persimmons are harvested and hung outside in the crisp fall air to dry
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Changing Seasons in Ancient Japan

What does a change of seasons look like in another environment, in another country? Are you curious? Depending on where you live, you may see things that remind you of home, similar but different. Getting a glimpse of another climate can be stimulating, relaxing and mind-opening all at once!  Any one of those reasons can…

Tea towels make easy-to-pack souvenirs when traveling.
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More on Letting Go: The Kitchen Towel Edition

The deciduous  trees are eloquent Fall teachers, showing us how to gracefully lose their leaves when the time is right. They do not hold on to their dried leaves in case they need them next season. Yep, I’m still sitting with the Metal/Fall concept of “letting go” and watching as it bubbles up through my…

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Clary Sage and Pine are Ideal Essential Oils for Fall

One of my favorite ways to stay in tune with the Fall is using essential oils that resonate with it, according to acupuncture and herbal  theory. Clary Sage and Pine are considered Fall oils, and have a powerful effect on the Lung organ and Lung system, which are also associated with Fall. In acupuncture theory,…

The Spirit of Metal: Inspiration, Grief and Letting Go in Fall
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The Spirit of Metal: Inspiration, Grief and Letting Go in Fall

The body, mind and spirit aspects of Metal, which associates with the Fall season, are interrelated. And yet we can still look at these organs and systems through individual prisms to appreciate them in greater detail and nuance. So, just as we breathe air in through the Lungs, our Spirit is animated by “the breath of…

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Now: Lungs, Large Intestines, and Skin & the Metal Element in Fall

This the second article in a short seasonal series, which focuses on the body.  The previous article introduced the concept of Five Element acupuncture theory and the seasonal associations of Fall. In the body we turn our attention to the Lungs, Large Intestines, and our skin. It might seem odd that those organs would be…