I was working with a patient the other day and she was sharing that she was feeling more anxious and weepy lately. She was also experiencing strong headaches around and behind her right eye. She told me she had made an appointment at the eye dr. and just as she spoke those words, her body shifted slightly and she said, “…maybe I’m stressed.” So beautiful how her intuition spoke up here. She is in the middle of some exciting and challenging transitions in life and her body is showing it. I talked to her about the energy of the season we are entering and how what she is describing is so commonly felt right now.
She shared that when these emotions rise up in her she tries to avoid them by going for a jog or two each day. It’s a temporary fix, but the emotions keep returning. I explained that these emotions need and want to be heard and felt and then they will soften and release bit by bit. She asked me, “how?”
I told her I could take her through a somatic, mindfulness practice that safely takes us into the body to be with our emotions. She agreed to try, and after exploring the layers of emotions she was carrying through our mindfulness practice, I gave her an acupuncture treatment to support what came up for her during our session. Afterwards, she said she felt much lighter and more open. She intended to try this more often rather than running from her emotions.
This case highlights two major Chinese medicine patterns of emotional stagnation that can present during the autumn season. One is a pattern of anxiety/fear of the unknown that comes with the energy of a transition season, and the other is grief.
As nature comes into another season of transition between summer and winter, it is showing us what it looks like to let go, unburden and release in preparation for what is ahead. It is subtle here in central Florida, but I bet you can feel it. Slightly cooler mornings, slightly dryer air. Further north in the country the leaves on trees are starting to dry and prepare to drop.
In Chinese medicine, the autumn season is reflected in the lung and large intestine and their function of taking in and releasing. Breathe in fresh oxygenated air, release what is not needed- carbon dioxide. Take in nutrients from food, release waste that is not needed. Emotionally, the lung holds our grief and sorrow and this time of year, it is common to feel those emotions surfacing if they have not been properly heard and released in the past.
Because this is a pivot or transition season (as is the Spring season), there can also be feelings of uncertainty, fear, anxiety that show up as the body and spirit sense change is upon us.
The most common reaction to these sensations is to get busy and stay busy to avoid the feelings that begin to surface. But then it builds and manifests into headaches, stomachaches, body aches and even a sense of feeling stuck, heavy, depressed.
So what can you do during this time of year to live more in sync with nature’s invitation to release? How can you turn towards these sensations that are often uncomfortable on the surface?
- Check in with your mind, body, spirit. Notice if any of this resonates with feelings/sensations you’ve been experiencing lately. It is ok! There is nothing “wrong” with you. You are feeling the way nature is calling…
- At home- Letting go and releasing at home can look like cleaning out closets, garages, under beds and drawers. This is a great way to start getting rid of excess that you don’t need to be carrying through this life. And it can be very satisfying to feel the accomplishment of cleaning out even just one small drawer!
- Slow down- Nature is giving us an opportunity to start preparing to slow down after a big, hot and active summer season. As you look at your schedule for the season, consider where you can build in some downtime. Maybe a yin yoga class regularly? Maybe 5-10 min of meditation or walking without music/podcasts, etc. each morning. Maybe you block time for reading in the evening rather than scrolling or watching tv?
- Acupuncture and herbal medicine can support you through these tricky seasons of transition and heaviness. Both are able to keep the body’s energy flowing gently through the tender areas that may want to close off right now. They can support the release that nature is inviting us to engage with.
- Schedule a MindBody Coaching session- During a session, I can guide you through a mindful, somatic practice of turning towards feelings or sensations in the body that you may be avoiding. We bring compassion and curiosity to what your body/heart are trying to communicate. We tune in and listen, and often times a release comes naturally. You are left feeling lighter, more peaceful and feeling more space in your heart and body to move forward into the next season.
I love this quote that seems so fitting this time of year:
“Hold the sadness and pain in your heart and at the same time, the power and vision of the great eastern Sun. Then the warrior can make a proper cup of tea.” -Chogyam Rinpoche