We're finally starting to feel the Fall weather... a season of transition from extreme Yang to extreme Yin. Wait... does that mean we should Get Low and Shake It Like A Salt Shaker? 😝 Seriously though, it's a time of reflection and introspection, assimilation, and clearance of all that we have gained in the previous seasons of spring and summer. As each season passes along with its corresponding organs and climate factors, there are transition times that morph one season into another, creating a mixture of possible ailments and illnesses during that period. On an emotional level, fall corresponds to grief. Have you ever thought of an emotion being connected to the seasons? Of course you have… Sunshine Days = Happy Feelings and Grey Skies = The Blues. Whether you realized what you were actually saying or not, seasonal and atmospheric changes affect the human as much as it does the environment. It turns out that craving a Spiced Latté isn’t a gimmick, it’s a wellness must-have.

We're starting a new wellness campaign called Human Nature, where we provide a holistic viewpoint of the world's oldest healing practices from a modern standpoint. We'll move you through each season with physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness tips to create balance.

Like nature, we should naturally flow from one phase to the next throughout the year. It's time we start to create balance and really hold ourselves to a wellness routine that becomes second nature... HUMAN NATURE!

If you've been following the evolution of LAYA, then you may be familiar with our product line Herban Afrivedic™ and how we formulate using ancient wellness protocols. We use a color coded system to make it easier to identify body systems and pair herbal medicine to them. In order to bring everything into perspective, let’s just lay it all out and we’ll dive into what it means later.

The connection to Earth and it’s elements brings us to Autumn, where Metal and Air take precedence. Fall requires a transition to coolness and is everything that condenses, contracts, conserves, shrinks and freezes. Read and click through the following to gain a deeper sense of the properties and how it plays out in the human experience.

• Colors: White & Cool Green (turquoise)

• Power Animal/Totem: Polar Bear

• Senses: Touch

• Qualities: mobile, cool, light, dry, rough, subtle, flowing, sharp, clear, and hard

• Climate: Dry

• Season: Autumn

• Emotion: Grief

• Body organs: Lungs (Yin), Large Intestines (Yang), Throat, Skin

• Therapies: Cryotherapy, Purification (purgation), Skincare, Breath work, meditation or yoga & sound mantras

• Nourishment: Pungent, mucilaginous, warming

• Governing Orisha: Obatala

Autumn brings the harvest from the Spring & Summer months, shorter days and preparation for winter. Metal and Air symbolizes the process of refinement and its resulting products. In this season, it’s time to make sure everything pure and necessary is used and maximized, and that anything unnecessary or wasteful is eliminated. Much care needs to go into balancing motion and lightness, as you may feel depleted easily.

Nourishment during Fall 

When you think of medicinal fall recipes, think about aromatic spices like chai tea spices. Pungent foods are best for fall as they help with the cleansing and protection of the Lungs and Large Intestine. Pungent foods need not be super spicy to have this effect. The onion family, for example, that contains foods such as garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, white peppercorns are a great example of this. It’s important to indulge in the fresh version of these, but you may also add supplements. A good supplement that includes all of the aforementioned foods is FireberryⓇ by Herban Afrivedic™.

In addition to pungent foods, mucilaginous or moist foods and herbs are also important. They help protect and replace mucous membranes of the colon and the lungs, and also remove old thick mucus deposits. Pears and grapes are moistening for thick congestion. Turnips nourish and soothe the thyroid to reduce stress. Good herbs include seaweeds, flax seed, fenugreek, and marshmallow root.  You can find marshmallow root in a cleansing Detox Tea & 3 forms of Sea Herbs in Seamoss supplement capsules.

Physical Wellness in autumn

Metal is connected to Air through the lungs. The lungs and the large intestine, associated with metal, both deal with purification and elimination. The lungs take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide through breathing. The large intestine absorbs water and completes the absorption of nutrients, minerals and vitamins. It also holds and eliminates waste. In order to take in more oxygen, you should consider incorporating herbs like Lobelia or Osha. Herban Afrivedic™ makes a highly concentrated extraction of Lobelia. Lobelia contains chemicals that thin mucus (phlegm) to make it easier to cough up (expectorate) and help breathing, especially in people with asthma.

You should use this time to purify the body!

Both Air and Metal energies concern mental and spiritual activities, including the workings of the mind, the intellect and communication,” writes Janice MacKenzie in Discovering the Five Elements: One Day at a Time. In fact, she continues, “The inability to be open to new ideas or the rigid holding on to old thoughts and useful information could both point to an imbalance in metal.” This lends focus to the emotion of the season, leading to seasonal depression and more.

ASK YOURSELF... What is mine to keep and what needs to be released?

When Metal is in balance

A person with well-balanced Metal energy is well organized, self-disciplined, and conscientious. They like structure in their life. They are most comfortable in situations when they know the rules and can succeed by following them. Metal Qi bestows a deep inner strength, like ore mined from the mountains. When Metal Qi is abundant we get in touch very easily with ourselves and with others. We have a very precise sense of how other people feel and how we feel. Being true to our feelings, we have the courage to own them. This is the power of honesty.

Positive emotions are: sensitive, honest, courageous, cool, firm, proud, uplifted, resonant, pure, pardoning, forgiving, cultivated, refined, faithful and loyal.

When Metal is out of balance

A person with Metal Qi imbalance may be grief-stricken, steeped in sadness. They may be overly critical. They may have trouble letting go. When Metal Qi is deficient we lose touch. We lose our ability to know our feelings and are unable to care about the feelings of others. This is what can lead us into a depression, that we are sometimes not even aware of – we just don’t feel anymore! When the Metal energy is weak, there can be illnesses of the lungs – asthma, allergies, frequent colds. The Lung meridian rules the skin, so rashes, eczema, and problems with sweating can be related to Metal imbalance. The Large Intestine meridian can be affected by chronic constipation or diarrhea, or other bowel diseases. A sunken chest or labored breathing are signs of weak metal. Also, lung illness and metal imbalance may result in a pale, sickly complexion.

Negative emotions are: reactive, hypocritical, cowardly, hesitant, treacherous, deceitful, sad, depressed, tedious, confused, unreliable, irresponsible, petty, jealous and resentful.

Pay extra special attention to these physical, spiritual, and emotional attributes during this season... and we'll do the best we can to help optimize your Autumn Wellness Routine. This is the time of harvest, completion, and the beginning of rest.