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FALL IS THE SEASON OF METAL

The leaves are turning beautiful fiery shades and drifting to the ground. Yup, it’s fall. Let’s take a moment to reflect on how Traditional Chinese Medicine responds to this seasonal transition.

First of all, fall is NOT my favorite season, but it IS actually the season that my element thrives in. YES, I Sara Ward, am a METAL, and fall is the Metal season.

What the what?

I’m talking Five Elements theory, baby, an ancient TCM philosophy for understanding the natural world, including our bodies. According to TCM, each year we cycle through the five elements of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. At any given time, one element is dominant.

Not only that, but each of us has one of these elements dominating our constitution. As I said, mine happens to be Metal, which can be summed up in two words:

structure and boundaries

To keep myself balanced, I’ve gotta have structure and routine. Totally non-negotiable.

But here’s the other huge part of the Metal element:

letting go

THAT is the part I struggle with. It means that, along with structure, I also need to let go and allow myself to be supported. That looks like being social and spontaneous, and giving myself the time to follow my passion.

Lucky for you, my passion happens to be ACUPUNCTURE and TCM, and talking about it ALL the damn time!

So, friends, fall is the season of letting go. It’s a time for looking inward to reassess and purge. Here in Vancouver, the sun is often still shining and patios are hopping. But with each passing day, darkness falls a little earlier and the nights grow chilly. Think of fall as the time for doing a deep clean in preparation for the upcoming restorative Yin time of year (aka winter and the Water element).

Tips to boost your Metal energy

Be willing to let things change and die — let go to receive
Wear white somewhere on your body, even underwear
Spicy and pungent are the flavours of Metal, so add some spice to your life
Reach out to a friend you haven’t heard from in a while and tell them you miss them
Get out into nature
Boost your immune system with tons of veg, especially roots — feast on slow-cooked foods (see our Qi Deficiency Reset to boost energy)
Digestion is challenged by Metal, and we’ve been hearing good reports about Bio-Gest digestive enzymes, by Thorne

So, go ahead and be the boss of Metal. Pump up your structure and routine AND put yourself first by getting more acupuncture!

Sara Ward