Navigating By The Sun, Through The Falling Leaves

"We lose a great deal, I think, when we lose this sense and feeling for the sun. When all has been said, the adventure of the sun is the great natural drama by which we live, and not to have joy in it and awe of it, not to share in it, is to close a dull door on nature's sustaining and poetic spirit." - Henry Beston

Henry Beston, Nietzsche, those composers of the ancient Chinese medical doctrine the Neijing, and countless other great thinkers, writers, and admirers of the natural world describe this undeniable connection between humanity and the Sun and seasons. From the Gregorian calendar to our individual emotional inclinations, our worlds have been shaped by the rotation of Earth around Sun and we're never more aware of this connection than when the seasons change.

Living in harmony with the orbit - the cyclical variations - allows us to understand and transcend our relationship with the Sun. As the days sink into quieter rhythm, gradually cooling and darkening, we too should begin a transition from the transformative and dynamic movement of Summer to refinement and returning to the root - a transition into our internal Autumn.

Aligning yourself with the nature of this season is a valuable practice for the improvement and support of health: Eat vegetables and whole grains to aid in the autumnal cleanse. Consume warm and hearty foods like nuts and roots to ready your belly for Winter. Relax in the late afternoon and evening hours to reinstate a calm and restfulness. Focus internally to cultivate body and mind. Breathe deeply to clear impurities from the blood. Take long walks outside (with a scarf) in nature to absorb the dwindling sunbeams and relish the beauty.

Leaving behind the wild and sublime nature of Summer often carries with it a feeling of loss, a "fall" from that higher plane where life is full and the world seems to be spinning faster than normal. But it's important to let things go gracefully (as the fall of leaves) - keep only the pure - and ground yourself (take root). Autumn is about harnessing the essentials and eliminating the exorbitant. It is a time to offer your body, mind, and soul the very best stores for Winter.

Article by Alicia M. Genna
www.acupuncturegreenpoint.com