Seasonal mindfulness: Autumn is the time of letting go

The official autumn of autumn here in the northern hemisphere falls to the same day and night in September when the equator of the earth moves directly through the center of the sunbail. It is the season in which we notice that the nights break and the temperatures start to sink. Perhaps they also start long for warming dishes such as soups and stews, which is no coincidence, since in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) it is recommended to eat less cold and raw food at this point in order to support the digestive system more easily.

In the TCM, autumn is the season of the lungs and large intestine and the element is metal. The lung is known as the "Prime Minister" and from an energetic point of view, the lung is the couple's yin organ, which is responsible for creating the basis of the Qi (energy) for the entire body. The lungs are also associated with our ability to absorb, sort and release what we don't need.

In collaboration with your Yang organ partner, the colon, the lungs absorbs fresh air (qi absorbs from the sky), provides us with the oxygen we need, and excretes the carbon dioxide drop that we do not have, during the large intestine helps to release waste from food that we consume. Just as both organs play a crucial role in excretion - let go of what the body does not need - is "letting go" the energy of autumn. If the trees start to throw off their leaves, this is an ideal time to ask yourself the question: 'What is time for me to let go?' If you feel insecure, it can be helpful to write a diary on this question and to allow yourself to write your unfiltered thoughts.

The lung and large intestine meridian

The meridian lines of both organs are concentrated in the upper body, so that these meridians can be stimulated from a yin Yoga perspective by concentration on poses, open the chest, stomach and along the front of the arms.

In the downward direction, the lung meridian lines around the space of the solar plexus begin before they pass the stomach to connect to the large intestine. It crosses the diaphragm and penetrates the lungs where it divides to hike up the middle of the trachea. Here it divides back to walk down to the shoulder and the front of the arm, which ends at the thumb angle. The colon lines start at the outer angle of the index finger and run along the outer edge of the arm to the shoulder, where they cross the shoulder blades and hike on the side of the neck and over the upper lip, where it ends next to the nose. Another branch goes down in the lungs, diaphragm and large intestine.

The primary emotion associated with autumn, lungs, large intestine and metal is grief. A weak lung Qi can manifest itself as an inability to process and express grief.

An unbalanced lung and colon qi can also look like low immunity, breathing problems, colds, acne, confused thoughts and difficulties when expressing emotions. In the meantime, an imbalance of the metal element can prove to be unable to recognize our gifts.

When we are in balance, we feel more present, optimistic and open and have more courage to meet the ups and downs of life from a place of acceptance.

Let yourself be inspired by nature in this autumn season and think about how you can let go of things that you no longer need. Clearing in old negativity will give you space to record new things that are good for you. One way to start this process is to take the time every day to consciously breathe. Give yourself the space for contemplation and calm and see where it leads.

deep breath: Box Breathing - support your lungs and calm down the stress reaction

Try this breathing exercise alone or according to your yoga practice.

start visualizing a box in the lower left corner:

Slowly breathe in for 4 bars - the left side of the box High

Consider 4 counts - over the upper edge of the box

breathe out four times slowly - on the right side of the box

Consider 4 counts - over the bottom of the box

Repeat this three to four times or longer if necessary.

yin yoga for lungs and colon - supported fish husbandry

Stay back and support your middle back on a block or a cushion. To ensure that your head and neck feel comfortable, you can also put a block under your head. Let your arms stretch on the floor on both sides, where the palms pointed up. Your legs can be stretched or you prefer to bend your knees and put the soles of the feet on your mat.

they rest between one and five minutes as long as they feel comfortable.

Do you want to get in touch with the community? Take part in a workshop with Paula Hines to take the Brixton Suppe kitchen:

Online- Joyful & Open: An autumn yin and yoga-NIDRA workshop, Saturday, October 16, 2-16.15 p.m. At least 50% of the proceeds go to Brixton Soup Kitchen. Find out more correctly here