Autumn in Chinese Medicine: A Season of Letting Go and Turning Inward
As the days become shorter and the evenings begin to cool, autumn invites us to slow down and notice the transition around us.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is associated with the Metal element, which corresponds with the Lung and Large Intestine. The season is a time of harvest, contraction, and turning inward. While summer encourages growth, expansion, and outward movement, autumn asks us to begin gathering our energy and preparing for the quieter months ahead.
We can see this beautifully in nature. The trees don’t hold onto their leaves simply because they were once part of their growth. As the season changes, they let them go. Their energy is no longer directed outward through their branches and leaves. Instead, it begins to move inward, conserving what is needed for the season ahead.
There is something for us to learn from this.
Autumn can be a natural time to take inventory of where your energy is going. What commitments, obligations, or activities are truly important to you right now? Is there something you have been carrying simply because you have always carried it? What might you be able to release or set down so that you have more energy for what actually matters to you and the path you are on?
This idea of letting go is especially connected with the Metal element. In TCM, the Lung is associated with grief and sadness, while the Large Intestine is associated with elimination. Together, they offer a beautiful seasonal reminder that life involves both taking in and letting go.
Letting go doesn’t mean ignoring difficult emotions or forcing ourselves to move past them. Sometimes it means allowing ourselves to actually feel what is there, breathe through it, and give those emotions somewhere to move. Like the trees releasing their leaves, we don’t have to hold onto everything simply because it once served us.
Autumn is also a time when we may notice certain physical changes as the environment shifts. Cooler temperatures, wind, and the transition from warm days to colder nights can make it especially important to protect the body from the elements. In Chinese medicine, external wind and changes in climate are traditionally understood as factors that can affect the Lung and the body’s protective Wei Qi, or defensive Qi.
This is the season to start layering again. Keep your neck and body warm when the temperature drops, especially in the evening, and pay attention to how your body responds to the changing weather. Seasonal respiratory symptoms such as cough and breathing difficulties are traditionally considered through the lens of the Lung system, and respiratory conditions have long been discussed in relation to autumn and winter in Chinese medicine.
We can also carry the remnants of summer into the early autumn transition. In TCM, patterns involving lingering summer heat, dampness, or phlegm may be considered when symptoms persist through a seasonal change. This is one reason seasonal care isn’t about treating everyone the same way. Your constitution, current symptoms, environment, and the season you’re moving through all matter.
And slowing down doesn’t have to mean doing nothing.
It might look like making time for a regular acupuncture appointment, taking a few quiet minutes to lie on the ground and feel your breath, spending time outside, adjusting your routines as the days change, or simply creating more space for rest. Acupuncture can be a supportive way to check in with your body and help you transition into fall and winter with intention.
There is something beautiful about allowing ourselves to change with the seasons. Autumn reminds us that not everything needs to be carried forward. Some things can be felt, released, and left behind, making room for the energy we want to gather for what comes next.
Seasonal care is one of the ways I love bringing the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine into modern life.
With gratitude,
Dr. Darla Chenin, LAc