In Chinese medicine the late summer season is represented by the Earth element, which focuses on the organs of the stomach and spleen-pancreas. When in balance the earth element emotions are sympathy and nurturing. When we are out of balance the earth element brings anxiety and worry. If we feel we are taking care of everybody else and no one is taking care of us, or if we cannot stop worrying, we may find our stomach rebels, perhaps making us feel weak and tired, creating loose stools, ulcers or pain in the upper abdomen.
Orange and Yellow are the colors connected with Late Summer and sweet is the flavor so choose some foods for each meal that are mildly sweet foods, yellow or golden foods, round foods, -corn, millet, carrots, cabbage, squashes, potatoes, green beans, yams, tofu, sweet potatoes, rice, apricots, and cantaloupe. Not sugary sweet but naturally sweet.
Moving on to Autumn. Fall represents the aspect of Nature which embodies condensation and crystallization. In Autumn, trees drop their leaves so that their simplest and most essential form is revealed, plants die back and reveal the stones of the earth. Letting go of what is not needed, revealing the inner or essential part. Metal is the element that represents fall.
This is the time of transition from the bright, yang energy of Summer to the dark, yin season of Winter. We gather and store the last of our harvest, stocking up and then letting go and reducing to only the most important things. Condense and refine – that is the metal element. The body organs that go with the metal element are the lungs, respiratory system and the colon or large intestine.
Autumn is the time of withering and decay, so the emotion associated with Autumn and the Metal element is grief and loss. However, death can also be a releasing and letting go of old behaviors and emotions or things that no longer serve us. Not only should we clean out the garden, we should clean out our closets and book shelves and old behaviors.
Ways that we can enhance and balance our Metal element would include massage, dry-brushing, drinking fluids, and eating a high-fiber diet. The pungent foods of autumn would be garlic, onions, radishes, ginger, horseradish, broccoli, winter squash, pumpkin and peppers The best thing for our lungs and immune system support is to practice deep breathing everyday – not just on the days you have a yoga practice.
The metal element is related to the mucus membranes which line both respiratory and digestive systems. These mucus membrane linings are the body’s first line of immune defense. Most infections will enter through this route. So, metal is also symbolic of our immune response like a metal shield.
