Happy Fall 2018!

In preparation for Autumn
By Melissa Anderson
 
What foods do you think of when you think of fall?  Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, Beets, Carrots, Apples, Pears, Rhubarb, Hearty Soups and Stews, Barley, Bone broths, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Allspice, Clove.  Yummmm…  Treat yourself with all the feel-good foods that nature has provided this upcoming season in bounty! 
 
I like to think that people are a lot like plants (because I think so highly of plants), and that we all flourish and are drawn to specific climates and seasons.  There are also certain cycles in our life that we “bloom” like sunflowers.  Fall is a time of collecting the harvest of our hard working days, allowing joy, and letting life flow without resistance. 
 
According to 5 element theory (an important foundation of Chinese Medicine), each person resonates unproportionally more with one or two of the 5 elements, and each of theses elements corresponds to a season (Late-summer is it’s own season in this paradigm).
 
Wood corresponds to Spring
Fire corresponds to Summer
Earth corresponds to Late-Summer
Metal corresponds to Autumn
Water corresponds to Winter
 
Your personal element “type” is based on many different things, such as body type, voice quality, skin tone, and personality.  At Alchemy, is has been part of our training to understand the basics of 5 element theory.  If your practitioner has not already told you, take this quiz to find out which element you may be!
 
As we transition from Late-summer into fall, so we are transitioning from the Earth element into the Metal element.
 
The Metal Element Personality Type (as well as the season) has the energy the perfectionism, determination and power!  If you are a Metal type, you can capitalize on this, but remember that in order to flourish, you must also balance these strengths with flexibility and release of expectation.
 
Each element also corresponds to an organ in the body.  The organs associated with the Metal element and the season of Fall are Lungs and Large Intestine.  These are both organs that help us to let go of toxic waste.  Often people will get a dry cough in the Autumn as the weather changes.  This is a great time to do a cleanse to purge the toxins.  I personally like to take a day or two of only Breuss Juice, and herb tea.  The juice is Organic and has several fall root vegetables.  Sadness and grief also tend to get energetically lodged in these organs in the fall as many of the summer plants transition and go to seed.  It’s a good time to do breath work, as well as emotional healing from past trauma and grief.  Don’t be afraid to rely on your support group during this time of letting go.  Talk to your Alchemy practitioner about working on any emotions that may show up during this time.  Even if you don’t do a full on cleanse, try to eat foods that are easy to digest (it gives your organs much needed rest).  This is one of the great benefits our Kitchari and all of our food items at Alchemy!
 
Wishing you all the best that Autumn has to offer!