Fall, Letting Go, and Coming Back Into Harmony
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the Fall Equinox, grief, letting go—and caring for our Lungs
Last week I was treating a patient, and she was telling me about Rosh Hashanah and how she honors Yom Kippur and the rituals surrounding it. As she was talking, I immediately began seeing connections to Chinese medicine and got excited. She laughed and told me I clearly had a lot to say about it and should write a newsletter.
I guess I do have a lot to say.
I have often thought that in another life I could have been a theologian, traveling the world exploring different religions—where their beliefs come from and, especially, how often we find similar truths at the heart of very different traditions. So many of these teachings connect our spiritual lives with our individual and collective well-being.
Chinese medicine has always understood health this way.
One of the foundational texts of Chinese medicine, the Huangdi Neijing, or Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, explores not simply how to treat disease, but how to live—how to move through the seasons, relate to the natural world, and understand the ways our lives affect our health.
Yom Kippur and the Body
What initially caught my attention was something my patient told me about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. She described it as a solemn time of reflection, repentance, forgiveness, and making amends.
She also told me about the practice of gently tapping the chest over the heart while reciting confessions during Yom Kippur.
I immediately thought: We do this in qigong!
I later learned that this practice is part of the Vidui, or confession, and that the prayers are largely communal—spoken as “we” rather than only “I”—which I find especially meaningful.
Of course, this Jewish ritual and qigong come from entirely different traditions, and I don't mean to suggest that they have the same origins or meaning. But I was struck by the way both traditions recognize something I have experienced over and over again: the body can be part of our process of reflection, healing, and change.
In qigong, tapping and gently patting different areas of the body are traditional practices used to encourage the movement of qi and blood through the channels. We aren't just thinking about letting go—we involve the body.
Atonement: Coming Back Into Harmony
I became curious about the word atonement itself.
The word has historically been associated with the idea of “at-one-ment”—reconciliation, bringing back together what has become separated.
I love that image.
What if atonement can also be an invitation to become more whole—to come back into relationship with ourselves and, from there, into better relationship with one another?
When we connect deeply with our own essence, perhaps we have more capacity to connect deeply with others.
And this brings me to autumn.
Autumn, Grief, and Letting Go
In Chinese medicine, autumn is associated with the Metal element and the Lung and Large Intestine systems. The emotion associated with this season is grief.
Nature shows us what this season is about. The trees release their leaves. Energy begins moving inward. There is less light. The natural world lets go of what it no longer needs and conserves what is essential.
We experience our own versions of this.
Letting go doesn't usually happen all at once. It happens layer after layer. Sometimes it feels peaceful, and sometimes it feels like a roller coaster.
At fifty, I realize more and more that getting older involves its own continual process of grieving and letting go. We let go of versions of ourselves, stages of our lives, people, expectations, identities, and things we thought would remain the same.
But letting go also creates space.
When we let go, we make room for new life and love to come in.
That doesn't mean rushing grief or trying to get rid of it. Grief has its own rhythm. Sometimes the work is simply allowing ourselves to feel what is there, breathe with it, and gradually loosen our grip on what is ready to be released.
Supporting the Lungs in Fall
In Chinese medicine, the Lung system has an important relationship with our defensive qi, or Wei Qi, which traditionally describes the body's protective energy. As the weather changes and we move into cold and flu season, this is a wonderful time to nourish and support Lung qi through warm foods, adequate rest, time outdoors, acupuncture, herbs when appropriate, breathwork, and qigong.
Perhaps autumn can be both things at once: a season of vulnerability and a season of strengthening.
And we can pay attention to what we are carrying emotionally.
When body, mind, and spirit are pulling against one another, we can feel depleted. When we begin bringing them back into relationship, there can be a sense of greater integration—of coming home to ourselves.
Maybe, in its own way, that is another kind of at-one-ment.
A Simple Fall Qigong Practice
One of the practices I teach is a Five Element qigong set, with a movement for each of the five elements and their corresponding organ systems. The Metal movement is associated with the Lungs and Large Intestine and the process of letting go.
Stand comfortably in a gentle horse stance, with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and your knees soft.
As you inhale, slowly bring your arms up through the center of your body, palms facing down, and then allow your arms to open out to the sides, expanding across the chest.
Then turn your palms over so they are facing up and, as you exhale, slowly bring your arms back toward the center.
Continue moving gently with your breath—opening and receiving with the inhale, releasing and letting go with the exhale.
There is no need to force the breath or movement. Let it be slow and comfortable.
As you practice, you might simply notice:
What am I holding onto?
What am I ready to release?
Even a few minutes can be a beautiful way to connect with the energy of autumn: breathing deeply, creating space, and practicing the art of letting go.
A Simple Fall Recipe: Warm Baked Pears
Pears are one of my favorite foods to recommend in the fall. In Chinese dietary therapy, pears are traditionally used to moisten the Lungs and soothe dryness, making them especially appropriate as we move into the cooler, drier months.
Warm Baked Pears with Ginger & Cinnamon
Ingredients
4 ripe but firm pears
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
A small squeeze of lemon
A few tablespoons of water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cut the pears in half and scoop out the cores. Place them cut-side up in a baking dish.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, ginger, and walnuts. Drizzle lightly with honey or maple syrup and a little lemon juice.
Add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of the baking dish, cover loosely, and bake for about 25–35 minutes, until the pears are tender.
Serve warm, spooning some of the juices from the pan over the top. They're wonderful on their own or with a spoonful of plain yogurt for breakfast or dessert.
A simple way to enjoy the medicine of the season: warmth, nourishment, moisture, and a little sweetness.
A Book I’d Love to Recommend
I’d also love to recommend a book I read recently by local Santa Cruz author Carolyn Brigid Flynn. Carolyn leads writing groups that I have been a part of for many years, and this practice of writing together has been medicine for me and a part of my own healing journey in many ways.
Her recent book, The Light of Spiritual Days, is a memoir about healing, ancestral reconnection, Irish history, and spiritual journey.
As I was thinking about this newsletter, I realized how much the book resonates with many of the same themes. It is another spiritual journey pointing toward becoming more whole—reconnecting with ourselves, with one another, and with those who came before us.
It feels very much in alignment with the energy of fall: letting go of what no longer serves us, opening ourselves to deep healing, and remembering the connections that help make us who we are.
I highly recommend The Light of Spiritual Days. Enjoy.
Support Your Lungs This Fall
We have just moved into fall—a time when, according to Chinese medicine, the Lungs and our protective Wei Qi can use some extra support.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help support the body as we adjust to the changing season, especially as we head into cold and flu season.
If you'd like to give your Lungs and immune system a little extra support this fall, I'd love to see you.
To schedule an appointment, use this link.
[Schedule an Appointment]
An Invitation for Fall
As we move through the Fall Equinox, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and deeper into autumn, perhaps we can take a little time to ask ourselves:
What am I grieving?
What am I ready to let go of?
Is there something that needs forgiveness or repair?
And what might I make room for by letting go?
May this season offer us an opportunity to breathe a little more deeply, release what we no longer need, nourish what is essential, and come back into greater harmony with ourselves and with one another.
As always, deep gratitude to all of my patients for trusting me, teaching me, and inspiring me to do things like write this newsletter. It's an honor to support you and a joy to be on this healing journey together.
With gratitude,
Adrianna
