🍂 Breathe Deep, Let Go: Welcoming Autumn with AcuAroma Therapy

September marks the shift into Autumn — the season of the Metal Element. Just as the trees release their leaves, we’re invited to let go of what no longer serves us, making space for clarity, inspiration, and new beginnings.

The other day, I was out walking and noticed the first leaves starting to turn and fall. 🍁 It reminded me how nature has this effortless way of letting go. No clinging, no struggle — just release.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Autumn belongs to the Metal Element, connected to the Lungs and Large Intestine. It’s a season of breath, boundaries, and yes… learning to release what we don’t need — whether that’s clutter, old habits, or even lingering grief.

🍂 Metal & Autumn Energy

The Metal Element is associated with:

• Organs: Lung (Yin) & Large Intestine (Yang)
• Emotion: Grief → Inspiration
• Energy Direction: Inward, contracting, releasing
• Seasonal Lesson: Letting go creates space for fresh air, fresh ideas, and fresh energy.

Think of the lungs as the gateway of breath — bringing in what we need. The large intestine is the great releaser — helping us eliminate waste, toxins, and emotional “clutter.” Together, they teach us the balance between taking in and letting go. 

⚖️ Signs of Metal Imbalance

When the Metal Element is in harmony, we feel inspired, courageous, and connected to meaning. But when it’s out of balance, the signs often show up physically and emotionally:

Physical Signs 

• Chronic cough, allergies, frequent colds
• Skin issues or dryness
• Constipation or sluggish digestion
• Weak immunity or fatigue

Emotional Signs 

• Sadness or unresolved grief
• Feeling “stuck” in the past
• Perfectionism or rigidity
• Difficulty letting go of people, habits, or beliefs

If any of these resonate with you, your Metal Element may need some gentle support this season.

When the Metal Element is balanced, we feel light, clear, and inspired. But when it’s out of balance, we might feel stuck, heavy, or even struggle with coughs, allergies, or sluggish digestion. Sound familiar?

This truth came alive for me in a very personal way. My stepfather lived with compromised lung health for many years. Every evening, my mother would sit with him and gently apply essential oils to the Lung points — conifer oils like Pine and Cypress. It was a simple AcuAroma Therapy ritual, but it made a remarkable difference. He could breathe more easily, and together they found not only physical relief, but also a tender, shared ritual of care. That’s the beauty of this practice — it heals on so many levels: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

And you don’t have to be managing a chronic condition to benefit. These little rituals can help us all move through the season with more ease. 🌿

🌿 Essential Oils for the Metal Element

Essential oils can powerfully shift our breath, mood, and energy. In AcuAroma Therapy, we select oils that align with the Lung and Large Intestine systems:

• Frankincense (Boswelli carterii): Deepens breath, calms the spirit, supports grief release
• Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens): Helps us navigate transitions and accept endings
• Eucalyptu (Eucalyptus radiata): Opens the lungs, clears congestion, boosts immunity
• Lemon (Citrus Limone): Cleansing and purifying, encourages physical and emotional release
• Bergamot (Citrus bergamia): Lifts heaviness, restores joy and hope

Each oil mirrors the season’s theme: clarity, release, and renewal. 

Here’s the good news: you can support your Metal Element with a few simple AcuAroma practices. 🌿

✨ Try this:

🌸 AcuAroma Therapy Protocol for September

Here’s a simple yet powerful self-care practice you can try at home:

1. Lung 1 (Central Palace) + Frankincense @ 50% dilution 
• Location: Lateral Chest, 1 inch below the collar bone, 6 inches away from the midline
• Benefit: Opens chest, resolves fear and allows a letting go, eases grief, deepens breathing. Regulates movement of the lung Qi. Allows you to be in the present moment.

1. Lung 7 (Broken Sequence) + Cypress @ 50% dilution 

• Location: Bilaterally, 1.5 inches from the wrist toward the elbow, in the cleft of the radius bone, between the tendons.
• Benefit: Supports transitions, releases sadness, activates & strengthens immunity

1. Large Intestine 4 (Joining Valley) + Lemon @ 25% dilution 

• Location: On back of hands in webbing between thumb and index finger, press toward bone of the 2nd metacarpal.
• Benefit: Encourages both physical and emotional letting go, resolves insomnia, pain, depression & stress.

1. Stomach 36 (Leg Three Mile) + Bergamot @ 25% dilution 

• Location: 1 hand width below lower border of kneecap, 1 finger width away from the tibia bone.
• Benefit: Boosts immunity, strengthens vitality, regulates digestion, brings clarity, grounds & settles anxiety. Energizes & deeply nourishes.

👉 Apply 1 drop of essential oil (diluted in carrier oil) to each point, hold gently, and breathe deeply as you set an intention to release what no longer serves you.

Check out the protocol images below ⤵️

✨ Takeaway

Autumn is your invitation to breathe deeper, let go gracefully, and embrace the clarity of a new season. By pairing essential oils with acupoints through AcuAroma Therapy, you can align your body, emotions, and spirit with the natural rhythms of the Metal Element.

👉 Ready to work with the Metal Element this Autumn? Join the AcuAroma Learning Circle for monthly guided practices, seasonal protocols, and a supportive community of healers and seekers. Together, we’ll explore how essential oils and acupoints create transformation from the inside out.