Getting ready for fall.

Autumn is the season of gathering nature’s products before winter’s rest. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains are all abundant; for example, citrus fruits, grapes, apples, pears, tomatoes, walnuts, sunflower seeds, brown rice, corn and wheat. Even if we not growing our own food, autumn is still a time of preparation for the season of rest. Autumn also marks the beginning of a cycle of personal turning within; our time seems more directed toward our work, our families and projects at home.
These days of seasonal change are perfect time to cleanse your body and lighten yourself for fall’s work. Like early spring, early autumn is a good time for cleansing, but after wards your diet may be fuller, richer and more heat-producing in order to carry you through the chill of late fall and winter. A week or so of juice cleansing will give you a boost of energy and may eliminate any potential illness you have stored away, either by flushing out excesses or by improving organ functions. There are a lot fruits and vegetables available for juicing at harvest time: apple-pear juice, orange and other fruit juices in the morning, with vegetable juices like carrot, beet, celery, zucchini, or parsley in the afternoon and evening. Since it is autumn, the grape is a fine cleanser, harmonizing the body and acting as a tonic for lungs and large intestine. Five to seven days of freshly squeezed grape juice will be a delightful autumn cleanse, or eating just grapes will work wonders. Taking one tablespoon of cold-pressed olive oil twice daily, as well as one cup of an herbal laxative tea on rising and before bed, will help you intestines moving.
During cleansing, you must be sure to bathe daily and brush your skin to remove dead cells and to stimulate the clearing of toxins.
It’s time to clear away finished projects and open up to the inner wisdom that you can experience in activities like contemplation, writing, reading and nurturing your family as a part of your preparation for the depths of winter. Change is an inherent process in our lives and if you can adapt yourself to the changes that come with the seasons, you will maintain health. You must gain control of your internal climates (emotions) and stay protected from the external climates.
Through the daily discipline of inner attention and physical exercise, you can create more open, resilient and supple body; a mentally and physically relaxed state; and stronger resistance to disease. Using your body in dancing, yoga, tai chi, jump rope or other solo-exercises, and learning quiet breathing and relaxation will start your days in more balanced, open state.
In Chinese system of Five Element theory, the autumn season is governed by the energy of the Metal element; which associated with communication and the working of the mind. Mental well-being involves positive self-image and being happy. You can accomplish this by taking responsibility for your happiness, by caring well for yourself and others, and by doing what gives you inward satisfaction. It’s true that no one else really makes you happy, it must come from within yourself. By being in touch with your feelings and sharing them with others, you will lose the sense of loneliness or separateness and begin to experience the connectedness of all things.
The Metal element rules the organs of large intestine and lungs. This is a good time to work at keeping these organs strong and healthy. The common cold is often experienced as expression from sinuses and lungs, but this problem is actually related to the large intestine and to poor elimination of wastes from the body. The colon is the main organ of elimination, clearing toxins from the body helped by lungs, kidneys and skin. In fact, the skin acts as the third lung, being outer the outer shell in contact with the air.
In both, Chinese and Western Medicine, lung and skin problems are seen as closely related. Asthma, eczema and skin rashes are commonly associated with colds and lung problems. The skin helps in getting rid of excess wastes as manifestation of acne sores and skin boils.
Element: metal
Color: white
Quality: consolidation
Sense organ: nose
Fluid: mucus
Tissue: skin and body hair
Smell: pungent
Taste: pungent, spicy
Sound: weeping or crying
Emotion: grief or sorrow
Climate: dry
Direction: west
The prevention and cure for the common cold is to stay in tune with your life and develop common-sense attention to your diet, your physical activity, your emotional state and to rest and relaxation. Learning to pace yourself and nurture yourself and your loved ones is important.
Moderation is a key to prevention illness and health maintenance. A balance of intake food and output of energy as work or exercise will affect your day-to-day health. Remember that extremes tend to create their opposites, as well. Excessive activity may require periods of prolonged rest, and fasting from food can lead to overeating. A new understanding of foods as energy, what they do, and how they affect you is very important. Learning to relax mentally and to express your emotions is vital to keeping your energy flowing.

Brigitta Moskova, L.Ac.
www.12meridiansacupuncture.com

Late Summer: Seasonal Transitions.

In the FIVE ELEMENT THEORY, there are five seasons whose nature is related to the five elements. Late summer is correlated with the element Earth. Late summer, or “Indian summer”, is a special time at the end of the summer and before autumn. This is also an important period of preparation and readiness for the harvest time. Nature is rich and full, fruits are falling ripe to the ground and vegetables growing big and plump; for us, it is time back to school or work, and making new plans.
The organs related to this late summer time and the Earth element are the stomach and spleen. These two work together to digest your foods and distribute energy throughout the body. Nourishment is important to your energy state and well-being, so the proper functioning of these two organs is vital to your digesting and to preventing illness. Your eating habits are key to keeping your digestion working efficiently and maintaining a strong stomach and spleen. This is a time when you can begin your building and toning program, which includes diet and exercise. A building diet will give you a greater proportion of protein rich foods; a little more fat than during spring and summer; and a lots of good heating fuel from the whole grains. Some seeds and sprouts, nuts, beans, dairy products and eggs should also be included. Your diet affects all aspects of your life – your work, productivity, personality, your sleep and dreams, how you feel from day to day, your health or illness. It’s a good time to work on your food combining and eating habits.
You can start toning up in your exercise program as well to help build your strength. Working with weights, as well as cardio, are good exercise programs to begin, but don’t forget about outdoor activities and sports. This daily routine will help regulate your weight and balance the tendency to gain a few pounds through the fall and winter.
Element: earth
Color: yellow
Quality: transition
Sense organ: mouth-taste
Fluid: saliva
Indicator: lips
Tissue: flesh, muscles
Smell: fragrant
Taste: sweet
Sound: singing
Emotion: sympathy
Climate: moist
Direction: center
In balance: adaptability, relaxation, breathing deep, balanced intake, preparation, faith.
Imbalance: resisting change, drugs, shallow breathing, nervous eating, apprehension.
“In the Center is where we go to have a look at life’s show; all we have to do is flow – that’s a real way to grow. So let’s go.”

12 Meridians Acupuncture

Welcome to 12 Meridians Acupuncture practice in Westerville, Ohio.