Autumn in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) relates to dryness in the body. Many find their asthma and constipation worse during the autumn months, psoriasis sufferers often find their skin worse at this time of year too. Many plants pollinate in the autumn months, combined with the dry air this can really stir up hay fever.

In TCM the lungs, colon and skin are all grouped together as organs of excretion and are all impugned by dryness. Dryness of the airways fails to trap inhaled particles when we breathe and go straight down to the lungs. Dryness in your stool can cause constipation and can get very distressing. Dryness of your skin undermines it’s integrity and flexibility and doesn’t look very good either.

The heat of summer makes everyone thirsty but from a TCM perspective autumn can dry us out just as much. When the air is too damp in our living spaces mould and mildew can set allergies off too but in the circulating air we breathe some air moisture is desirable.

Air conditioning can dry air out as can smoke, dust and fan heaters. Many asthmatics struggle with arid air but even if you are not asthmatic breathing moisturized air by the sea or near waterfalls is a much more pleasant experience. Dry air tends to be ionized and moist air deionized, static electricity happens in ionized air.

Summer can be a very indulgent time of year because of all the socialising that happens then, exercise can make you over heat then. Winter time can be a very lonely time in a gymnasium, early nightfall and cold weather make only the keenest members  turn up regularly then. Autumn causes the trees to lose unwanted leaves and we can use it to shed unwanted body mass.

The flavour associated with autumn in TCM is pungent, garlic is a great example of an autumn flavoured herb that is good for your airways. In TCM it is believed that your condition for the next season is determined by how you treat yourself in the current season.

Drink water, lose what you don’t need and do plenty of breathing exercises this autumn.