Gathering Strength & Letting Go – A TCM Guide to Autumn Wellbeing
As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to fall, Autumn invites us to pause, gather our energy, and gently release what no longer serves us. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is the season of the Metal element, associated with the Lungs and Large Intestine.
Just as trees shed their leaves to prepare for winter, our bodies and minds thrive when we clear what we no longer need—be it stale air, unhelpful habits, or lingering emotions.
The Metal Element: Purity, Reflection, and Courage
Metal governs structure, clarity, and integrity. When in balance, it gives us the strength to breathe deeply, let go of grief, and face change with courage. When out of balance, we may feel stuck, overly critical, or prone to respiratory issues.
Health Tip:
Step outside for a slow morning breath, inhaling the clean autumn air and exhaling thoughts or worries that feel heavy.
Seasonal Diet: Nourish and Moisten
Autumn’s dry climate can leave the lungs, skin, and throat vulnerable. Moistening foods help replenish fluids and keep the immune system strong.
Best foods for Autumn
White foods (Metal colour): cauliflower, garlic, onions, daikon radish, pears.
Moistening foods: apples, figs, persimmons, grapes and cucumber.
Warming spices: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, spring onion.
Healing broths & soups: slow-cooked broths, and soup using the ingredients above help to support Wei Qi (defensive energy)
Consider trying
Pear & Honey Lung Tonic Tea or a White Vegetable & Ginger Soup.
Breathing & Emotional Wellbeing
The lungs govern breath and the ability to “take in life”, while the large intestine helps us “let go.” This makes Autumn the perfect time for breathing practices, meditation, and gentle reflection.
Try this two minute breathing reset:
Inhale for a count of 4, feeling the chest expand.
Hold for 4 counts, noticing the stillness.
Exhale slowly for a count of 6, releasing tension.
Repeat 6–10 times.
A Note on journaling:
What am I ready to release before winter?
The Iwood Health Teams Insights About Autumn
If you know that Autumn and Winter causes you to feel low, anxious or stuck, book a seasonal consultation now, Try our autumn recipe guide,
or Join one of our workshops.
Self-Care Rituals to Protect Lung Qi
Layer up: Keep neck and chest warm to prevent wind-cold invasion.
Dry brushing: Gently stimulate the skin (the “outer lung”) to boost circulation.
Aromatic steam: Eucalyptus or rosemary steam clears sinuses and hydrates airways.
Consistent sleep: Aim for early nights to store yin energy during the colder months.
Preparing for Winter
As daylight shortens, our energy naturally begins to contract. Start slowing your schedule, eating warming meals, and creating evening rituals that support a deeper rest. A few small changes now will make the winter transition smooth and nourishing.
Autumn reminds us that letting go is not loss—it is preparation for renewal, may this Autumn bring you clarity, resilience, and the gentle courage to breathe deeply and release.
Lisa our Kinesiologist:
Your nervous system is the story teller of your life, but it also has an incredible capacity for change. Autumn is a time when nature lets go. When we loosen the hold on the nervous system, we allow old habits to step aside so fresh possibilities can emerge and reshape us at a cellular level.
Walking in nature, breath-work and visualisation are a few ways that we can let go of anxieties and create new possibilities. Re-patterning our nervous system to for renewal.
Hazel Ballantine our Nutritional Therapist
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Immune Boosting Harvest Soup or find recipes on the Iwood Health Website.
Louise Hudson Our Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist
Writing can be a gentle way to pause, reflect, and realign with the turning seasons. Rather than a daily discipline, seasonal journaling invites you to reconnect when nature itself shifts.
As we move from late summer into autumn, try reflecting on a few simple prompts:
What will you bring forth from summer? What lessons or joys can you carry into the cooler months?
Where can you find balance? After the Autumn Equinox, what restores your sense of equilibrium — rest, nature, solitude, or connection?
What will you cultivate next? What do you want to prioritise or begin anew as the days grow shorter?
Use these reflections as an opportunity to reset. By putting pen to paper, you may discover what you’re ready to release — and what you’re ready to grow.
If you have enjoyed reading this newsletter please feel free to share it with your family and friends so that they can enjoy good health this Autumn.
In Friendship Your Iwood Therapists,
–Dan, Jackie, John, Hazel, Áine, Lisa, Katie and Louise –
Iwood Health, Wrington 