A peaceful transition into Autumn

The days are getting shorter, the light becoming more yellow, and the air has a crispness to it. The kids are headed back to school, and an excitement of new beginnings comes up within me unlike any other time of year. For some, it’s New Year’s, but for me, fall is the time of year that I feel compelled to assess what is working in my life, and what isn’t, and then start to make some needed changes.

Taking time to sort out what serves us versus what is no longer needed in our lives is one of the gifts Chinese Medicine sees in this season. Like the leaves falling from the trees, fall asks us to think about what we need to let go of so that we can be the best version of ourselves that we can be. Some questions to consider for this season: Am I doing everything that I possibly can to support myself to fulfill my purpose in life? How am I getting in my own way? Am I eating foods and consuming drinks that truly nourish me? Am I eating consciously or instead choosing to stuff my face or eat when the clock says I should, and not when my body tells me to? Am I exercising, meditating, and practicing other lifestyle choices that best fuel my body, mind, and spirit? What stories am I telling to myself and others about the phenomena that occur in my life? Am I spreading gossip or fueling discontent? How is the energy of my home, car, and office? Are they cluttered and messy, or do I feel at peace when I am in those spaces? Am I yelling at my kids too much? Am I spending time with friends? Am I taking enough time with my spouse to nourish our relationship and marriage? Do I spend quality time alone? Am I hesitating to follow my path because I’m scared or making excuses? Do I need to ask for help? What am I avoiding or not consciously looking at within myself? Just to name a few, because I could keep going on and on.

I am perpetually curious about myself and always looking for ways to improve and be the best person and practitioner I can be. I invite you to do the same; it’s part of the charge of living life boldly and embracing what life and each season has in store for us. Take some of the questions I have above, and add your own if you want, and then journal about what comes up for you in response. If you are getting in your own way, and there is something you need to let go of, what is it? How can you find support in letting go of this?

Acupuncture treatment can help us to more easily determine what is serving us in our life, and what needs to be put aside. It can make clear for us what may be currently murky. How? Acupuncture is a system of medicine that is thousands of years old, and uses needles inserted into specific points of the body to bring balance to body, mind, and spirit. It taps into energy pathways of the body that flow through us like rivers. When life gets in the way, blocks to this energy flow occur, like beavers building dams in rivers. It’s my job as an acupuncturist to bust up those dams so that the energy flows freely. When the energy flows, then it becomes easier for you to make choices that support your health because you feel better physically, have more clarity of mind, and feel more connected to your intuition.

As a licensed doctor of acupuncture, there is nothing I love more than working with patients to help them find their purpose in life. We tend to get mired in our hectic schedules, family and work commitments, and the thought of all the people depending on us, and put our own needs and desires aside. However, the world needs you at your best, and you have special gifts and talents that no one else possesses. So this fall, what of the burdens you’ve been carrying on your shoulders and back are you willing to put down? What are you ready to throw away so its toxicity doesn’t pollute you? Who is on your support team to help guide you and be by your side, as the new you emerges? I know tht I, and the rest of the team at Sagelight Integrative Wellness Center, would love to be there for you if you do need an extra cheerleader or two!