Danbury NOV 2018

AUTUMN, A TIME TO LET GO
two Organs which correspond to Metal, the Lung and the Colon.
The primary function of the Colon is to let go of things that are
no longer needed, things that would be harmful if held on to.
The Lung has the function of taking in life-giving essential Qi
from the air, connecting us to the Qi of Heaven, to the more
spiritual aspects of life; the Lung is associated with new
beginnings and fresh starts. Both of these Organs need to be
functioning well and in balance with one another in order for us
to be able to grieve properly, enabling us to let go and
encouraging us to see new beginnings. If you stay in a state of
grief for a very long time it can start to affect physical health,
causing trouble with breathing or chest health, or trouble with
digestion and bowel health.
Chinese acupuncture is a truly holistic system and takes the
whole person into consideration, the physical health, emotional
health and the relationship they have with the environment that
they live in. Seasonal energy can have a subtle but noticeable
effect on our overall health and wellbeing. The seasonal energy
of the Autumn is Metal, the beginning of the yin phase of the
year. This is a time of release and contraction, a time to let go of
things that no longer serve us, a time to conserve and nurture
the important things. This is reflected in nature, trees change
their behaviour through the Autumn as an essential part of
preparing for Winter, which in turn puts them in the best
possible position to produce a strong response to the vitality of
Spring. The underlying Metallic energy of the season can bring
on a sense of unresolved grief; if this is the case, it is a great time
of year to seek out help from an acupuncturist.
Grief is something that we all feel at some point in our lives,
whether it is through the loss of a parent, a significant other, a
pet or anything that generates a long-lasting sense of despair
and overwhelm. Many of us will experience several episodes of
grief; each one can linger in the system, making subsequent
events more difficult to cope with. While not an easy process,
grief is an important part of our emotional landscape and not in
itself something to be frightened of. The processing grief has
two aspects, ‘letting go’ and ‘new beginnings’. I use the term
‘letting go’ in the sense of allowing yourself to feel your sadness,
not trying to bottle it up, not trying to ignore it, but also in the
sense of eventually being able to ‘let go’ of some of the pain you
have suffered on account of the loss. With regard to ‘new
beginnings’, Chinese medicine theories are based on cycles of
energy; as one thing ends, another will begin. Letting go of the
pain and the sadness means you can start enjoying treasured
memories without being overwhelmed by the pain of loss. This
signals the growth of a new relationship, a relationship forming
across time and space, one that can support you and sustain you
through the years.
Modern life rushes past at breakneck speed, and with that comes
pressure to ‘deal with’ grief quickly and efficiently, but properly
processing grief takes many months. After a significant loss, grief
is both an expected and necessary response; gentle, nourishing
acupuncture can help support someone through this difficult
time. Grief is not considered a pathological emotion for the first
year as we slowly adjust to the change in our circumstances
through the seasons. If a year has passed and you are still locked
tightly in the clutches of grief, you could benefit from some
acupuncture to help shift things. Autumn is a time of year when
such a treatment can be especially effective as we are able to use
seasonal energy to enhance the effects of the treatment.
A strong, balanced Metal energy is vitally important for the
processing of grief; this is best explained with reference to the
If you are feeling overwhelmed by grief, it is a process that can
be supported really well with a little bit of acupuncture – and
now is the best time to take that step.
Alexandra O’Connor LicAc MBAcC
Licensed Acupuncturist
Burnham 01621 786600 / Danbury 01245 226007
Gentle Osteopathy & Chinese Acupuncture
Pain Relief, Health & Wellness
Danbury (01245) 226007
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The Journal 13