Herbs and Practices for Autumn
The autumn equinox was this past Wednesday, September 22nd. A day when light and dark are equal. Every day after the night grows until December 21st, the shortest day of the year! This shift of less light, naturally guides us towards our family and home spheres, our inner world and our personal projects. I like to think of spring and autumn as transitional periods, a time to reflect, recollect and prepare for the coming season.
The only thing we can be certain of is that change is ever present. Becoming adaptable and flowing with the seasons is a practice in accepting change. An opportunity to consider what we may be holding onto, what may be holding us back. Emotions, habits, material items and memories are all fair game.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is associated with the metal element and the lungs and large intestines. These two organs may seem unrelated but they are both responsible for filtering the useful from the useless. Imagine your lungs filtering oxygen from environmental pollutants, your large intestines separating nutrients from waste. Important jobs indeed! Autumn is a perfect time to prepare these organs for winter. My favorite practices for supporting the lungs are breathwork, herbal inhalation steams, neti pot and tonic herbs and mushrooms with an affinity for the respiratory system: astragalus, cordyceps and reishi to name a few. The health of our large intestines is reliant on everything that comes before it, our gallbladder, liver and stomach. Here, we might focus on bitters, broths, fermented foods and herbs for the liver like milk thistle and turmeric.
Our lungs and large intestines depend on a delicate balance of in versus out and so I see this as an opportune time to reflect upon how much we are giving and how much we are receiving. In what ways are we burning ourselves out and where can we ask for more help? Just as our organs give and take, we must also find our own equilibrium.
In the wise tradition of Ayurveda, it is said that the dominant emotions of autumn are anxiety, emptiness and fear. It’s easy to label these types of emotions as ‘bad’ but even anxiety and fear have a place and purpose. What we must divert our attention to instead, is feeling and releasing. If you find the experience of anxiety, emptiness or fear to be too intense, you might try focusing on cultivating a sense of safety within your body. The most primitive act of feeding ourselves consistently and well is a wonderful way to tell your body you are safe. Likewise, check in on your sleep and check in on your inner dialogue. These simple acts can help set the stage for a secure container to explore uncomfortable feelings. Also remember, on the flip side of anxiety and fear is excitement and so maybe our worries are there to remind us of what we love.
On a practical note, as we enter into cold and flu season, we should feel confident knowing there are many ways to prepare our bodies. Infections tend to settle into our ‘weak spots’ so focusing on strengthening our immune system as well as other areas that tend to need a little help can be very productive. If you’re not sure what your weak spot is, consider what happens in your body when you are overly stressed. I’ve listed a few possibilities below:
Are you prone to sinus infections? Herbal antihistamines like nettle can be helpful. A regular practice of using a neti pot is incredibly relieving. Also consider adding pungent and spicy foods to your diet, they will promote drainage. Our Hibiscus Fire Cider excels at this!
Maybe a sore throat is your first sign that things are off! Here we want to focus on antimicrobial herbs like goldenseal, oregano and bee balm and demulcents (throat soothers) like licorice root, marshmallow root, plantain and even honey! You may also look into immunomodulators which bring balance to the immune system, plants like astragalus and adaptogens are great at this.
Many people deal with respiratory issues as soon as the weather turns! I love herbal inhalation steams to support the lungs. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 3-6 drops of an essential oil like eucalyptus and throw a towel over yourself and your pot. Be careful with the steam and try to deeply inhale and exhale for 10 minutes. There are also a wide variety of plants that can help when there is an active cough, whether it is dry and unproductive or excessive with mucous. Don’t forget our tonic respiratory herbs like astragalus and functional mushrooms.
Is your digestion the first to go when you’re stressed? Many people see the first signs of imbalance in their digestion, here we can focus on the same demulcents listed under throat, astringents like rose if leaky gut is an issue and chamomile for cramps and spasms. I’m also a big believer in broths and fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut.
I hope you find this helpful and are able to implement some of what I’ve shared. Please remember that this is not medical advice and purely for educational purposes. Wishing you the best of health and rest this season!
