Autumn Practices

The energy of Autumn, more than any other season, encourages us to let go of anything that no longer serves.  We are naturally drawn inward during this season of waning light; drawn to the things that really matter to us.

Here are some practices to intentionally benefit from the season:

Clean out the old:

• Go through your home and work place. Clear out places where clutter collects. Clean out closets, filing cabinets, your car. Sell, give away or recycle as much as possible.  

• Assess your schedule - clear out any activities that you are done with - pare down to essentials.

• If there is any unfinished business in your relationships, clean it up. Examine and release any gripes or grudges you may be holding.

• Let go of pain that causes you unnecessary suffering. If appropriate, write down the things you need to release, then burn the paper.

• Autumn is a great time to cleanse the body. Eliminate toxins from your diet and eat simple, whole foods.

Receive the pure energy of the season:

• Go for a walk and breathe deeply - experience the clear, crisp air and feel how much energy it gives you.

• Honor the friends, relatives, pets, and colleagues who add to your life. Let them know how much they mean to you.

• Seek out things that inspire you - read an inspiring book, listen to music that moves you, view art that touches you, take an autumn hike in a place that you love.

• Is there anything that you want to add to your life to enhance your health, energy or soul? Meditation, breathing exercises, or a gratitude journal are some examples.

Engaging with this season also prepares us for the deep stillness of Winter, when it is appropriate to be more quiet and restful. May you have a rich and beautiful Autumn!

For more information about Five-Element Acupuncture, see the Center for Classical Five-Element Acupuncture in Seattle.

One Man's Garbage...

I learn a lot about the Elements when I am in my garden.  I have two trees in my yard - an Oak and a Maple.  Both are several decades old and drop a lot of leaves this time of year.  Raking has always seemed to me to be a rather boring repetitive task - you can rake almost every day and there is always more to do this time of year.

My feeling about the leaves has completely changed this year because of new compost bins in the back yard.  Now, I get excited when I see the yard I raked yesterday covered in leaves again.  The leaves are the "waste" of the tree - they have served their function, the tree no longer needs them, so they are shed.  But there is a lot of value in those leaves - wonderful organic matter and minerals.  In more natural settings, the leaves do serve to enrich the soil directly and provide energy for future growth - its only in the city that they are considered a nuisance.

One of the Organs associated with the Metal Element is the Large Intestine.  In thinking about the working of the Large Intestine - the most obvious function is the disposal of physical waste.  But it also cleans out Mental garbage - old thoughts or attachments that need to be let go of so that our world is not infused with negativity.  The Large Intestine clears out old gripes and grudges as well as sadnesses of the past.  When the Metal Element is out of balance in us, we tend to either hold onto that which should be let go of, or let go of everything, seeing value in nothing.  Life becomes filled with garbage, or totally empty.

In balance, we say goodbye appropriately, letting energy move around the cycle.  We also honor the value in all things - ourselves included.  The trees are great teachers of this - shedding leaves when they are finished with them, releasing all of the energy and valuable minerals in the leaves so that they may be used to fuel future growth.

I recently came upon this Thoreau quote and I love it!

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.

~Henry David Thoreau

US Transcendentalist author (1817 - 1862)

For info on Five Element Acupuncture in Seattle see http://www.centercfea.com and to learn about Tai Chi in Seattle see http://www.taichiseattle.com.

Beginning Tai Chi Class

David will be teaching a Beginning Tai Chi class on Wednesday evenings starting in January.  Class size will be limited to 12 people, due to the size of the room.  Class will start January 16th, 2013 and will be held at our Acupuncture Clinic at 1529 Queen Anne Ave, Seattle, WA.

All the details as well as information about David Goodell available at the Tai Chi Seattle Website.