Autumn's Invitation: Supporting Lung Energy Through the Season of Letting Go

As leaves release from branches and the air grows crisp, autumn invites us into a natural cycle of letting go. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this season corresponds to the Lung organ system—not just the physical lungs, but an entire energetic network governing breath, boundaries, and our ability to receive and release.

The Lungs in TCM: Governors of Qi and Grief

In TCM philosophy, the lungs are considered the "delicate organ," the first line of defense between our inner world and the external environment. They govern:

• Respiration and Qi: The lungs extract qi from the air and distribute it throughout the body.

• Wei Qi (Defensive Qi): Our energetic immune system, protecting us from external pathogens.

• The Skin: Opening and closing pores, regulating temperature and elimination.

• Grief and Letting Go: The emotional landscape of release, sadness, and acceptance.

  
  

When lung energy flows smoothly, we breathe deeply, maintain healthy boundaries, and process loss with grace. However, when congested or depleted, we may experience shallow breathing, frequent colds, skin issues, or difficulty moving through grief.

Autumn's Metal Element Energy

The Metal element in Five Element theory embodies:

• Contraction and Condensation (versus summer's expansion).

• Refinement and Purification (keeping what's essential, releasing the rest).

• Structure and Boundaries (knowing where we end and others begin).

• Value and Self-Worth (recognizing what truly matters).

  
  

This is why autumn can feel bittersweet—there's beauty in the harvest and the turning inward, yet also the poignancy of release.

Biofield Tuning and the Lung Meridian

Biofield tuning practitioners work with the premise that our bodies are surrounded by an electromagnetic field that holds information about our physical, mental, and emotional patterns. Using tuning forks in this field, practitioners report feeling areas of resistance, congestion, or depletion that may correlate with life experiences and health patterns.

Working with Lung Meridian Energy

When addressing the lung meridian through biofield tuning, practitioners often:

1. Explore the Lung Meridian Pathway

The lung meridian runs from the chest, down the inside of the arm to the thumb. Practitioners may detect energetic patterns along this pathway that reflect:

• Held grief or unprocessed loss.

• Difficulty with boundaries or saying "no."

• Patterns of shallow breathing or chest tightness.

• Themes around self-worth and receiving.

  
  

2. Address the Emotional Component

Since the lungs hold grief, biofield work during autumn often surfaces emotions ready to be released. The tuning fork's coherent frequency may help the nervous system feel safe enough to process and release stuck emotional energy.

3. Support Rhythmic Flow

Practitioners often describe their work as helping restore rhythmic, coherent patterns in the biofield. For the lungs—organs of rhythm and exchange—this can support the natural in-breath and out-breath, both physically and metaphorically.

Supporting Your Lung Energy This Autumn

Whether or not you work with a biofield tuning practitioner, here are ways to support lung energy during the seasonal transition:

Breathwork Practices

Practice conscious breathing for 5-10 minutes daily. Try alternate nostril breathing or simply focus on deepening your exhale, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.

Movement Along the Lung Meridian

Gentle arm stretches that open the chest and extend along the inner arm can help move stagnant energy. Qi Gong and Yin Yoga offer specific postures for the Metal element.

Honor Grief

Autumn is a natural time for processing loss. Create space to acknowledge what you're releasing—relationships, identities, expectations—without rushing to "fix" sadness.

Protect Your Boundaries

As you become more porous to the season's energy, notice where you need stronger boundaries. Practice saying no to what depletes you.

Nourish with Warming Foods

TCM recommends white and pungent foods for the lungs: ginger, garlic, onions, daikon radish, pears (cooked), and warming soups.

Sound Healing

Even without formal biofield tuning, working with sound can support the lungs. Try humming, which creates vibration in the chest, or toning the sound "sssss" (the healing sound for lungs in TCM).

The Gift of Autumn

Autumn asks us: What are you ready to release? What remains when the excess falls away? Working with lung energy—whether through TCM practices, biofield tuning, or simply conscious attention—can help us move through this transition with grace. As trees demonstrate their wisdom by letting go of leaves, we too can practice the art of release, trusting that what's essential will remain and nourish us through the winter ahead.

Many clients report that biofield tuning helps them:

• Access and process grief or sadness that feels "stuck" in the chest.

• Establish clearer energetic boundaries.

• Experience deeper, more relaxed breathing patterns.

• Move through seasonal transitions with greater ease.

• Release old patterns that no longer serve them.

  
  

The coherent frequency of the tuning forks can help your nervous system find its way back to balance, supporting both the physical lungs and the emotional landscape they govern. This work is particularly powerful during autumn, when the body-mind-spirit naturally wants to align with the energy of letting go.

Ready to support your lung energy this autumn? I'd be honored to guide you through this seasonal transition with a biofield tuning session. To book an appointment:

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While biofield tuning and TCM offer frameworks for understanding energy and health, they should complement, not replace, conventional medical care. Always consult healthcare providers for medical concerns.