The Season of Letting Go
What are you ready to let go of?
Chinese medicine links autumn with the Lungs and Large Intestine, the organs of taking in and releasing. Modern medicine sees the same season through shorter days, less sun, and the start of cold and flu season. Two lenses, one invitation: tend your breath, tend your defenses, and notice what you no longer need to carry.
Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine
Dryness Is the Season’s Signature
Bear Bustillo, DAOM, LAc
As the air turns crisp, many people notice small changes before they notice the season. Classical Chinese medicine calls this autumn dryness. It tends to reach the Lungs first, the organ said to guard the body’s surface. Because the Lungs are paired with the Large Intestine, dryness can show up in a few places at once:
- Dry skin, lips, or nose
- A scratchy throat or a dry cough that lingers
- Sluggish digestion or harder stools
None of these is a reason to worry on its own. Together, they are your body’s way of saying the season has turned. Two small ways to meet it:
Try this · 60 seconds
The long exhale. Breathe in for a count of 4, out for 6 to 8. Five rounds. A longer out-breath nudges your nervous system toward rest. In Chinese medicine, the exhale is the Lung’s way of releasing. If you feel lightheaded, return to your natural breath.
On the stove
Warm pear, a little ginger. Simmer one sliced pear with three thin slices of fresh ginger in two cups of water for 15 minutes. Sip warm. Pear moistens; ginger keeps it from being too cooling.
If dryness lingers, an herbal formula matched to your pattern can help. The change of seasons is also a classic time for an acupuncture tune-up, even when nothing is wrong.
Primary Care
Your Fall Check-In in Three Questions
Sean Motl, MD
Fall is when small health habits either settle in or slip. A few minutes now can make the darker months easier. Take a moment with these:
1 · Fall vaccines
Have you decided on fall vaccines? Respiratory illness in Oregon usually picks up in late fall. The right vaccines depend on your age and health history, so ask us which make sense for you.
2 · Vitamin D
Do you know your vitamin D level? From about October to March, the sun over Eugene sits too low for your skin to make much vitamin D. A simple blood test tells you whether to supplement, and how much.
3 · Annual visit
When was your last annual visit? A yearly check-in finds small things while they are still small, and gives you time to ask the questions that never fit into a sick visit.
If any answer was “not sure,” that’s a good reason to come in.
One question to carry this month
If your body could leave you a note this season, what would it ask for?
Around the clinic
Have You Met Lulu?
Say hello to Luna Louise, “Lulu” for short, our therapy dog in training. She's just beginning her journey and spends time in the office getting comfortable with the clinic as her training progresses. You may see her around, and she's always happy to say hello while practicing her manners. For patients' comfort and clinical needs, Lulu stays out of treatment rooms and remains in designated areas of the clinic.
Until we see you again, take care of your human.
With kindness,
Bear, Sean & Lulu
No rush. We're here when you're ready.
(541) 600-4326 · 401 E 10th Ave, Ste 260, Eugene
This post is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your clinician about what's right for you.
