GOOD GRIEF!! Let's Talk LUNGS: What the Fall/Autumn season means for your lung and colon health

by LaKeshia Williams September 29, 2024

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Hey y'all!

I hope this message finds you well.

GREAT NEWS—I have officially secured an editor for my second book!!!

I am so excited (yet nervous) about my upcoming release! This will be my first fully fictional novel and I can't wait to share it with the world. It will be released early-to-mid 2025 with more details to follow!

With all that being said, now I have more time to dedicate to my blog and community. My goal is to publish at least once or twice a month moving forward. As we enter the fall/autumn season, I thought it would be a great idea to start an elemental, human body healing series in conjunction with each season. If you have previously read any of my work, you know I am a strong advocate for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Within TCM, it is believed that there are five elements attuned to the different seasons in conjunction with our organ harmony: Wood/Tree (spring), Fire (summer), Earth (late summer), Metal (fall/autumn), and Water (winter). In this blog we will focus on the Metal element in relation to the fall/autumn season.

The Creation and Control Cycles

Image: Taiflow

Let's start with a little bit of background. Each organ corresponds to an Element. The Creation Cycle highlights how an organ, "mothers" or "feeds" its "son" through a flow of energy. Example: The lungs strengthen its son, the kidneys; the kidneys strengthen its son, the liver, etc.. This is why if one organ becomes deficient or unbalanced, it may pull harder or more energy/nutrients from its mother organ and still be unable to provide to its son organ; causing a disruption in the entire Creation Cycle and potentially resulting in disease within the body.

Metal Element: Lung and Large Intestine/Colon Organ Harmony

QUICK METAL ELEMENT FACTS

YIN Organ	Lungs
YANG Organ	Colon/Large Intestines
Tissue	Skin/Hair
Sense/Organ	Smell/Nose
Emotion	Grief/Melancholy
Paramita	Vigor

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A Time to Pull INWARD

Four tips to keep in mind during the fall/autumn season for lung/colon health:

LET IT GO — And that goes for people, places, and outdated mindsets that no longer serve you! The lungs carry grief and melancholy, so it is important to feel your feelings and emotions accordingly, then release them to maintain healthy lungs and colon. Emotions such as unresolved sorrows can be detrimental to the lungs, so be mindful and make sure you're not avoiding and sweeping those intense feelings under the rug.
GET UP AND MOVE — After a jam packed summer full of fun events, fall/autumn is normally a time when activities start fizzling out as the weather progressively gets colder and the sun sets earlier. However, it is important to remember to keep a healthy amount of activity in your lifestyle even during slower months of activity. I struggle with this one myself as I work from home and primarily sit at a desk, indoors all day. I recently purchased a stand-up desk and it has made all the difference; allowing me to move about more and be more intentional about getting all my steps in per day. Try to make it a habit to move your body, whether a full work out in gym, a brisk walk around your neighborhood, or a light at home workout at least 3 times a week. The lungs are easily negatively impacted by a sedentary lifestyle so make sure that you are intentionally active throughout the week.

Checkout my Amazon Storefront 'Work From Home' list for all recommendations:

3. INTENTIONAL FOOD PREP — Since the fall/autumn is a good time to pull inward and be more intentional, that also applies to best meal prep practices for the season. Generally, it is best to cook with less water and at lower heat for longer periods of time; for example, stews, soups, etc.. I recently made a hearty black bean chili with cornbread muffins and it was quite delicious and filling! Some examples of best flavors to incorporate for the season are those with a pungent/sour taste factor, for example, onions, garlic, potatoes, sourdough bread, apples, etc..

4. FIND YOUR PARAMITA — Paramita is a Sanskrit term that means "to go across." The common paramita for the Metal element is vigor. Since the lungs and colon are highly susceptible to grief and melancholy, the best practice "to get across" those heavy feelings (aside from properly feeling them first) is to honor what keeps you going/motivates you and hone in on that during these quieter months. Is there a project you have been thinking of and not yet completed? It could be a good idea to focus on that this season. Fall/autumn is traditionally a time of harvest, a time to reap what we've sown. If you find in this fall/autumn season you have not fully sown what you wish to reap, pull inward this season and get serious about the life you want to create for yourself. I know it's cliche, but I promise everything you need is already within you; right now, in this moment. Pull inward and reclaim or refuel your vigor; your future self with thank you immensely.

I hope you this blog was helpful. I will continue to post one in coordination with the upcoming seasons about each Element; so stay tune!

Until next time.

💻Resources:

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford