Acupuncture and Autumn
In Chinese Medicine autumn is associated with the element of metal. At this time of year, many of us find ourselves feeling uncharacteristically melancholy, longing for, we know not what…
In fact, this is less surprising when we realise what is happening in the world all around us. Autumn really is the end of the cycle, a time of letting go. The fruit of nature’s labours has fallen to the floor, and now the power house of production – the leaves – has begun to follow.
At this time, we too are bidding a fond farewell to things – long summer nights and all their promise, sunshine, warmth and fun… Preparing instead for dark, gloomy nights and frigid temperatures.
However, even in the midst of this we have to remind ourselves of the beauty of it all, autumn has a special light – reflected through its vibrant, glowing colours. Autumn has a special smell, born out of the beginning of decomposition and regeneration and the explosion of mushrooms and fungi.
All these things show us the beauty of autumn. Along with the loss, there is also the promise that this will all come back again. In the meantime, we get the chance to grow through another season, developing our skills our experience and our wisdom. For now, though, we can rest and feel pleased and proud of how far we have come.
Perhaps then the best way to deal with the feeling of grief that Autumn brings is to breathe it in deeply – accept that all things are cyclical and everything changes:
“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it’s still a beautiful world…”
