5 Hacks to Beat the Fall Blues!

Ever feel blue when the fall season arrives?  If yes, you are not alone!  For many of us, the blues can set in with the changing of the seasons, particularly changing from the longer, warmer days of summer to shorter Fall and Winter days with less sunlight and colder temperatures. 

Making sure that you are taking extra care of your Heart and Lungs during the fall and winter months may help you to better manage the darker, colder months.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), “Heart Health” is not just about physical fitness, it is about deep contentment with one’s life and destiny.  Happiness and love are often associated with the Heart, representing a state of peacefulness.

In TMC, the Lungs help maintain healthy immune defenses and circulation of Qie and fluids throughout the body.  Lungs are responsible for helping you “let go” of whatever you don’t need, from life experiences to emotions, such as grief and sadness, to actual metabolic by-products. Autumn is the season associated with the Lung.  If you tend to catch colds or have allergies in the Fall, it is important to take care of these organs!

As someone who feels “seasonally affected” during the Fall and Winter months, I add a few simple things to my self-care routine to make sure that I am taking extra care of my Heart and my Lungs.  Some things that may also help you include adding additional warmth and light to your life, adding foods and exercise to provide additional support, and consider adding some herbal support. 

Hack #1: Yoga Poses to Open Heart and Lungs

Adding some simple Yoga poses can open your heart and lungs, which may help you maintain a positive frame of mind, and ward off potential illness.  Some Yoga poses that focus in these areas are:

• Cobra (Bhujangasana) — Intended to broaden the chest area through breath, cobra is a great asana for opening the heart.
• Cow Face (Gomukhasana) — Like cobra, cow face pose strengthens the spine and stretches the arms, shoulders, and hips opening the chest and heart.
• Cat (Marjaryasana) — Cat pose is a great way to release back tension so that your heart and chest can open.
• Upward-facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) — As it strengthens the spine, upward-facing dog also stretches the lungs and chest.

Hack #2: Eating Foods to Support Lungs and Heart

You can add more “warmth” to your life by adding warmer and “pungent” foods to your diet to support the heart and lungs.  Some warmer and pungent foods include:

Hack #3: Adding Light

Adding more light into your life helps to elevate mood, fatigue and improve your sleep. You can add light by spending at least 20 minutes outside in the sunlight.  According to the Mayo Clinic, there is also substantial clinical evidence that Blue Light Therapy helps with the impact of seasonal change. 

To be effective:

• Sit in front of your light within the first hour of waking up in the morning
• Sit for about 20 to 30 minutes
• At a distance of about 16 to 24 inches from the face
• With eyes open, but not looking directly at the light
• The light box should provide an exposure to 10,000 lux of light

Hack #4 Crystal Energy

I also recommend having some healing and energy-producing gemstones.  At a minimum, they are beautiful and so they bring pleasure.  And they are derived from the earth,  so they’re energy-producing!  Some gemstones that are particularly positive for the Heart and Lungs are:

• Rose quartz—Pink.  Used to open and heal. The seemingly universal rose quartz meaning calls it the stone of the heart. It’s good for aiding sleep and alleviating the physical ills associated with heart. It also calms emotions, dispels negativity, and promotes peace.
• Jade--Green to white.  Used to balance. Jade promotes emotional and physical healing of the heart’s ills.
• Green calcite.  Used to balance and stimulate. Recommended to absorb negativity and boost your physical immunity, calcite is used to promote healing and transformation.
• Angel Aura—Usually Quartz crystal treated with precious metals such as Platinum and Silver, creating an iridescent pastel color sheen. It is also known as Opal Aura. Holding this crystal will raise vibration and energy levels instantly. Angel Aura helps lift dark moods and brings hope.

Hack #5: Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements can help to elevate your mood and reduce stress.  Individual herbs like Rhodiola Rosea and Schisandra Fruit have been clinically proven to have anti-depressant activity.  Traditionally Licorice Root has been used to nourish the Heart.  IN:PEACE, an herbal stress formula drink mix, contains all of these herbs, along with 6 other carefully chosen herbs that, together, provide an herbal tonic that comprehensively addresses many of the symptoms that we may experience with seasonal change.  IN:PEACE helps with depression, digestion, low energy, sleep disruption, and it nourishes the Heart. 

Hopefully, these hacks will help you to “weather” seasonal change and the Winter months!  Take this time to enjoy cozy evenings at home with family and friends, get caught up on reading, watch movies--do things that warm and nourish your heart and things that take care of you!

Be Well!

Simone

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