It’s back to school time, and change is in the air! If you have ever sat in one of our consultation rooms, no doubt that you have heard me talk about the change of seasons. Four times a year we put out a newsletter, and four times a year I write about the season change. So, with the air turning crisp in the evenings, and the light in the sky changing, I am going to tell you a bit about how the change of season affects our health.
Fall, according to Chinese medicine, is a time for the Lung. Lung issues, such as allergies, and seasonal colds/flu can tend to become more of a problem this time of year. It is a time when the wind picks up, and when all the energy that has been generated in the summer starts descending into the earth to be stored so we may get through winter. While we can see this in the plants around us, it is important to recognize that our internal energy is wanting to do the same. While summer brought about long days, early sunrises, and lots of activity, fall starts us moving in a whole other direction. Many people recognize our desire to nest a bit, spruce up our environment, stay home more often, and get to bed a little earlier.
Our internal environment, meaning our physical health and mental wellbeing, is responsive to our external environment, meaning the place we live, the weather, and the season. In order to feel your best and really benefit from the change of season, try to find ways to recognize how you can best match your own energy to that of the energy around you. Some tips I find helpful include;
- Changing your sleep patterns to match how you are feeling: I often find myself wanting to go to bed a bit earlier this time of year
- Eat food that reflect this ‘stored’ energy: squash, potatoes, beets, yams and other root vegetable are valuable to add into your diet
- Manage stress: if you have stress in your daily life (and right now, who doesn’t), you will often feel it is being aggravated by the change of season. Put into place something extra to help you get through. I have begun a daily meditation that has been invaluable to me.
- Allergies: seasonal allergies pop up for many this time of year. We have treatment that can be very helpful to minimize the discomfort.
We look forward to working with you to help you achieve balance during this shift in the season.