Greetings, Reader!
To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it
go,
to let it go.
~ Mary Oliver
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As the trees return their leaves to the earth, I am once again reminded that everything is temporary.
I believe this deep in my heart, but it is easy to forget when change rolls through, and I find myself holding on to the illusion of permanence.
Each autumn, it seems so easy for the trees to let their blossoms die. They give no indication of grasping, resisting, or chasing the leaves as they fall.
I wonder:
Do they mourn the loss of their adornments, like humans do when we grieve the loss of our youthful beauty as we age, or the changes in our bodies when we are injured?
Do they fear their barrenness will be permanent, like humans do when pain sets in and we are overtaken with the fear that our suffering will never end?
Or do they trust the rhythm of nature, believing all the way down into their pith that what they need in order to bloom again is the deep rest of winter?
The metal element governs the autumn season in Chinese medicine. Metal is often represented by a sword that cuts right to the heart of the matter. I also like to think of the metal element like a gemstone because when we pare back what isn't essential, we reveal what is precious.
The reason trees let their leaves die each autumn is to concentrate their energy at their roots. They prioritize what is essential so they can survive the harsh winter. Blooming all year would simply be too depleting. It is for humans, too, but it is all too easy, and too common, for humans to exempt ourselves from the seasonal cycles, pushing ourselves to keep blooming when the rest of nature is preparing to fast.
If instead you followed their lead, Reader, what would you choose to release, and what would you choose to preserve?
Autumn is the season of letting go, and although every ending is also a beginning, there is an undercurrent of grief that flows with any loss.
Grief lives in the lungs, which allow us to hold onto life until we take our final breath. The lungs and large intestine, which help us practice letting go of what is not needed on a daily basis, are the organs associated with the metal element, and with the autumn season.
The word qi means energy, and gong means skillful work. Qigong is first and foremost a practice of skillfully working with energy. II feels like a moving meditation that helps you attune to yourself and to your true nature. The movements are gentle, simple, accessible, and easy to learn, but they have a profound impact on how you feel because they move energy with clear intention.
I teach seasonally-aligned practices, so in the fall, we work with the metal element to distill what matters most, and with the lungs and large intestine to help us explore the themes of letting go, grief, inspiration, and courage.
While you can drop-in to any class, the real magic is committing to these practices for the whole season within the supportive container of a sangha, and witnessing the transformation within yourself that happens when you skillfully work with the energy of the season.
The Autumn Series Details:
We begin on October 24th, and end on the Winter Solstice.
This series includes:
- Weekly classes on Saturday and Monday mornings
- Monthly breathwork and yin practices on Thursday evenings
- A Winter Solstice Ritual
- A community Grief Circle
- 1:1 CranioSacral Therapy or Somatic practice
All classes are offered online. The grief circle and 1:1 practice can be held in person in Shelburne, VT or online.
The Benefits:
- Deeper respiration
- Enhanced circulation
- Decreased stagnation
- Stronger immunity and less pain
- Clarity and self-acceptance
- Inner strength and courage
- Release of emotional congestion and mental clutter
- Inspiration and appreciation of life
- Harmonized qi (energy)
- A process for working with grief and letting go
Would you like to join us?
➡️ Click Here to Enroll in the Autumn Qigong Series!
In love and solidarity,
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Rachel
Doctor of Physical Therapy & Integrative Pain Specialist
Radically transform the way your nervous system relates to the world so you can stop being ruled by pain and trauma, break out of burnout and survival mode, and live the life you were meant to live.
Click here to book a free consultation with me.
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