Autumn Survival Guide: Protect your metal

At this time of year I often see many patients coming to the clinic with colds and coughs. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) the Lungs govern something called the Wei Qi. This is the TCM equivalent of our immune system. What you may not know that is that the Chinese have long said the autumn has a special affinity with your Lung meridian. In this guide to I would like to introduce that link and show you some tips to:

“Protect Your Metal”

In the Chinese tradition, the autumn is allied with the colour white, the sound of crying, the emotions of both bravery and grief, the lung organ, the metal element, and a white tiger. Autumn is also coupled in Chinese thinking with the direction west, considered to be the direction of dreams and visions.

The Autumn & The Metal Element from Sept 21 to the winter solstice of December 21

In all seasons change occurs. In the metal phase (autumn) a downward the amount of daylight lessens, days grow shorter, and energy descends back into the earth for the dormant cycle. Leaves fall from the trees, the last fruits ripen, and Qi energy contracts.

Preserving our Metal

In the season of autumn, the Metal element is at its pinnacle and particularly open to change. Luckily using Chinese medicine, we can revive and rebuild our metal element - in a physical and on an emotional level.

Acupuncturists often use points located on the Lung and Colon meridians (energy pathways) when treating the energy of the Metal element. Each of these points has a spirit and purpose, as do all of the acupuncture points on the body. When used at the right time, a point's effect is profound.

As well as using herbs and acupuncture to protect or Lungs understanding of the metal element means we can help ourselves.

The energy of this phase, more than any other, supports our letting go of waste. The organs of metal the Lungs and the Colon both are organs of elimination. It governs the removal of carbon dioxide from the blood, and waste from the colon.

Some form of gentle exercise that is focused on the breathing is excellent at this time of year to strengthen the Metal.

Tai Qi, Qi Gong, meditation and yoga can be excellent for this. Particularly when done early in the morning (between 3am-7am), as this is the time when the Lung & Large intestines are most active.

On an emotional level now this is a good time to be riding ourselves of the old and stale in our lives, leaving us open to the pure and new, giving us an idea of who we are in our essence. Autumn returns us to our core, moves us to eliminate what we no longer need, revealing what is most valuable in our lives.

Because white is the colour of autumn in the Chinese belief, light white candles against the rising darkness of the season, or put white flowers on your table.

Foods That Benefit the Metal Element

Grain: White, brown, and sweet rice

Vegetables: cauliflower, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, daikon radish, onions, watercress, mustard and turnip greens, turnips, garlic, cucumber, leeks

Beans and Pulses: white beans

Fruits: Banana, pear, apples

Fish: Bass, snapper, cod, haddock, herring, flounder, sole, halibut

Herbs and Seasonings: dill, fennel, thyme, ginger root, horseradish, cinnamon, cayenne, basil, and rosemary

Introduction to the 5 Phases/Elements

The ancient Chinese understood the universe was in a constant state of change. They saw that things germinate and begin to expand (spring).  Grow and develop (summer) and they mature and ripen (late summer). They then begin to dry and wilt (autumn). They store and conserve (winter). For the ancient Chinese these five seasons (now called the five elements or five phases) were a constant sequence that continued endlessly. Each period of rest at winter was followed by one of new growth in spring. The 5 element/phases system is a traditional Chinese way of explaining the relationships and interactions between all natural phenomena. It is not just particular to Traditional Chinese medicine it is used to understand many different aspects of ancient Chinese thought and society, areas such as politics, astrology, martial arts, and music.

Each one of the phases has its own correspondences, these may be directions, sounds, colours, and importantly for medicine emotions, organs, body parts and tendencies to states of health and illness

	FIRE	EARTH	METAL	WATER	WOOD
Yin Organs	Heart	Spleen	Lung	Kidney	Liver
Yang Organs	Small Intestine	Stomach	Colon	Bladder	Gall Badder
Sense Organs	Tongue	Mouth	Nose	Ears	Eyes
Colors	red	yellow	white	blue/black	green
Sounds	Laughing	Singing	Crying	Groaning	Shouting
Emotions	Joy	Worry or Pensiveness	Grief or Sadness	Fear	Anger
Seasons	Summer	Late Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
Environment	Heat	Dampness	Dryness	Cold	Wind
Tastes	Bitter	Sweet	Pungent	Salty	Sour

To understand how the elements relate to each other we use two models. The generating cycle and the control cycle, which can be used to understand and treat element imbalances.

The Generating Cycle

The strength of an element is dependent of the strength of the previous phase. This is called the mother and child relationship. In TCM if an element is weak we often treat the weakened element and its mother element for added benefit.

As TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) practitioners we remember the generating cycle this way:

§  Wood feeds Fire;

§  Fire creates Earth (ash);

§  Earth bears Metal;

§  Metal carries Water (as in a bucket or tap, or water condenses on metal);

§  Water nourishes Wood.

The Control Cycle

This cycle is preventing one of the elements from becoming too dominant.

In the clinic we might see a patient with an excess of fire. The main fire organ is the heart which dominates the spirit. This might be seen in problems such as anxiety insomnia etc. To help this we might use points and herbs that benefit the Kidneys (the water organ) to balance out the excess fire.  Similarly an element can overact on another such as when wood over acts on earth, this is one of the most common 5 element diagnoses of IBS.

§  Wood Holds  Earth (such as roots; or, Trees can prevent soil erosion);

§  Earth channels Water (or an Earth dam can control water);

§  Water quenches Fire;

§  Fire melts Metal;

§  Metal chops Wood.