Hidden Opportunities Available in Autumn: The Season of Loss 🍂
- Monica Fauble
- Oct 6
- 3 min read

The season of autumn in Chinese Medicine is associated with the Metal element (or, as I now prefer to think of it, the Metal phase–the word phase signifying movement and change rather than a fixed state).
This time of year as the days shorten and cool, we feel the natural squeeze of moving from the expansion of yang (hot outward active energy) towards the contraction and centering qualities of yin (cool inward and relatively more receptive energy).
The arrival of this yin time of year is a relief for introverts like me. Though I do love a sundress very much, I am also incredibly happy that the energy of nature no longer requires me to run around outside like a loving carefree maniac and actively DO things.
Autumn is a perfectly acceptable time of year to lie down, drink tea, wear ridiculously-wooly socks and just generally laze and dream.
In fact, it’s a bit harder to find “all the time” to do stuff at this time of year, and that’s actually ok if you can begin to accept the natural energetic shifts. This time of year asks us to cull and to receive. Autumn is somewhat like an exhale in that way.
As autumn is a pivot (equinox) season heralding preparation for the eventual full-yin of winter, the energy of autumn is “gathering” or “harvesting.” The energy of nature and the energy in us is moving inward and downward. So too do the trees move sap towards the core of their trunks and the leaves dry and eventually drop as chlorophyll fades.
As the trees let go of their leaves, the structure of the branches is revealed. What was hidden in the bushy canopy of summertime is now stripped bare for ghostly display. And though the blooming is beautiful, so too is the intricate structure revealed beneath the surface as branches bare.
Because autumn is a season of contracting, of moving inward and downward, there’s less opportunity to hide. What may have been smoothed over or acceptable in summertime may be no longer workable as we have less daylight and more cold weather which places a natural restriction on how much we can “accomplish” or complete.
The contraction of daylight demands that we become clear about our priorities and about what’s precious to us. What really matters, and what are we willing to spend our (always limited and now outwardly-apparently limited) time on?
What do we care about and what can we let go of or even discard? What habits are no longer serving you, and how can you support preparing for winter by gathering your energy and beginning to prioritize rest?These are some of the central questions of autumn. As an autumn baby myself, I love helping people identify how they can form new habits, new neural pathways, that enable them to identify and live in alignment with whatever matters most.
As we move through different life stages, different seasons, as our lives (fairly constantly) shift, different priorities emerge. If you’re feeling unsettled in this shift, consider coming in for acupuncture. I love helping people stabilize their nervous system and plug back into themselves.
If you;ve been feeling messy or scattered in this seasonal transition (or perhaps in a life transition as well), I’m here to help. Refer a friend to my website or reach out to schedule a free phone consultation so that we can discuss how I might help you heal.
11 years into my practice I’m pretty clear on who I can help and how I can help them and I will gladly lie all of that out for you via phone. Once you come in for treatment, we will work together to set benchmarks so that you know that I’m meeting your needs.
Seasonal transitions, and especially those of autumn and spring, can be a bit wild. If you haven’t been in for an appointment in awhile, seasonal treatments are a great place to start up your acupuncture practice once again.
Be well,
Monica