living a life in accordance to these values is paramount to balancing the Metal element.
Symptoms, behaviours and emotions of an imbalanced Metal element include:
• Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease;
• Chronic bronchitis;
• Constipation;
• Colitis, Diverticulitis;
• Lung disorders;
• Sinus problems;
• Skin disorders;
• Large intestine disorders;
• Lowered immune functions;
• Difficulty expressing grief or on going grief;
• Unresolved loss;
• Sadness;
• Issues with letting go;
• Self-righteousness;
• Dogmatic religious beliefs;
• Defining self-worth by material objects or by attachment to others;
• Behaviour to minimise loss;
• Problems with authority;
• Problems with intimacy;
• Lack of spiritual belief;
• Hoarding; or
• Feelings of disconnection.
Can you relate to any of the symptoms or emotions? Perhaps you are experiencing an inability to let go of what is no longer serving you. Or maybe you are unable to breathe in the pure essence of the divine feeling disconnected and alone. Or maybe you don’t feel as though you are enough and seeking value from outside sources. You may also be experiencing imbalances in the corresponding organs being the large intestine, lung and skin (another elimination organ). Kinesiology works beautifully to restore the mental, physical, biochemical and emotional imbalance. Book a session today.
