Autumnal Equinox – The Exhale Season

If you look up from where you’re sitting/standing/walking right now, and look towards the tips of the treeline closest to you, it’s likely that you’ll see a tinge of color to the leaves. That is, unless you’re reading this from a space that isn’t graced with the gift of changing seasons. If that’s the case, I’m sure there are other signs of the autumnal season that are just at our door. You’ll likely have noticed that the days start just a little bit later than they did even a week ago, and that night touches down in our backyards just a little bit earlier every day. As you may know, this coming Tuesday, September 22nd, marks the Autumnal Equinox in the northern hemisphere. This is the astronomical moment when the sun crosses the Earth’s celestial equator, which signals the start of fall. 

Autumnal Equinox and the Five Element Framework

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn is the time of year when the body’s energy shifts from outward energy and expansion (yang = spring/summer) to contraction and conservation (yin = fall/winter). TCM works with a Five Element framework. The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These elements are linked to seasons, bodily organs, and emotions. According to TCM, autumn is linked to Metal. This element governs two organ systems, the Lungs (yin) and the Large Intestine (yang). This is a paired organ system responsible for both taking in (breathing) and letting go (elimination).

According to the Five Element framework, grief lives in the lungs. Additionally, if we don’t address and process our grief, it can manifest physically into lung-related conditions. TCM attributes many of these conditions (shortness of breath, fatigue, susceptibility to colds, etc.) to unprocessed grief. This is why TCM models encourage us to greet our grief during the fall as an essential part of life and the continuous seasonal wheel. This is the time of year for reflecting on what is and isn’t serving us anymore, so that we may release it before heading into the winter, much like a tree releases its leaves as the season marches on.

According to TCM, when the lungs and large intestine function properly, we can process our grief more efficiently and transform our experiences into valuable lessons. The lungs allow us to inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Either way you look at it, this helps move our vital energy through our bodies (TCM = Qi; Western Medicine = blood). Often, when we feel as though we can’t process our grief, we experience measurable effects on our breathing, immunity, and stress response. Think about it: when you’re full of grief, you often aren’t able to take deep or full breaths, which can lead to increased anxiety markers. 

Additionally, the large intestine is responsible for our digestion and elimination, both our physical waste and our emotional waste. Tying this back to the autumnal equinox, think of the foods we begin to eat in the fall and into the winter. These foods are heavier and harder on our systems to process. This is why it’s so important to prep the system during the early days of the fall and release what is no longer needed. 

Practices to Enrich the Autumn Season 

Breathwork:

Diaphragmatic Breathing (Deep Belly Breathing) This technique strengthens your diaphragm and uses your lungs more fully by engaging your abdomen rather than your chest. 

Lie flat on your back or sit comfortably in a chair with one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.

Breathe in slowly through your nose for a few seconds, letting your stomach rise while your chest stays as still as possible.

Breathe out slowly through pursed lips, feeling your stomach fall back down.

Practice this cycle for a few minutes twice a day. I like to do it at the start and end of the day. 

Food as medicine:

TCM encourages us to enjoy pungent, lung-moistening foods (pears, white mushrooms, ginger, onion, tofu, rice porridge) during the fall. It also recommends avoiding excess cold or dairy

Emotional release:

This is a biggie for the fall. It’s cliché, but for a reason, journaling is such a wonderful tool. If you have a hard time getting started, look for journaling prompts that are specific to processing grief.

Examples:

• The one thing I miss most is…
• If I had one more day with my loved one/previous experience…
• Describe a favorite memory you shared with your passed loved one/younger self/favorite time/place. How does it make you feel?  

Other big emotional releases are talking to loved ones (you could also write a letter if talking face-to-face or on the phone is too difficult) and spending time in nature. 

TCM Meets Modern Science

Current research shows links between grief and dysfunction of the immune and respiratory systems. Unprocessed grief shows up in our bodies by activating our stress response systems (such as the HPA axis and the sympathetic nervous system). This, in effect, causes our bodies to treat emotional trauma similarly to physical injuries or threats.1 Every day that we see the sun rise a little later and set a little earlier, we’re invited to use this natural time of change to exhale what we no longer need, physically and emotionally. 

References: 

1. Knowles, L. M., Ruiz, J. M., & OʼConnor, M. F. (2019). A Systematic Review of the Association Between Bereavement and Biomarkers of Immune Function. Psychosomatic medicine, 81(5), 415–433. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000693