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Autumn
In the United States we think of the year being divided into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. According to Chinese medicine there is a fifth—late summer—which corresponds nicely to our Indian summer. Even though the autumnal equinox fell on September 22, in this article I want to include a discussion of late summer along with autumn-the time when San Franciscans have their first real taste of summer.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each season relates to an organ system of the body and has other corresponding traits, as well. The organ systems for the late summer are the stomach and spleen. They are responsible for digestion and assimilation of food, as well as information and feelings. The associated flavor is sweet, the aroma is pungent and the direction is in the center. We can extrapolate that it is a particularly good time to be centered and to taste the sweetness of life to nourish ourselves for the months ahead. It is a time of imagination and reflection on that which sustains us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Next we move into the autumn phase, the time of harvest and storing up for the winter to come. The corresponding direction is west; just as the setting sun in the westerly sky lets us know night is falling, autumn signals us that winter is on its way. The organ systems that relate to this phase are the nose, lungs, large intestine and skin. The nose is the filter for the lungs, which are said to be the "tender organ," because they are constantly interfacing the external world and our internal body via the breath. The skin is also in contact with the external environment and keeps that which is "us" in and that which is not "us" out.
Another aspect that the lungs, skin and intestines share is that they all absorb and eliminate substances from the body. The lungs are said to govern the wei qi or defensive qi of the body, which we can think of loosely as our immune system. We know that proper breathing is important to maintain good health. After all, we can survive weeks without food and days without water, but only a few minutes without air. The emotion associated with the lungs is grief: we know that when we feel sad we feel a heaviness in the chest. Grief, while not a popular emotion, is certainly normal and healthy when expressed. Repressed grief is often thought to be a contributing factor to many illnesses related to the lungs.
In summary, as we enter the abundant time of harvest, let's give our attention to the joy and bounty of the world we live in-but temper it with the sadness that is its natural counterpoint as we observe the days becoming shorter with the approach of the winter solstice.
© 2001 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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