As the gentle energy of Autumn settles around us, wrapping us in her hazy sunny days and crisp evenings it is time to prepare for the turning inward that naturally occurs as we approach winter. Autumn is a time of benevolence, when the activity of summer has slowed, when pastimes become gentler and more leisurely, when we turn our attention within to our own thoughts and dreams.
As the energies of Autumn contract and gather inwards, they cause us to also slow down in readiness for the stillness of the coming winter. The contemplative nature of the season allows time for inner reflection and awareness, providing a space to find clarity before setting plans and goals to initiate in the Spring.
In readiness for increased awareness and understanding, Autumn is a time to embrace peace and avoid engaging in personal dramas. This is the time to practice distancing yourself, to step back from conflict, judgement and other triggers in your life. It is the time to take a deep breath and count to ten before responding to potential conflicts.
Autumn Health
April is a time of transition for our whole body. As the evening air takes on a bite after the gentle warmth of the afternoon sun our bodies become more susceptible to health problems. Illnesses that have gone underground over the summer will re-appear and new coughs, colds and other infections appear.
If you don’t use this time to build your health and charge up your immune system, you may find yourself more susceptible to winter illness and less capable of throwing off any illness you develop by June.
Change Your Habits
By adjusting your lifestyle to align with the seasonal energies you can strengthen your whole system.
There are a number of changes you can make which all contribute to building your health.
Most people naturally change their foods when the weather cools and Summer salads make way for heavier meat and root vegetable stews and soups. But also adapting your life practices including exercise, meditation and sleep offers huge support through the colder months.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
One of the most important lifestyle changes to make for Autumn and Winter health is to recognise that your body needs much more sleep as it turns inward. Getting seven hours sleep every night is one of the best ways to protect yourself against winter illness. Unfortunately, your body doesn’t recover from a work-induced sleep deprived week by sleeping in on the weekend so it’s important to develop routines that make sufficient sleep every night a regular part of your daily health practice.
If you can’t get to sleep or stay asleep, speak to your natural health practitioner now, before Winter, for advice and treatment to help you break this pattern.
Push yourself to rest whenever you need it and take it easy. Develop great bedtime routines to maintain wellness and keep ‘office illness’ away.
These Seven Surefire Ways To Get a Good Night’s Sleep will get you started.
Self Care
As Autumn settles in it is time to treat yourself with compassion. Be conscious this is the season to be gentle, and wrap yourself with TLC. If you are someone who is constantly there for everyone else, now is the time to turn that caring inwards and say ‘no’ to others.
It is only by first caring for your own needs that you can adequately care for those around you.
Modify Your Exercise
Exercise is a great way to boost immune health.
It increases oxygen levels in the blood. A recent study has shown that there is no place on earth that does not have some level of air pollution. In major cities the level of oxygen in the air is significantly below normal. When you consider that most people also breathe poorly, and that many chronic diseases including cancer are associated with low oxygen levels, the importance of boosting oxygen intake becomes obvious.
Exercise makes you feel more alert, boosts your levels of endorphins to make you feel positive, as well as improving oxygen levels in every cell of your body. But during Autumn it is vital to tone down your exercise program to prevent your energy becoming depleted, as that adversely affects your immune system.
Yoga, t’ai chi or Qi Gong are very balancing and present the perfect exercise option for autumn. Deep breathing exercises and yoga stretching both serve your immune system as well as your respiratory organs through the Winter. Brisk walking and bike riding are other great ways to exercise in Autumn.
Avoid heavy aerobic exercise outdoors in the cooler autumn months, as it may reduce vital energy and weaken your system.
Susceptible Organs During Autumn
The lung and the colon are both organs of elimination and relate to your ability to “let go” on all levels. According to the teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine if your immunity is weak these are the organs that will be affected during Autumn, with respiratory problems including coughs, breathing difficulties and sinus problems, or gut issues like constipation and/or diarrhoea.
These are the organs that are affected when you hold on to grief and sadness. If you are holding unresolved grief or sadenss they eventually affect the health and function of your lungs or large intestine, sending you the message that it is “time to let go”.
Disclaimer
All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatments suggested on this site.
mind as well as your soul is to let go. If you’ve been hurt by someone in the past and are still carrying that heavy, painful, angry burden it’s now time to release it. Even if they’re not aware they hurt you it’s time to forgive. It’s not about negating what happened, but about you releasing the weight and the toxic, destructive impact anger and resentment have on your body and your soul.
just you to do something outside your comfort zone. Spend time alone discovering your capabilities. Find something that challenges you like hot air ballooning, scuba diving, attending a gallery, or even public speaking. When you challenge yourself you discover how capable you are. You may even find a new interest.
Run a warm deep bath, add some Epsom salts and essential oils and soak. Cry out all the burdens of the last twelve months. Let it all flow until you feel relaxed, lighter and more positive. Emotional 
The colour of fruit and vegetables tells you what it contains. It’s not enough to have one or two, you need the full range. So aim for five or more different colours on your plate to get a broader range of antioxidants.
plans, to warn us we don’t have what it takes to succeed and to remind us of our past mistakes and failures. I used to call mine “The Committee” because sometimes it felt like a whole group ganged up together to completely overpower me. But you can evict them. If you’re a gentle person bribe that inner critic outside your head, or explain nicely that you’re the boss and have the final word. If you’re a bit blunter you could do as I did. Whenever that “Committee” started criticising I’d jump in with “sit down and shut up” before they could get going. It’s amazing how quickly you can silence the critic simply by deciding that YOU’RE the one in the driver seat who makes all the final decisions.
or any practice that connects with your inner wisdom and develops your spirituality is an investment in defining your purpose and passion. Your inner wisdom is like the GPS for your life and provides you with guidance and clarity about who you are and your life path.
happy holistic health 