Autumn is the season of the lungs and large intestine according to the Chinese Medicine 5 Element System. This is the Metal element time of year, which governs the emotions of grief and inspiration. This is the perfect year to finally release all of the repetitive things that we have grieved over, especially in the past two years when the world felt like it was falling apart and made no sense (to many of us, it still feels this way)! It’s also the perfect time to be receptive to all that inspires us to live fully, truly believing that we are worthy and able to magnetize it into our lives.
How do we let go of all that we lost without the grief continuously haunting us every time something triggers us about it? The answer to that is not in our over-stimulated and easily programmable minds; it dwells in our gut! Our gut feelings know what’s best for us and if we can feel them, they will nourish our body and soul! There are plenty of ways we can nourish our intestines this time of year so we can feel in harmony with our gut. Chinese Medicine recommends bone broth and rice congees with digestion-assisting herbs like ginger.
The solution to our habitual grieving also dwells in our lungs, specifically our ability to inspire, be inspired, and receive what we need to nourish our evolution. Life is meant to transform and we are meant to be consistently learning new ways of moving with its phases. How have we been responsible for what we have been deprived of? What’s been holding us back from making space for what we truly need? Oftentimes the answer is deeply-rooted fear and being comfortable in our own repetitive misery because it’s familiar and predictable. Is certainty worth this pain though? No way!
This story is ready to change on a societal level! Can you feel a new one wanting to burst forth?
While confusion and back to back traumas took place all around us for a long stretch of time in this valley, I became stuck in a pattern that I finally broke free from a couple months ago. I was obsessed with helping my boyfriend at the time heal from an overwhelming load of trauma that I seriously believed I could relieve. I lost myself in this relationship because I was so naive about how far my love could go for a heart that was not able to stay open to it or face what needed to change for true healing to occur.
By taking on the habitual grief of others, we are likely to develop our own. My recent relationship journey was so important because it mirrored exactly what I needed to learn about my own toxic tendencies so I could release them and receive what I’ve known deeply I truly need: a community that has the ability to identify, accept, and also actively work on their shadows so they are able share their abilities in mutually supportive ways.
Everyone has the opportunity for that “awakening” experience whenever they experience deep grief. Will we let it consume us or will we let it soften and open us to greater things?
Here’s a helpful mantra chant that came to me when feeling inspired recently at my bear creek sanctuary spot:
I breathe out all the grief that once took control of me
I breathe out all the shame I once covered up with blame
I breathe in my spirits call
I am Worthy of it All
I breathe in, I breathe in, I breathe in
Take a deep breath and say that out loud. Tune into how your body feels after verbalizing it. I have music that goes with it; maybe we will sing it together someday!
I’m so grateful to be co-creating with a growing sisterhood of women who are diving deep into the grit of life’s challenges through helping each other “ReWild.”
We have a big vision that’s taking us on amazing adventures so we can eventually serve all walks of life around the world. We host connective retreats where I have the honor of sharing the 5 Elements in an interactive workshop involving Qi-Gong (Chinese energy cultivation exercises), acupressure, and ceremonial balancing of the dual aspects of ourselves.
To learn more, please visit us on IG: @re.wildingwomen or FB: ReWilding Women. You can find me on there as Eleyah Knight or ElatedFamilyAcupuncture.
I also have some helpful resources on my website: ElatedFamily.com. I specialize in working with kids and their families. Introducing Chinese medicine to kids while they are young gives them powerful self-healing tools to guide them the rest of their lives! I’ve experienced how effectively this alleviates the modern troubles our youth face today.
Thank you for reading and taking time to receive some valuable insights for your own health and well-being!
Here I am teaching a lung opening Qi Gong movement at a ReWilding Women Retreat in the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest, August 2022.