Autumn is a time of transition: back to school, a return to routine, and a more inward focus than the free and expansive summer.
Crops are harvested and leaves fall from trees as plants return to the earth for the winter.
The weather shifts encouraging layers of warmer clothes to protect against chill when outside, and promotes cozy times with hot drinks while inside.
After the fresh and raw summer diet, foods in the fall are made more digestible through cooking, and seasonal flavours become more pungent and aromatic.
Autumn is the season associated with the lungs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). And as the air becomes crisp, cool, full of the scents of moist earth and wood fires outside, and the aromas of herbs and spices used in fall cooking inside it is easy to understand why – think of sage and thyme in the Thanksgiving stuffing, or the cinnamon and cloves in pumpkin pie.
The inspiration to breathe deeply is enhanced in the fall
Lungs are associated with the emotion of grief. This is reflected in traditions such as Hallowe’en in which provides a time to reflect on loved ones we have lost, and Thanksgiving in which we can reflect on what serves us best in our lives.
But the changes associated with fall also include challenges to the immune system in the form of respiratory viruses and bacteria. This is the time of year in which to support and fortify the lungs in order to maximize their function to help ward off illnesses that can affect our breathing.
There are key nutrients and powerful herbs to help us prevent the onslaught of colds, coughs, sinusitis that often accompany the changing of the seasons.
This is typically the time of year when parents reach out for a protocol to support their own health as their kids bring home every virus from school
After years of working from home exclusively or in hybrid situations, more and more companies are requesting, or even mandating their employees to work in the office space more. While that can be great for comaraderie and team-building it does increase exposure to germs both in the workspace and often during the commute to and from as well.
If you catch every cold going around, suffer from a chronic lung condition such as asthma, an acute lung concern such as a cough or bronchitis, are wanting support for quitting smoking, or simply wish to enhance your health for optimal lifelong wellness one season and organ at a time I’m here to help!
And if you’re one of the those people who rarely catch a cold and whose lungs are the least of your concerns then please take this time to consciously and mindfully breathe deeply, with appreciation for each cleansing breath.
Breathe in joy, and breathe out gratitude….day after day, breath after breath…
