Happy Equinox, Reader!

I’m sending an extra special email today, because we’re in the midst one of the most significant transitions of the year, and the more awareness you bring to this transition, the more you can work with it to see positive results.

First, I’ll give you a little background info around the themes that dominate this transition, and then we’ll put this wisdom into action with 5 Essential Fall Wellness Guidelines to help you feel more grounded, content, and thrive this time of year.

Tomorrow marks the official start of autumn in the northern hemisphere.

The sun will position itself directly above the earth's equator, the length of daylight will be equal to darkness, and the baton will be passed from the sun to the moon as daylight starts to wane and nights start getting longer.

Even though our tech-obsessed culture tends to distance itself from noticing nature’s rhythms, the impact of this transition is clear.

Where a couple months ago the world seemed to be bursting with excitement and activity, now we’re starting to crave slower, more focused work. We’re ready to get cozy, and many of us are starting to crave the comfort of warming spices, hot beverages, and slow-cooked soups.

In Chinese medicine this moment also marks the transition between two symbolic phase-elements, Earth and Metal.

Earth represents the center, the ground beneath our feet that gives us our sense of belonging and stability. Associated with the Spleen and Stomach Organ networks, Earth is also related to our ability to digest and absorb the deepest forms of nourishment that life has to offer.

Where the other Phase-Elements have obvious seasonal affinities (Metal ~ Autumn, Water ~ Winter, Wood ~ Spring, Fire ~ Summer,) Earth is a bit of a wild card.

It can be seen as the literal earth that is present underneath all of the other shifting phases. It is also associated with all times of transition between life’s seasons. And, perhaps most commonly, it is squeezed in as an extra, fifth season, during harvest at the end of summer and beginning of fall.

So even though fall is starting now, Earth is still present and useful, even as the weather gets colder.

The Metal Phase-Element isn’t always as flexible.

Dominated by the Lung and Large Intestine, Metal is our rhythm-keeper, supporting breath, hormone flow, toxin release, and other biological and spiritual processes that perform best at regular intervals.

Associated with autumn when trees drop their leaves and nature’s energy starts in and down, Metal calls on us to let go of what is no longer serving us, to be frugal with our time, put up firm boundaries around what we hold sacred, and introduce more structure into our lives.

If we aren't careful to keep ourselves grounded, autumn's winds can sweep us up and make us feel erratic, restless, and anxious with its unpredictability and looming darkness.

It's also important to note that this time of year—as with with any big transition phase that requires us to release and let go— it’s not unusual to feel grief pop up. And uncomfortable as it might be, Autumn is when we will most benefit from making space for grief to emerge and be expressed.

We tend to want to avoid this truth, trying to fill the emptiness with distraction as quickly as possible. But more often than not, this avoidance only makes the emotional pressure build up inside of us.

If, on the other hand, we allow ourselves to feel what we feel as feelings well up, the resulting tears clear the atmospheric pressure within us, and water the ground so new things may grow again, when they’re ready.

This is a potent moment for inner transformation, NAME.

Ancient healing traditions from around the world—including Chinese medicine but also Indian Ayurveda, Celtic, American Indigenous, ancient Greek, just to name a few—all teach that the seasonal shifts can have a profound impact on both our mental and physical health.

But we have to know what adjustments to make if we want to reap the benefits.

Here are 5 Essential Fall Wellness Guidelines to help you feel more grounded, content, and thrive this time of year:

1. Stick to a routine, especially around mealtimes and sleep rituals.
2. Practice breathing exercises daily, like full-circle breathing, breath of fire, breath retention, lion's breath, etc.
3. Consume warm foods and drinks. Avoid dry crunchy foods, carbonated drinks, and raw ingredients.
4. Emphasize naturally sweet flavors, adding in more bitter and astringent flavors in early fall, and more salty and sour flavors as the temperature starts to drop (around mid-October).
5. Make space for stillness, reflection, and emotional release. You may want to spend some time with these journal prompts:

• What seeds do I want to plant in the coming months? What am I willing to let go of to make space for them to grow?
• What losses have I experienced that I still need to (or need to continue to) grieve? (Every transition comes with loss, so even if the change was desired, there may be something left behind that still wants to be acknowledged.)
• What is consuming too much of me right now? What am I clinging to that I can let go? What can I say “no” to?
• How does my body feel throughout the day? What emotions am I experiencing, and how am I responding to them?
• How can I integrate more moments of stillness and reflection into my daily routine?

Want to learn more strategies to support both mental and physical health, holistically?

Are you ready to let go of old baggage, but don’t know how to get started?

If this sounds enticing to you, my live 12-week online course, Healing Through Anxiety (HTA), will give you the guidance, support, and motivation you need to transform from the inside out.

Are you ready to take charge of your own well-being, Reader?

Then click here to learn more and sign up.

And be sure to read the email I’m sending Sunday, because I’ll be sharing 3 mistakes that keep you stuck when healing chronic stress and anxiety.

I can’t wait to see where it takes you!

Warmly,

Katerina

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