Metal Time: Energy Medicine – 5 Elements
In Traditional Chinese medicine “Fall time” is where we move into one of the rhythms of the 5 elements called “Metal”. It’s a time of year where the Earths energies change, and we go into a season where we begin to shut down and store the energies that we will use to rebirth ourselves in spring. It’s a time where we need to rebuild and regenerate from our expansive summer energies.
Metal time holds the energy systems of the Lung & Large Intestine, which are all about breathing out stale energy to allow for fresh energy and inspiration and letting go of what no longer serves us.
We might find ourselves more susceptible to respiratory illnesses or gastral bugs, which are very good at helping us physically purge and rid us of built up energetic imbalances that have accumulated. This is a time to take care of yourselves and honour this transitional time, or your bodies will force you to do it.
It’s time to bring out the nurturing bone broths, eat the abundance of harvested seasonal root vegetables, and create warm soups that are full of minerals to help rebuild and recharge your physical and mental wellbeing.
Energetically, there are simple day-to-day practices that can help keep us balanced and those pesky illnesses away. Go to bed earlier and sleep in more, following the earth rhythms as the sun moves away from our hemisphere and the light begins to become less and less. Take time to relax and nurture yourself by taking more time to laugh, having warm loving mineral or salted baths surrounded by your favourite scented candles.
Languishingly stretch, rub and massage your body, opening up your hands and feet and hands, all the way to opening up the crown of you head to allow for the new energies to come in and recalibrate your systems to this time of year.
Focus on boosting your immune system, tap in the centre of your chest where the thymus gland is to build yourself an army of white blood cells to fight off the illnesses that can surround us through autumn and winter.
Look at your life from a higher perspective. Be the observer of your soul’s journey and journal about what you’ve learned about yourself during your time of spring and summer growth. What were you grateful for and what you are now willing to let go of that no longer serves your highest good?
Nutritionally, people get sick more in the winter because there is less sun - less vitamin D. Ginger and honey are two of nature’s super powers because they are both antiviral and antibacterial. We also want to make sure that our blood is clear of those pesky free radicals that make it difficult for our white blood cells (WBC) to do their job. We want our super Pac men WBC to be able to see where all the germs are in our body, so they can gobble them up and break them down for us. Too many oxidants create pollutants/free radicals, which can lower our immune system and can lead to illness. Ginger and honey, use their super powers to enhance our body’s ability to tackle that problem.
The best cold and flu season fighter out there is vitamin C. Did you know that 3 Rose Hips = the same amount of vitamin C as you get in 1 orange? Our bodies know how to fully absorb vitamins out of our whole foods, as nature has designed for us, so the best way to get your vitamin C is from food. 2 tablespoons of ground dried Rose Hips = 7 - 10 oranges! It's a great immunity power punch during the colder season.
BONUS:
Here is a great tea to enjoy whenever you can to help ward off and push through the respiratory illnesses and gastral bugs that can infiltrate our systems when we don’t take the time to care for ourselves as best as can.
Immunity Rose Hips Tea
2 tbsp Rose Hip Powder
3 tbsp honey
1 lemon - juiced
1 thumb ginger - grated
(1/4 cup dried nettle - optional)
hot water - enough to fill your tea pot
Mix the Rose Hip powder, honey, lemon juice, grated ginger together. Add a little hot water to help it all mix together. Pour through a strainer over your tea pot.
Once all the liquid has been strained into the pot fill the pot with hot water. Leave the strainer on top to allow the stuff inside strain into the hot water.
Let steep for minimum 5 minutes.
Pour yourself a cup and enjoy!