Feeling “Off” with the Season Change?

So nothing much has changed in your diet or exercise, but something feels slightly “off”. Are you feeling more tired than usual? Are you pushing yourself to do work that normally feels easy, but now feels like a drag? Maybe you even notice feeling a little bit more easily irritated by others. Your physical health seems slightly on the line. But then you brush it off and think that perhaps you just been really busy, or getting old. See, feeling a bit “off” creeps up very gradually so it’s very easy to brush it off to other reasons. But could it be the change of seasons that is throwing your body off?

Today, I will talk especially about how the season of fall affects your body from a TCM Chinese medicine Photo Credit Anton Vakulenko prospective. Then I will give you some DYI at home solutions that can help your body breeze through autumn into winter with energy, an even mood, and a little pep in your step.

God created the universe to operate in cycles. The planets rotate every so often around the sun. Our bodies have an internal clock. Many of our hormones are secreted at different levels throughout the day or at different times of the month. In Chinese medicine certain organs are highlighted at different times of the day, in a 24 hr cycle. For example 1 to 3 AM is liver time, so if you wake up in the middle of night during this time perhaps your liver is out of balance. On a grander scale our organs cycle through the four seasons. Below is a table showing this. 

Season	Element	Yin Organ	Yang Organ	Balanced Emotion	Stressed Emotion
Fall	Metal	Large Intestine	Lung	Reflective	Grief, Sadness
Winter	Water	Kidney	Bladder	Courage	Fear, Depression
Spring	Wood	Liver	Gallbladder	Assertive	Anger, Frustration
Summer	Fire	Small Intestine	Heart	Joy, Passion	Anxiety
Solstice	Earth	Spleen	Stomach	Compassion	Worry, over- concern for others

Tips to Balance Yourself During the Fall 

Message Between Shoulder Blades

The area of your body in between your shoulder blades stores sadness and grief. Fall relates to the element: metal which in TCM corresponds to the lungs. The lungs if out of balance is related to grief, sadness, depression (these emotions can also weaken the lungs). So if you’re often tight between the shoulder blades, there may be some emotions you need to address that either you are unaware of that is subconscious, or you may be able to pinpoint exactly what this emotional stuff is about. Since autumn is a time for reflection, stuff you may have buried away may automatically come up during this time for you. That’s why you maybe puzzled why you even feel these emotions come up because no one may has died, or nothing catastrophic has happened in your life, but still you may feel emotionally a bit “off” during this time. Fall is a good time to address old buried things and release them. You will feel happier lighter and younger. I offer distance-healing sessions that can help your body let go of years of stored emotional stress and junk. My patients feel lighter, sometimes tell me it seems like a whole weight is lifted off them after these sessions. They finally have the emotional energy and focus and increased physical energy to move on with what is important in their lives, rather than feeling held back. These healing sessions I do with patients over the phone are very helpful for depression, anxiety, and stress. Some people have not seen the value of this type of treatment because they don’t understand it yet. But for those who gave it a try, they felt this is an answer to prayers because they finally made significant progress they were looking for so many places before they found this. 

One self-care practice you can do at home is to roll out your back on a foam roller. Or you can put a tennis ball or spiked orthopedic product called the “beastie” between your shoulder blades to release the tension. When your muscles are more relaxed it is a sign that there is less emotional junk in that part of the body. 

Apple cider vinegar and water

If you’re feeling kind of blah simply adding 1-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into 4 to 8 ounces of water and drinking this one to three times per day can be life-changing. Apple cider vinegar can help boost your energy levels especially if you’re overworked or over exercised. It can help detoxify acidity caused by stress. Apple cider vinegar helps to alkalize your body, which helps your immune system be less susceptible to those winter and fall germs. Decreasing acidity in the body also helps to decrease inflammation and increase energy levels.

The yin organ associated with autumn is the large intestine. If your digestive system seems sluggish or your digestion is weak, apple cider vinegar is a great old wives digestive tonic and you can drink this 10 minutes before a meal. If you like you can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper to this mixture. Cayenne helps move stagnant Chi which decreases fatigue and stuck energy. You can also add a teaspoon of local honey for seasonal fall allergies. Lastly, you can add some fresh lemon juice to the mixture to further alkalize the body and detoxify. But to keep it simple, just apple cider vinegar and water is fine.

If you are feeling drawn to have me work with you, you are seeing this for a reason. If you have questions about how I can help you, that will help you make the best choice for your next step, do not hesitate to reach out prior to scheduling an appointment.

7 Good Things For Your Body During The Fall Season

I’m always curious if the different seasons play a role in how the body works, because I’ve often felt changes in my body during the changes of the seasons. At the change of seasons I’ve sometimes noticed an increased susceptible to catching a cold. And during the brighter months, I’ve noticed that I need 1 hour less sleep than the winter. The ancient Chinese texts shed some interesting light to topic. 

As the earth cycles through different seasons, our bodies cycle with it. There are organs systems that are more involved during various seasons, and the Lung phase corresponds with autumn. According to the 5 elements system of Chinese medicine, there are 5 elements that form a cycle. Fire (heart), Earth (spleen), Metal (lung), Water (kidney), Wood (liver). Photo Credit: www.eggsfromthenest.com

As you can see from the illustration, the earth element (spleen) precedes the lungs. In Chinese medicine, the energy from one element flows into the next. The spleen in Chinese medicine corresponds to the digestive tract, in the western anatomy. Therefore if the digestive system is weak there will be more dampness in the lungs during the fall time, which can mean an increase in allergies, asthma and colds. Besides the respiratory system, the lungs function to distribute qi (energy) to the skin, hair, and muscles. The skin layer in Chinese medicine is related to the wei qi or protective qi which helps prevent us from getting “invaded” by pathogens and getting sick. 

There are certain emotions related to each organ. When we talk about emotions, we consider the way it is expressed, repressed, the inability to experience the emotion and experiencing it inappropriately. The emotion of grief is associated with the lungs. If the lung qi is deficient, there is a tendency to remain in grief, which is associated with depression. On a side note, if the liver gallbladder system is imbalanced and there is suppressed anger and frustration especially towards self, this can also lead to depression. When grief is suppressed, it gets boggled inwards and causes the lungs to contract sometimes manifesting in physical symptoms of asthma or other respiratory infections. 

Professor Margaret Kemeny of UCLA did a study on method actors. The study showed that actors who expressed happiness had increased natural killer cells, but to her surprise, those who expressed momentary sadness also had an increase in beneficial immune system function. This means that when we allow ourselves to be and experience our emotions as they come, it is actually healthy. When emotions of even sadness come and get processed, they will flow through. And will be much less likely to go into unhealthy depression (which is suppressed anger, frustration and grief).

So What is Good for the Body during the Autumn?

 1.     Breathe and exercise. This helps to strengthen and move the lung qi so you do not feel stuck, but feel a healthy flow of energy and vitality.

2.     Decrease Dairy Products: Dairy products are very damp and can contribute to phlegm production, weight gain, and a sensation of sluggishness.

3.     Sunflower Seeds: Contains healthy oils that support the skin and wei qi to keep the wind out. Sunflower seeds contain the highest amount of vitamin E than any other seed or nut. In general you want to eat more oils in the fall to support the lungs system and also provide the calories for hibernation in the winter. You know your lungs are strong when your skin looks soft and lustrous.

4.     Cinnamon: Is in the category of a pungent food, and helps to help clear lungs. Cinnamon also helps to keep the blood sugar stable and can help decrease cravings.

5.     Pumpkin: Clears phlegm and removes dampness and nourishes the blood. Contains lots of beta-carotene, which is great for the eyes and lungs

6.     Seaweed: Builds the yin. Weak lung yin makes a person mores susceptible to chronic infections. Seaweed also helps remove phlegm. Is a great source of iodine which is good for the thyroid.

7.     Lemon: Sour foods are astringent, which benefits the liver. Lemon also prevents the skin from drying, detoxifies, alkalizes and is a great source of vitamin C.

The fall is a time for the body to start storing up nutrients and qi to prepare for the cold winter. If you are feeling run down, you are probably deficient in qi and it would be wise to build up your body to prepare for the winter. This way, you will be less likely to get sick, feel tired, or seasonally affected during this time. An ounce of prevention goes a long way. Come stop by our office and get a tune up.

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