The element metal

In autumn we see how everything "retreats". All the colorful plant life that delighted us so much in the summer begins to wither and die. This is what it looks like to us when we see a bare tree in front of us in the fall. But the fact that the sap has only retreated into the interior and the tree is shedding unnecessary ballast, i.e. the leaves, only becomes apparent to us at second glance.

The people of the early times had even more and more intensive contact with nature. They were also, of course, not like us, so much confronted with all kinds of distractions. They had no radio, no television and no internet. Thus, they were much more open and receptive to the processes in nature. They recognized natural connections intuitively and knew how to apply them to their lives.

It was clear to them that nature can be a kind of teacher, which graciously and persistently, year after year, presents the same lessons. To recognize and master these lessons was then the task of man, who wanted and had to live in harmony with himself and nature. For the cycle of the seasons has a great influence on our lives, whether we want to admit it or not.

We are in the last contributions from the Spring about the Summer, until the Late summer arrived. This article is about autumn and thus the metal element. Seasonally, we are entering the so-called yin time, the time when nature draws inward and everything outside becomes still. Yin stands for the inner, the feminine and the nurturing principle.

Yang is the external, the masculine and the active principle. The seasons of spring and summer represent the yang among the seasons. Everything is active, grows and thrives in these months.

The earth element, that is, late summer, is exactly between the yang and the yin. It is a kind of transitional period, which in Chinese is called Dosho time. Such transitional periods are always characterized by a fundamental instability. The old is saying goodbye, the new is not yet here. There can easily be an imbalance. That is why the Element earth considered a very important element in TCM. It is also called the "center" for this reason. Some schools of TCM also take the earth out of the 5 element cycle and insert it in the center of the circle, like the hub of a wheel. This is to show its outstanding importance.

Autumn is the beginning of the yin time and is therefore called "little yin". Winter is the most silent season. Everything has drawn inward, so it is called the "great yin".

Saying goodbye and letting go

On the basis of the seasons, you can always get a very nice feel for the individual elements. The late summer is now over and it becomes autumn. Everything seems to dry out and die. Leaves and flowers wither and fall off. Nature retreats into itself. It says goodbye, only to be reborn in spring. A new cycle in the round of the seasons begins.

We humans also feel this energy quality and often feel melancholic, depressed or sad during this time. And often for no good reason. We lack warming sunlight and the autumnal fog also often makes our thoughts dull and heavy. The more moisture we have in our bodies, the worse it gets.

I have already talked about this at the Earth element and spoken in other places. Moisture is caused by food that cannot be optimally digested by the spleen and stomach and then forms a kind of "slag" in the body. Even though slag cannot really be scientifically proven, everyone can still imagine something under the term. In the body, a feeling of heaviness arises, which can affect physically but also mentally.

If moisture has accumulated in the body over the summer months, you will feel it in the fall. One feels heavy and listless. Thoughts are also dull and heavy. Life suddenly feels dreary and gray after the beautiful late summer. A feeling of hopelessness may well set in. Emotions that we didn't want to embrace throughout the year can now come to consciousness.

Because the more we get into yin time and the energy draws inward, the more we also get in touch with our innermost being. And in most cases, that's not what we want. We don't want to have to feel certain feelings. But nature practically forces us to. Unless we distract ourselves thoroughly enough, via lots of activities in our free time or at work.

However, we then often pay a price for it. We exhaust our energy reserves to excess. Because basically our energy system also wants to recharge and regenerate itself during this time, just as nature does. Due to our free will, we naturally have the possibility to resist this natural impulse. We are used to always performing at the same level throughout the year. But many people simply don't always feel the same level of performance within themselves, again something you may know from personal experience. Sometimes you simply lack the drive, without being able to explain it.

If you do not react and adapt to these different energy levels over a longer period of time, you will exhaust yourself and in the worst case burn out. Burnout is the typical disease when we have completely disregarded our own rhythm and constantly work according to a rhythm given from the outside. And this in many cases until complete exhaustion.

The air then goes out slowly, or sometimes very quickly. The air and thus the respiratory system are assigned to the metal element. The lungs are responsible for our respiratory system and the absorption of oxygen into the body. At the same time, it releases carbon dioxide, as a waste material when we exhale. It is called the yin organ of the metal element.

The corresponding yang organ of the metal element is the colon. I always explain this with a simple picture. The lung forms the body entrance with the nose, the large intestine forms the body exit. Through the lungs we take in new things and through the large intestine we release old things. Thus it is easy to understand how and why lungs and large intestine are connected and form a functional circle (element).

If we now look at this pair of organs, we can also already deduce a bit from it what can bring the element metal out of balance. In short, everything that harms the lungs and the colon is bad for the element of autumn.

For example, breathing that is basically too superficial, as is often the case in our society, is bad for the metal. Dry air in living spaces due to intensive heating in the cold season is hard on the lungs. The mucous membranes dry out and become more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. The lungs like fresh and clear air, such as that found in a forest or by the sea. If you spend a lot of time indoors, you weaken the metal element.

The large intestine basically loves well-digested food. Its task is to extract the last liquids from the unusable food mush. They can then be excreted through bowel movements. However, if we eat too quickly, or eat under stress, and the food pulp is not optimally predigested, it arrives "half-digested" in the large intestine. This leads to fermentation processes with flatulence and negative effects on overall health.

The colon is also very important for the immune system. About 70% of all immune cells cavort in the intestine, and about 80% of all defense reactions also happen there. The large intestine contains large amounts of lymphocytes. These are cells that protect the body from viruses and bacteria.

Therefore, it can be said that everything that supports the colon, strengthens the immune system. This is very important especially in autumn and times of Corona.

Properties and qualities of the metal element

- Color: white
- Taste: spicy
- Climate: drought
- Season: Autumn
- Emotion: Grief, Sadness
- Sensory organ: nose
- Physical: Skin

For example, from this short list, a therapist or physician trained in TCM might deduce the following. An unnatural white coloration of the face may indicate a Lung Qi deficiency. If someone loves the pungent taste, it is possible that this is how they keep unconsciously balancing their metal element. The pungent taste, enjoyed in moderation, can be beneficial. If it is used too much, it can harm the metal element and its organs. If someone always gets bronchitis in the fall, there may be a weakness in the lungs. Then you should make sure that the humidity in the heated rooms is high enough. So set up a humidifier, or put wet cloths on the radiators.

Unprocessed grief, which lasts for years, can also weaken the lung energy and in extreme cases lead to breathing problems such as asthma. If the lung energy is weakened, it can affect the breathing, the intestines or the skin! Skin problems are often caused by an imbalance of the metal element. If one strengthens lung and colon energy, the skin improves.

At this point, I simply wanted to clarify what one can derive from such element assignments. This is how a doctor trained in TCM thinks. In addition, he uses the pulse to confirm his diagnosis, which he feels and interprets. He also looks at the tongue to see if there really is a weakness in the lungs, to stay with the previous example. The lung shows itself to him in the front third of the tongue, that is, near the tip of the tongue. If it is sunken, there is a deficiency of qi. If it is swollen, it is an indication of Dampness or Phlegm in the Lungs.

The large intestine, on the other hand, shows up at the root of the tongue, i.e. at the very back. If a yellowish mucus can be seen here, it indicates heat in the intestine. Heat means that the colon has an energetic problem and the intestinal flora is not in balance. Take a look at your tongue in the mirror!

Symptoms with
An imbalance of the metal element

• Respiratory diseases: acute and chronic sinusitis, acute flu-like infections, bronchitis, rhinitis, cough, asthma.
• Diseases of the colon: diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, dysbiosis (miscolonization of the intestine with germs).
• Diseases with dryness symptoms: dry skin, dry mucous membranes, eye dryness, constipation, dry nose and mouth, dry cough.
• Diseases that occur mainly in autumn: Flu diseases, autumn-winter depression, skin problems that occur in autumn.
• Diseases of the skin: eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis.
• Emotional problems: generally depressed mood, pessimism, depressed mood, problems with letting go, collecting instinct, shyness, unprocessed grief.

Back to harmony

Breathing training with Qi Gong

The 2 exercises for the metal element shown in the video are called "Supporting the Sky" and "Opening the Cloud Gates". The former takes care of the lung energy and brings it back into flow. At the same time, it acts on the large intestine and thus has a positive influence on the immune system. This defense-strengthening effect is further enhanced by the gentle activation of the thymus gland behind the sternum. The chest is gently widened by this upward movement. The rotation also causes mobilization of the rib-vertebral joints. This promotes free breathing, because the intercostal muscles are also activated. They are, after all, the auxiliary breathing muscles that support the diaphragm.

The second exercise, "Open the Cloud Gates", also strengthens the lung qi and thus significantly improves breathing. You can very easily imagine during the exercise how the lungs are opened. You can feel it very easily, through the pull of the arms upwards and to the side.

The two exercises deepen your breathing and thus lead to positive reactions in the whole body. Because the breath affects the autonomic nervous system, the immune system, the metabolism, the acid-base balance and your overall energy level.

So regular Qi Gong training is the best care for your body and the best way to stay healthy and vital.

Acupressure

Two other important pillars of TCM are acupressure and acupuncture. Here I show you 2 particularly important acupuncture points for the metal element.

They are both located on the left and right hand, near the wrist. The points can be pressed (acupressed) with the thumb or middle finger for 30 to 60 seconds. To get an even better result, stimulate the points with something pointed, like the AkuPen. This is a therapy pen, which is used by doctors and therapists to hit points very precisely. In addition, the effect is stronger than with pure finger pressure due to the slight pain stimulus that occurs.

LU 09 - Tonifies Qi and Yin of the Lungs

This point is used in TCM to tonify the lung qi. If someone has cold hands and a weak voice, one recognizes the weakness of this Qi and can then strengthen it again with the two points LU 09 and KG 17.

Since the pulse palpation point is also seen as the confluence point of all blood vessels, the LU 09 point has a special effect on all blood vessels and is therefore called the master point of the blood vessels.

Location: On the wrist crease in a depression next to the tendon of the pollicis longus muscle.

Helps with: Cough, respiratory problems, wrist problems, chronic lung problems, immune system strengthening, mucus dissolving, weak circulation.

DI 04 - Master point for pain in the head and face, especially for acne.

This item is prohibited during pregnancy, as it is used to induce or accelerate the birth process.

It is often used as a distant point in the treatment of facial, oral, nasal and eye problems and is one of the most widely used points in TCM.

DI 04 also has a strong relation to the psyche and can therefore be used for calming the mind and anxiety.

Combine DI 04 with another very important item, Ma 36, and you have a brilliant combination to strengthen your defenses.

Location: In the middle of the 2nd metacarpal, on the radial side in a depression.

Helps with: Pain especially in the head, neck pain, stiff neck, headaches, colds, flu-like infection, sore throat, cough, migraine, stuffy nose, dizziness, hay fever, soothing effect in all intestinal complaints, distant point in arm and shoulder pain.

Herbal medicine

Here I would like to introduce you to 4 herbal mixtures from the Dr. Weidinger line, which have proven themselves in practice. The intake is very simple. You can get the mixtures as granules (powder) or as pellets (pressed granules). The mixtures are numbered for a better overview.

W 2 - Acute wind-heat and wind-cold
For an incipient infection of the respiratory tract, optimally suited when the infection has not yet fully broken out. This is a basic recipe in TCM, which is used to treat everything from a cold to bronchitis.

W 3 - Penetrated wind cold
If the respiratory tract infection has already broken out, take this mixture. But even if first appear sore throat or cough, so more lung signs are there, one takes rather the W 3 - mixture.

W 4 - Nose wiper
This is the classic mixture for a stuffy nose, especially if the infection is in the sinuses.

W 5 - Strong friend of breath
The effect of this mixture is comparable to that of a natural antibiotic, but completely without side effects. It is successfully used for acute and chronic sore throat, pharynx and larynx problems.

I wish you much joy in strengthening your metal element. Thereby you create space to breathe. You learn to gratefully accept the new and effortlessly let go of the old. In this way the energy flows through you constantly and renews you with every breath. Autumn can become a wonderful time, which invites you to look inside with confidence and to get to know yourself better.

What you find there may sometimes frighten or confuse you, but always remember that the breath carries you through your emotional ups and downs. It is the support in your life when you connect with it. It gives you physical and mental strength to engage with life with full passion.

Sincerely,
Wolfgang