Did you know each season has a natural energetic rhythm? It influences our emotions, our being and our actions. I’d like to share with you how the season of autumn impacts us, and in its remaining weeks, how you can benefit from the energy of autumn.
Take a moment to reflect over the last four months. Think about how your daily habits, the goals you’ve set for yourself or your emotions have changed since the height of summer. The changes are a result of the contracting and quieter energy of autumn. If you can’t pinpoint changes, then you have not tapped into and taken advantage of autumn’s energy!
In Feng Shui, there are five rhythms, and associated elements of nature. Due to the warmer temperatures and height of sunlight during the summer, it may not be surprising to know that summer’s element is fire. Late summer (August and September) are linked to the earth element. Autumn is metal, while winter is ruled by the water element. Spring is represented by wood.
Metal – and autumn – is characterized by energy that is contracting and decelerating. We see this reflected in the world around us during the months of late September, October and November. Plants slow their growth and shed their leaves, flowers and fruits. Colder temperatures make wooden objects contract. Wildlife that does not migrate, nestle in their homes and store food or plump up in preparation for the winter months. You may also find yourself wanting more sleep, or getting up a little later than in the previous, warmer months of summer.
There are emotions associated with autumn and the metal energy. Positive emotions include optimism, while the negative side can have us feeling sad and a little depressed.
When you are in alignment with the season, you will notice the positive characteristics of metal influencing your daily activities, feelings and approach to life. In addition to feeling positive, you may also experience the following:
· Accuracy and Effectiveness
· Clarity and Focus
· Planning and Strategic Thinking
· Moderation
· Discipline
· Honour and Sincerity
· Caring and Hopeful
Sometimes we fall out of alignment. This is normal. Feng Shui is rooted in the Law of Polarity, which allows us to be in constant movement between opposing forces, commonly referred to as yin and yang. We cannot be in a balanced flow all of the time. If this happened things would not grow and we would not evolve.
When out of alignment, the energy of autumn can bring in the following feelings and actions:
· Sadness and Depression
· Lack of self-esteem
· Joyless and denying oneself pleasure or fun
· Perfectionism
· Confusion and Hopelessness
· Incompetence
As the days get darker, so can we. It is important to stay calm and ward off negative feelings to smooth the transition to the winter season. If we do not attend to the negative feelings that autumn brings, it can make winter more challenging.
I’d like to share two options to ease any negative energy you may be feeling. First, switch gears and lean towards the more positive aspects of metal. For example, if you are feeling hopeless or sad, enter into activities that bring you joy. Or you maybe you’re having difficulty completing tasks. This has crept up on me over the last month! To rebalance, I’ve upped my organization skills to plan more thoroughly, paying special attention to details.
The second way you can ward off the negative energy of metal is to sit with the feeling and feel it so you can accept the moment, then let it pass. It is important to underscore that you do not have to hold on to negativity. Create limits to define what you hold on to and what you release. To acknowledge negativity and sit with it for a time provides perspective, and letting go, enables you to set healthy boundaries for yourself. That said, if you, or someone you know is contemplating suicide and/or showing symptoms of severe depression, this requires immediate attention. Please seek professional medical attention immediately.
Each season and element is associated with an organ. Autumn is associated with the lungs. For this reason, exercises that allow breathing to improve the lung’s chi (aka life force) is important. This will help clear your body and improve your ability to breathe and manage cold and flu viruses that proliferate during the coming winter months. If you don’t like breathwork, dancing provides an excellent alternative.
Metal desires order and detail. For this reason, in the Autumn, many of us gravitate towards editing or reorganizing our homes or our offices. Purifying and getting rid of what is not essential is an important task to align ourselves with the energy of autumn. This also extends to relationships. You may have found over the last few months that you have been organizing your personal life in terms of establishing clearer boundaries with people and/or distancing yourself from those who do not bring you happiness. This attention to order and detail allows us to identify what is important in our lives and let go of what may hamper our growth.
Our bodies and minds need to slow down after the hurried days of spring and summer, while at the same time, prepare for the contemplative days of winter. Autumn provides space for this transition. In slowing down, we are given time to reflect over the last year, redefine our path and demarcate our personal space within a manner that benefits our essence. It is a wonderful time, with ample opportunity to grow and flourish into our purpose.
Let's find your energy and optimise it with
9 Star Ki and Feng Shui.
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