It’s Fall!
I know your calendar doesn’t say it yet, your mind doesn’t say that either. Yet the leaves are a little less vibrant, the birds are quieter and the summer ones aren’t around anymore, the daylight is shorter too and your body knows it. Nature has cycles that are no longer recognized by modern calendars; that doesn’t make everything else wrong. This is an invitation to tap into the natural rhythm. Embrace some pieces that are unique to autumn.
From the lens of Chinese Philosophy, there are seasons and the midway point remains the same as the one marked on your calendar. Except what makes this so special is that there is more to the story. There are several weeks before and after the equinox that also remain in part the season. Autumn has an organ connection; each season does, this is the lung time of year. It can bring a sensation of sadness, old memories, and increased intensity of grief. It is a time to nourish and support the lung to release the ‘stuff’ we have acquired since last fall and to make a strong winter ready. I read a book as a child that spoke about all the other animals getting winter ready and one that did not. I hope this is not sounding too much like that.
In traditional Chinese Medicine, taking steps now can help rid us of built up ‘stuff’ like body heaviness, irritated feelings that linger, a breath that doesn’t fill up your chest fully and you try to gobble more air. Dull skin, with a mildly puffy face that takes longer than a morning splash to go down. Being reluctant to talk anymore, even loss of smell. All of which can result in harm. I know, it doesn’t feel like this is connected, but it is. We can take this even more seriously. Each organ is home to a spirit. The lung houses the Po or the corporeal soul. This is the invisible cost; the level here talks about stalled projects, feeling unmotivated, loss of physical strength and confidence.
These are not symptoms that show up on a chest x-ray or using a stethoscope. I’ve tried. These symptoms are real and there are real solutions. There are also real consequences. The window to support the lung is here. Because the lung is mother to the winter organ—the kidney. Skip it and you ask your kidney and its channel to pick up what could have been released. A depleted autumn becomes bone deep exhaustion in winter.
The lung (organ and channel) is receptive to treatment since this is their time of year. The lung can also be a bit like a modern immune system. Weakness means you get sick more often. But what if you could sail through the fall flu season? By working with your body’s natural skill to release and regulate at this time of year. We can work together with some very interesting tools that can help your whole family. Below are the tools I am talking about. These can offer solutions for kids heading back to the classroom full of mixed feelings too; including grief!
Moxibustion: is a non-invasive technique. The application is very specific in this case. We can chat more in a whole other blog! Here 1 to 5 cones of highly refined mug wort fluff is applied on top of ginger on the belly button. Yep, it sounds odd. But the navel is like a super highway connection to all the internal organs. In this case, think of it as fortified immunity. Great and again safe for adults and kids.
Tuina: This is a massage technique from ancient China – (psst…it predates acupuncture. And was possibly developed as a treatment focused for kids. This ancient style looks at the channels and connections to the skin layer that gives access using specific hand techniques and diagnosis to guide therapy.
Acupuncture: a standard and well noted staple in care. Here a trained acupuncturist is placing thin, sterile, solid needles into points in the body that strengthen the organ and channels for the lung to support release and balance.
Acupressure: this is an immediately available tool you can access at no cost! Below I have provided a few points that you can use which in general are lung supportive points. These are not personalized in any manner and are not a substitute for a complete assessment. Great for kids and adults alike.
You’ve read the subtle symptoms above, we have looked at the risks, outlined the choices. Now you can use these tools to help you catch that breath, finish that project and have confidence heading into whatever comes next. You have a balanced spirit; you have restored qi. These critical factors build success for a winter of relaxed, curled up restoration that you deserve.
I am all about what you can do to help yourself. I really love tools that patients can learn to use between treatments, to extend the benefits of a treatment. That empowers you to take care of yourself and your family. Lastly, for you, here are some acupressure points you can try at home that may bring some relief. In general, you apply gentle, firm pressure to a selected point. For kids or advanced ages this application is short no more than 30 seconds per point. An adult often is 1-3 minutes as tolerated.
LU 7 (broken sequence) located on the thumb side of the arm. The easiest way to locate this on your own is my interlacing your thumbs so that the index finger points up your arm. Where the tip of the finger lands is the point. Otherwise, you could run your index finger from the thumb, over the wrist, up the arm and you should find a little depression in the space of 2 tendons. Be gentle there is a nerve nearby that could sing if you press too hard. This a classic point and a catch all for many issues of the lung, but also of the neck, dizziness, fluid circulation.
CV 17 (chest centre) this has to be one of my favourite points. It is located on the chest. Men & kids it is pretty easy to find; it is in line with the nipples. The rest of us, we count ribs. Start at the notch in your neck (1), slide your finger from the notch over the collar bone (clavicle); that’s 2. Slide another 2 ribs down and you should be in the correct place. This helps open the chest, improves breathing, cough, wheezing and even has a special relationship with the stomach if there is any tummy troubles!
LU 9 (supreme abyss) located on the underside of the wrist. It may be matching the first crease in the wrist close to the palm. It is in a depression above the thumb. It is between the artery and tendon – you don’t need to press deep to engage this point. It helps with reducing cough, supporting the lung and harmonizes “one hundred vessels” in TCM that is just a way of saying a lot! It’s a less common, classic point on the lung channel.
KI 4 (great bell) heading to the inner ankle now. This is
in between 2 other points. Start at the inner ankle bone. Slide a finger off this towards the achilles tendon. Now shift down a bit and a bit more backwards to the tendon. You might also have success if you slide a finger up from the inner heel just in front of the tendon. If you can feel the bone and just a shift bit above. This is a great point that works with the lung as mother and preparing for winter. It also acts as an anchor for the lung. It helps with cough, but also sore throat, lower back pain and some of the symptoms mentioned earlier in this blog.
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