Because traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a holistic medicine, we see the body, mind, and spirit as intimately connected. We don’t isolate a specific illness or part of the body in a vacuum, but rather believe working with the seasons, and their associated organs, is something to be mindful of. We also look at each organ system as a part of the whole, recognizing that the whole being is affected by each and any of the systems.
Today and next week we’re looking at the fall organs of Lung1 and Large Intestine — and all their associations. You will find it amazing how much the ancients really understood about the rhythms of the body, mind, and soul through the seasons.
In TCM, fall is a time of transition between summer and winter. It is a time when one day is quite warm and the next is cool. The winds change drastically from day to day and we must be careful to protect ourselves from these harsh transitions. Our bodies must adapt between the opening of pores through sweating and the closing of them to protect ourselves from getting sick. (Grandmother was right, by the way.) So, fall is a great time to learn adaptive qualities.
The fall is associated with the yin organ, Lung, and the yang organ, Large Intestine. The element of this season is metal, the climate is that of dryness, the emotion is grief, and the sound is crying. The flavors are pungent and the color, white. The lung “opens to” the nose, and the tissue it is associated with is the skin. The healing sound for the lung is sssss.
As we move from the expansive, external living of summer to the internal, organizing, contractive nature of the shorter days, we might notice the lung being more challenged, especially if that is where you have a tendency to be weaker — colds might develop (it opens to the nose), asthma or allergies may worsen. As the Lung’s tissue association is the skin, you might notice more expression of eczema or other skin problems, most commonly and obviously, dry skin.
The Lung is responsible for “taking in”— not just of air, but all that’s new. So, this is a great time for taking on new projects (first finishing up old ones), or inviting new people or experiences into your life. (What a great idea to start school in the fall!) What healthier habits can you take on this fall? Is there someone who has offered some sort of partnership you’ve been considering? Is there a new hobby you’ve wanted to try?
The Lung’s yang paired organ is the Large Intestine. In TCM we always pair yin and yang organs together to keep balance. If the Lung is responsible for taking in clear, cool air and filling our bodies and cells with oxygen, then the Large Intestine is responsible for the “letting go,” releasing what the body has processed. If the Lung is challenged, you might find that this time of year you’ll have difficulty with taking things in or taking on new projects or people. Or, if the Large Intestine is more challenged, you might find letting go more difficult—of people, things that aren’t serving you, anger or other emotions that arise.
The Large Intestine is a detoxification organ and therefore it’s crucial that it be in excellent working order. If you tend toward constipation, you might find this time of year more challenging in that department. Make sure you eat a very healthy diet of tons of veggies, take in a lot of fiber, drink lots of water. Also, do some exercise to support your body’s detoxification process. (I’ll say it again—fall is a great time to do a detox for this reason!)
This is a wonderful time to look at what you can let go of and what you can bring in—physically, logistically, emotionally, and spiritually. Remember that the emotion of the Lungs is grief or sadness; they can be impacted by excessive grief. Processing sadness or grief is hugely important. Recognizing it, accepting it, and releasing it, is ideal. Doesn’t that make sense now that you’ve learned about the Lung and Large Intestine?
Next week, I’ll send further info about the Lung and Large Intestine, with a great recipe and food ideas suited to this time of year!
Here are some things you can do to strengthen and build your metal organs:
Breathing:
Fall is a great time to incorporate breathing exercises into your daily routine. The act of deep breathing actually strengthens the lungs.
Simple exercises. These are best done outdoors, but can be done anywhere:
- Inhale deeply, to a comfortable count of maybe 3-6+ seconds, imagining air moving through your lungs and into your belly. Watch your belly and diaphragm (the area below your lower rib cage) expand with each inhalation. Hold for 3-6 seconds, then slowly release. You don’t want your heart to start racing or be very uncomfortable, but you do want to “stretch” a little bit here, breathing deeper than you usually do.
- Do this in rounds of 3. On alternating rounds, try making the sound “sssssss” as you exhale, as that is the sound of the lung.
- We tend to hold our breath, especially when we’re tense. Start paying attention to when you are doing that, and simply become aware of inhaling more deeply in general.
- Look into yogic breathing practices. It’s a great time to start incorporating those into your daily routine!
Bringing in and Letting Go:
Ask yourself what positive people, habits, or experiences you can bring into your life now. What positive thoughts might you include in your daily rundown of the unending conversation we all have with ourselves? What negativity or toxin can you let go of? Emotions can be just as toxic as environmental toxins. What kind of negative thinking is keeping you stuck? What are you tolerating in your life — from those old bras and torn underwear (!) to the negative conversations you run in your head? Might it be time to cut loose a particularly toxic person in your life? Remember that we tend to aspire to the same level as the 5 people we spend the most time with. If one of them is bringing you down…. Think about it.
Importantly, consider incorporating some form of detoxification this fall—be it more exercise (or an infrared sauna) that causes your skin to sweat through (remember the skin is the tissue associated with the season), or a full-on protocol to get rid of toxins.
You might try yoga postures that stimulate the intestines. Here are a couple of simple ones:
- Lie on your back and lift your knees to your chest several time a day; squeezing your knees in stimulates your intestines.
- Sitting up, make a fist with one hand and put the other hand over it. Press your balled fists into your intestinal area and lean forward. Do this three times, in three separate areas — first on the right, then center, then left. (This is how your intestines process food from the ascending colon, to the transverse colon to the descending colon.) Press the hands deep into the body, into the gut. It can be uncomfortable if you are constipated, but also effective.
Remember that you only get the urge to move your bowels a couple of times a day—don’t ignore it!
We talk a lot about fiber and constipation, but there’s also a possibility that you will experience a flare of your Crohn’s or IBS symptoms in the fall, if you’re not careful. Honestly, one of the most curative protocols I’ve ever used with Crohn’s and IBS patients is the elimination diet — and most importantly, taking gluten out of your diet.
Next week I’ll talk about how fall’s harvest is exactly the right thing for you to eat for the sake of Lung and Large Intestine health.
PS: For those of you in the NYC area, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll now be doing cosmetic acupuncture (aka acupuncture facelift) at Savor Spa in the west village. Cosmetic acupuncture helps increase collagen production and blood flow to the face, decreases or eliminates fine lines, reduces puffiness and lifts the face. You also get a full body treatment, to boot! It is one of my favorite treatments and now we’re making it available at this charming and welcoming spa. Fall is a great time to start paying attention to your skin — as you will see in this week’s newsletter! Appointments are limited, so call Savor Spa today at (212) 304-2887. (Page coming soon!)
1We differentiate between the TCM organ systems and the biological organ systems by capitalizing the organ names.
