Autumn is here: secrets to a happy and healthy Autumn!
Introduction
Autumn also known as the fall is one of the five seasons which occur mainly after summer or rains and before winter. Depending on the region of the planet the duration and time of this season varies. Even the characteristics of the season sometimes change.
TCM’s understanding of Autumn and its characteristics
Before we get into the actual characteristics of autumn let’s look at the basic seasons according to Tcm and how they are connected to us. According to the theory of TCM, every year can be divided into 4 to 5 parts. With an approximate time interval of 2-3 months. In a country like China, there is a very clear distinction between the four seasons namely, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
Spring occurs around the month of Feb till April. With the onset of summer in April which continues till July end. After that autumn starts in August and continues till the end of October, and then followed by winter till January. The time and duration of the seasons vary according to the natural pattern of change occurring in the world.
The basic theories of TCM involve comparing nature with certain elements and their characteristics. One such theory we all are familiar with is Yin and Yang. we would elaborate about the same in another article. The other most important theory with great clinical application is the theory of Five Elements.
This five-element theory is quite different from the Ayurvedic understanding of Panch Mahabhuta. Pancha maha Bhuta is basically pointing at the fact that our very body or all living creatures are made up of 5 elements and after death, these components return to that particular tatva of nature to restore those energies and matter back to nature.
While the Chinese concept of 5 elements focuses on the resemblance of various matter and phenomena to 5 elements and their nature. Wood(Tree), Fire, Earth, Metal(Atmosphere in some references) Water are the five elements that provide reference for the basic representation of various phenomena occurring in the human body and nature.
So the four seasons are divided according to their nature among these elements. Spring pertains to Wood. As the spring is about blooming and opening up becoming bigger and growling towards the sky and out. Summer pertains to Fire. Much easier to understand as something that rises and become hot leading to the growth of all sorts of organism. Autumn pertains to Metal. Autumn is a condition where nature expresses itself in the form of flower and fruit that collect their essence and is ready to wither hence called fall. While Winter pertains to water. Cold and completely collected in nature ready for hibernation and storing waiting for spring to bloom again.
If you notice there’s one element which is missing among these seasons. Earth pertains to not a particular season but more towards the transition phase between each season. Roughly it’s about 18 days between each season when the transition occurs and that’s where most of us get sick and call it seasonal flu.
In India, we experience rain due to the tropical conditions of the country. Rains are basically an expression of the earth during the transition between summer and autumn. When the earth rises to meet the sky(metal) during a fiery hot summer. The mutual intermingling of their energy(Qi) leads to rain.
Let us see how the classical TCM text teaches us how to take care of our health during the autumn season.
We know that a tree withers when it has borne fruit and the overall nature becomes dry and the energy is collected inwards. Farming is a very good way to understand the seasonal changes. First, you show and let the crops grow(spring) then the crops flourish and also the insects tend to get attracted to them (summer) then the crops bear fruits or grains according to their nature which is collected(autumn) and finally the grains are stored for further use(winter)
We as humans also follow such a pattern of energy within us. If we work in tune with nature and follow this pattern of energy we would very rarely suffer from severe diseases.
The ancient classic 黄帝内经(The Yellow emperors classic of internal medicine), the first book 素问(simple questions) talks about the way we should follow in various conditions to avoid sickness and nurture our body to work with nature and not against it.
“秋三月， 此为容平，天气以急， 地气以明。”
This gives us a basic understanding of the nature of autumn. The text implies during the three months of autumn, nature is transitioning from hot to cold it is trying to balance out and collect preparing to store. The environment is very dry and rough pertaining to the nature of metal. While the earth is brightened with the collection of its energy back inside.
“早卧早起，与鸡俱兴，使志安宁，以缓秋刑。“
Here it starts with the most fundamental of healthy living, “Sleep”. Without a proper guide to sleep no person can be healthy. Sleep is very crucial but it also has to follow the rules of seasons. It doesn’t follow a standard of a minimum of 8 hours of sleep. When and how to sleep is also of utmost importance. The rule is very simple, it’s the jungle rule before our dear Thomas Edison and Nicole Tesla invented Bulb and electricity, in the hope of making our lives better, but took our health away.
The jungle follows the rule of sunrise and sunset. As the sun rises you rise as the sun sets you rest and sleep. So during the autumn the sun rises early and sets early hence we have to get to bed early and wake up early. When this text was written, people used to follow this rule but not as strictly as before the era. Hence the authors felt the need to mention it.
The next 4 characters explain when we should wake up, 与鸡俱兴 means we have to wake up with the rooster. The rooster wakes up right when the Sun’s rays hit the sky. That’s when the yang of the day starts rising that’s when we should wake up and start with the day.
使志安宁here the authors refer to the state of our mind. Our will and desires should be tranquil. A day should begin with peaceful meditation and calm thoughts ideal enough for the day to go by without any agitation. 以缓秋刑 means the autumn Qi is very brutal and punishing in nature. If you are not calm and composed your agitation will harm you during this rough dry season leading to severe health problems.
Most of us notice ourselves suffering from various diseases of the lungs and heart during this season. Surprisingly even malaria outburst also occurs mainly during this time of the year. [A separate text mentions 夏伤于暑秋为痎疟 where the authors refer to Improper care during summer can lead to suffering from malaria in autumn.] The most common complication that people face apart from the seasonal flu is the onset of skin problems like dry and itching skin..
”收敛神气，使秋气平，无外其志，使肺气清。“
收敛(shou lian) means to collect. Mainly a term used for harvesting crops. The process of cutting the grown crops to store and use for the whole year. Here it does not refer to crops but mainly refers to the mind and spiritual energy(神气). As human mind or “chitta” is very volatile in nature wandering around distracted by a variety of modern-day tasks, lost deep in a sea of thoughts unable to concentrate and collect. A scattered mind is a waste of significant energy that can be used for the betterment of us and mankind.
We have to let this autumn energy balance and find harmony with our mind and body. Our minds should be settled. Our body is the house of spirit and will. We are to keep our will and desires in control and not let it overflow or project outwards leading to a waste of energy. Spring energy as mentioned earlier refers to the harvesting of crops. Not letting our desires house it would be like scattering the harvest instead of collecting.
Finally, it says to let the lung’s energy be clear and free flowing. This is expressed at two levels, First is that it is essential to practice breathing exercises and other aerobic exercises like Yoga, Taichiquan and pranayama to make sure our lungs are strong enough to resist the harshness of this season and avoid getting sick. The second is to make sure we eat healthy and make our lung energy smooth flowing.
”此秋气之应养收之道也， 逆之则伤肺冬为飧泄，奉藏者少。“
This is an ending statement mentioning the consequence of not adhering to the rules of autumn. it says these are the ways of collecting and harvesting Qi in autumn to have healthy cultivation health in autumn. If we go against this law of nature then it is bound to affect our lungs and we will suffer from various kinds of lung diseases like Corona, influenza, common cold, and even malaria.
Another crucial aspect it highlights is that unhealthy habits during autumn will not necessarily show symptoms during that period but rather it reveals itself in the next season which is winter. And as we know the recent outbreak of corona began in November the beginning of winter. Imbalances take time to turn to evil energy and manifest as disease, and in most conditions, they occur when the body is in its weak state. Hence it’s essential to harvest our energy well so that it would be easy to store in winter and hibernate so to speak, or else winter would be troublesome.
These texts were written thousands of years ago although we as intelligent beings have evolved quite significantly and the environment has changed drastically yet these principles still hold true as irrespective of the changes it is always well within the boundaries of laws discovered by ancient beings. For change is inevitable and is the only constant thing in the universe, adaptation to change and following the laws of nature in that particular era is essential for survival and healthy living on this planet.
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