'Tis the Season for Good Boundaries!
Autumn is associated with the "Metal" element in Daoism and Chinese Medicine.
The meridians associated with this element have a lot to do with boundaries! The Lungs represent the meeting place between what is "outside" vs what is "inside", and so especially does it's associated organ, the skin. The Large Intestine, obviously relates with letting go of that which has no more nourishment for us.
How convenient is it, then, that the end of Autumn should come with a big family dinner (in America at least), where many of us will be required to practice good boundaries!?!
The metaphorical element of Metal bears a potent poetry here, because you want your boundaries to be well tempered. If they're too rigid, they can become brittle and break. If they're too soft, they won't do their job properly. Just like the Lungs are able to allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse across a permeable membrane, we want to have enough of a membrane to protect and contain ourselves, but also to be permeable enough to take in vitality through our relationships!
Our Qigong practices help with this through invoking the power of the body to speak to the subconscious mind through poetic and archetypal postures. The picture above is one of our Qigong standing meditation practices said to help develop strong boundaries. (included in the online mini-course 'Seasonal Qigong Therapy: Autumn')
We can also, obviously, train new habits in our communication - both with self and others - to help us in establishing these well-tempered boundaries.
