Autumn, The Minor Yin
Just like the weather begins to cool and the focus starts to turn away from the outward sunny bursts of summer, autumn marks the shift of “going in.” We begin to make adjustments to prepare for the most yin season of the year, winter. A time of harvest, a time to stock stores. The leaves shine their most brilliant color and start to fall to the ground, providing nutrients back into the earth. After two seasons of cultivation, it is now time to shed excessive energies.
Element of Metal
Each element represents a certain emotion and correlates with its own organ. Metal represents contraction and the energy of going inward. Associated with the emotion of grief, we revisit the idea of losing excess to create space for what is most nourishing. It isn’t usually easy to let things go, but it is essential for growth and receptivity.
Metal corresponds with two organs- the lungs and the large intestines. Coincidentally, as autumn is the season of letting go, these organs are essential in releasing things from our body. There are certain foods and supplements that can support optimal function of these organs and aid in the gentle detoxification of the body.
Seasonal Lifestyle and Diet Tips
Practices
There are some seasonal practices that can be incorporated into your lifestyle to promote wellness throughout the fall and leading into the winter. These practices focus on gentle cleansing, breathing, and releasing stress.
- Deep breathing exercises
- Stress-release practices
- Full-night sleep, starting slightly earlier than last season
- Movement in fresh, crisp air
- Drinking plenty of clean water
- Sauna
- Steam-breathing treatments or baths with additions like lavender, onion, mint eucalyptus, or rosemary
- Using supplements like probiotics and enzymes to support digestion
- Bringing some plants indoors to purify the air in the house
Diet Suggestions
The ideal food flavor to incorporate into meals in the autumn is pungent, as pungent foods can be supportive of the body’s needs during this season. It is also best to eat foods that are easier to digest, like soups and slow-cooked meats with steamed vegetables. Balance it out with some more pungent fermented foods or small amounts of raw, sulfur-bearing vegetables. Some examples of foods that increase circulation, purify blood, and reduce stagnation are:
- Mushrooms
- Root vegetables
- Sulfur-rich cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, kohlrabi, mustard leaves
- Onion, garlic, turnips and radishes
- Horseradish and wasabi
- Cayenne
- Fennel
Delicate detoxifying foods, supplements, and lifestyle changes will help prepare the body for a more restful half of the year.
Herbal Suggestions
Chaga in Autumn
The ideal fall herbs are gently detoxifying. If you are looking for the top herb for detoxifying and cleansing, chaga is king. As a powerful anti-oxidant and adaptogen, chaga can help to support the body’s ability to inhibit allergic symptoms and reactions as the season releases its last bit of mold and ragweed, and the air becomes cool. Learn more about cleansing with chaga mushroom here.
Being in the mushroom family, the flavor profile is pungent, but with its subtle tones of vanilla. Because of its flavors, chaga is perfect for fall recipes and smoothies. I love to experiment with chaga in my pumpkin, chocolate, spiced or vanilla desserts. Here is a delicious chaga recipe to try: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chaga Muffins
Don’t forget to pick up some Hyperion Herbs Wild Siberian Chaga for autumn detox and support!
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The COUPON CODE is valid from Thursday 9/27/18 – Monday 10/1/18.
Here’s the code: “fall18”
