WELCOMING AUTUMN
Living in synergy with the seasons is a traditional Chinese practice for longevity.
As we continue to notice the transition between seasons over the coming weeks it can be a good idea to embrace the changes in the natural world around us with a few small tweaks to our own behaviours and busy schedules.
Eating For Autumn
Now is a good time to transition our diet, eating less cooling foods such as salads and raw dishes and more warming foods such as stews and roasts. As Autumn is the season associated with wind and dryness it's important to nourish our bodies and support our immune systems with heartier ingredients and longer cooking times.To find out the ingredients that are in season now check out this article from Good Food for some inspiration.
'Let It Go'
Autumn is traditionally considered to be a time of letting go, reflected in nature when things begin to fall and mature. Traditional Chinese medicine associates this shift with the energy of the lung system. Releasing negative energy, partly to allow the movement into winter hibernation to occur with a healthy and clear mindset can be a positive thing. One of the easiest ways to help strengthen ourlungs and support the process of letting go is to breathe deeply. It may sound simple, but many of us don't take the opportunity to breathe deeply and this can affect things like our memory, energy levels and immune system. When we breathe deeply we are flooding our organs and cells with much needed oxygen that is vital to all of our internal processes.
Get More Sleep
Across Autumn the days become shorter and the mornings are darker. It can be a positive thing to move with this seasonal change, get more sleep and slow down. Sleep is regenerative following the high activity of the summer months, and will also help support the immune system going into Winter.
Support Your Immune System
We all know how taxing Winter can be on our immune systems. Colds and flu seem to get the better of us and healing times are frequently slower. It can be a good idea to prepare for the Winter months feeling our best. As always if we can help with an acupuncture session please do get in touch.