The Metal element: distilling what matters
After a wonderful Indian summer here in Devon, there’s no denying that the seasons have changed. The evenings are drawing in, the mornings are dark now, and the natural world is beginning to turn inwards, conserving its energy for winter.
In Chinese medicine, autumn belongs to the Metal element, associated with the Lungs and Large Intestine. Metal is about refinement: separating what is valuable from what is no longer needed, finding clarity and recognising what we want to carry forward.
The Metal element has spiritual, emotional and physical dimensions, and I wanted to share a little about each of these, along with some ways we can support ourselves as we move into the quieter months.
The spiritual: the Po and the art of distilling
In Chinese medicine, each organ is linked to a different spirit, representing a different part of what makes us human. The spirit of the Lungs is called the Po, sometimes known as the body soul.
The Po is connected to our physical, instinctive experience of life: what we feel through our senses, how we respond to the world around us, and our basic instinct to survive and protect ourselves. It's the part of us that lets us feel the warmth of the sun on our skin, be moved by music or instinctively reach for someone we love.
Our lives are full of experiences, information, responsibilities and things competing for our attention. But what, amongst all of this, do we truly value? What do we want to take forward, and what can we allow to fall away? Every breath offers us a tiny lesson in this process. We receive, we release, and we begin again. We can't hold on to every breath, just as we can't hold on to every moment of our lives.
When we slow down enough to really experience what's happening, we begin to notice what touches us: the smell of the sea, the sound of rain against the window, the look on our child's face when they're completely absorbed in play.
Our time here is finite. And rather than making life feel frightening, perhaps this is what makes it so precious.
The more we recognise the impermanence of things, the more opportunity we have to be truly present for them. Not just to think about our lives, but to feel them.
The emotional: grief, love and letting go
The emotion associated with the Lungs in Chinese medicine is grief and sadness.
We tend to think of grief in relation to death, but we experience it in many forms: the end of a relationship, our children growing up, a change in our identity, or the quiet realisation that a chapter of life has passed.
We can feel sadness even when change is welcome. Something can be right for us and still be difficult to leave behind.
Grief comes in waves, and giving ourselves permission to feel it is part of allowing life to move through us. We can appreciate what something has brought into our lives, even when it's time for things to change. Letting go doesn't mean it mattered any less.
Perhaps the invitation of the Metal element is to appreciate what we have while it's here, allow ourselves to feel the sadness when things change, and recognise that letting go doesn't diminish the love or meaning that came before.
The physical: breathing, moving and nourishing the Lungs
On a physical level, the Lungs govern breathing and, in Chinese medicine, are associated with the skin. They help us take in what we need and release what we don't. The Large Intestine, the yang partner of the Lungs, completes this process by eliminating waste and absorbing what remains useful.
Together, they offer a lovely reminder that receiving and releasing are equally important.
Here are a few simple ways to support your Metal element this autumn:
Breathe. Take a few moments to notice your breath without trying to change it. Feel the movement of your ribs and the gentle release of each exhale. Let it bring you back to where you are, rather than where your mind has wandered.
Get back into your body. The Po is connected with our physical, instinctive experience. Stretch, dance around the kitchen, go for a walk or shake out your limbs. Let yourself experience movement just for the pleasure of it.
Offer yourself some touch. The skin is associated with the Lungs in Chinese medicine. Gentle massage with body oil or moisturiser, dry skin brushing before your morning shower or a hug from someone you love can be simple ways to reconnect with your body.
Eat seasonally. White foods are traditionally associated with the Metal element. Pears, apples, turnips, onions and mushrooms are lovely ingredients for autumn meals. Pears are also traditionally used in Chinese dietary therapy to support moisture when dryness is present, so perfect for a dry cough for example.
Practise letting go. At the end of the day, take a moment to reflect: What touched me today? What do I want to remember? What can I leave behind? You might find journalling helpful, or simply take a few quiet moments before bed.
As we move further into autumn, perhaps the invitation is simply to slow down enough to notice what's already here.
To appreciate the ordinary moments that make up a life. To allow ourselves to feel the sadness of what changes, without losing sight of the beauty of having experienced it at all.
And to keep asking ourselves: what really matters, and what do I want to carry with me?
Wishing you a peaceful autumn.
