Autumn Reflections

Embracing Autumn: Nature’s classroom for letting go

In qigong we learn to harmonise our internal energies, and also how to harmonise them with the energies around us. One of the best ways to do this is to pay closer attention to the changing energies of each season. We can truly feel a change now, as these last expansive days of late summer and harvest surrender to the contracting energies of autumn.Nature reminds us that autumn is a season of letting go, preparing for the stillness of winter, and making space for the new growth of Spring.

In the Five Element Theory of Chinese Medicine the Lungs are associated with the element of Metal. This element is linked to qualities of clarity, reflection, and transformation. The Lungs govern our breathing, regulate the flow of Qi (life energy) throughout the body, and play a vital role in our immune defence, known as “Wei Qi.” Emotionally, the Lungs are associated with grief and sadness, feelings that can often surface during the autumn season. We can learn to fully acknowledge these feelings, and just as the trees release their leaves, we too can let go of emotions or things that are no longer helping us – or anything we may be holding onto that restricts our growth or clarity of mind. When we cultivate healthy Lung energy, we can find the process of release easier.

Cultivating Healthy Lung Energy

To nurture the Lungs during autumn, it’s beneficial to focus on practices that encourage gentle reflection, deep breathing, and mindful release. This can include practicing slow, meditative exercises, like Qigong. Qigong exercises for the Lungs are powerful, as they work directly with breath and energy, helping us strengthen Lung Qi, and supporting us during any time of change or grief. You may wish to focus on the second exercise of the Shibashi form (Opening the Chest) or on the 4th exercise of the Ba Duan Jin form (Wise owl gazes backwards)

It’s also a remarkably beautiful time of year – one that invites us to Stop and Stare. To take the time to treasure beauty without clinging to it, to allow our own energies to start going inwards, and to reflect on what we might be wise to let go of…to leave space for our new growth.