When it comes to health and wellness, we know when mental health suffers, physical health suffers. The interconnectedness demands a lifestyle that tends to both, and healthcare that responds to both when one or the other falters. The steps we take to balance both sides of this equation varies day-to-day as well as with the seasons, with many holistic health practitioners adopting an East meets West approach to care.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each season, emotion, and organ in the body is connected through a system called the Five Elements. Autumn belongs to the Metal element, which corresponds to the Lungs and Large Intestine, and is associated with the emotions of grief, letting go, and the immune and elimination systems. Much like how the trees in fall let go of their leaves to prepare for winter rest and new growth, our bodies and minds go through something similar. We also need to release what no longer serves us — bad habits, unhelpful patterns, old pain or trauma, and unresolved emotions — to allow room for new things.
But what happens when we get stuck? If we hold on to grief, or can’t let go — of loss, disappointment, or personal disillusionment — then the Metal element is imbalanced. When this happens, it can show up physically and mentally as:
• Feeling emotionally numb or heavy
• Difficulty crying or crying all the time
• Shallow breathing
• Tightness in the chest
• Skin issues or constipation
• Waking up between 3–5 a.m. with anxious or sad thoughts
• Perfectionism
So, how can we support ourselves in moving through grief and restoring equilibrium to the elements of our Metal element? For possible solutions, we look deeper into the Five Element system, and explore how acupuncture and Functional Medicine can work, oftentimes together, to restore balance.
FIVE ELEMENT APPROACH
In Five Element Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, someone with a Metal element imbalance — again, related to the Lung and Large Intestine meridians — manifests signs across body, voice, color, pulse, and time of day. Here is how Metal imbalance looks and feels:
• Face — White, pale or dull complexion; skin may appear dry, tight, with visible pores or flakiness
• Voice — Weepy, soft, sighing, or breathy tones, indicative of suppressing sadness or inhibiting full expression of emotions
• Tongue — Pale, dry, cracked in Lung area (just behind the tip), or visible thin white coating
• Pulse — Weak (Qi Deficiency), thin (Yin Deficiency), tight (grief)
• Emotion — Lingering grief, difficulty letting go, perfectionism, rigidity, anxiety and apathy
• Other Physical Signs — Cough with or without congestion, shallow breathing or shortness of breath, constipation or diarrhea with emotional stress, immunity issues triggering frequent colds
• Time Sensitivity — Occurrence of symptoms are most active during these times: waking between 3–5 AM (when Lung Qi is strongest); or irregularity at 5–7 AM (when elimination is most active)
In the Five Element system, each element interacts with the others. If one is out of balance, another can help bring it back into harmony. To help unstick Metal, we turn to its “child” element, Water, and also look at its “controlling” element, Fire. Each of these elements provides their own set of characteristics that complement and support those found within Metal.
Water Element (Kidneys/Fear/Stillness) – Nourish the Roots
Water feeds Metal. When grief feels overwhelming, looking to the advice the Water element offers for deep rest, courage, and acceptance.
• Support your nervous system. Take warm baths, drink herbal teas, nap, and reduce stimulation.
• Be near water. Lakes, rain, oceans — these settings often soothe deep grief.
• Build courage. The courage to feel grief moves it; acknowledge fear and gently face it.
Fire Element (Heart/Joy/Connection) – Melt the Walls
Fire controls Metal. If Metal becomes too rigid, perfectionistic, or emotionally cold, include activities that encourage the Fire element, which brings warmth, connection, and expression.
• Laugh, dance, sing — even briefly. These are sparks of fire that melt heaviness.
• Spend time with people you love. Grief can make us self-isolate; joy reconnects us.
• Let yourself feel joy without guilt —even during times of mourning.
Strengthen the Metal Element Itself – Breathe, Release, Reflect
Invite in and cultivate habits that give you an opportunity to sit with your feelings, and to nurture gratitude.
• Deep breathing. Practice full, slow inhales and long exhales. Grief constricts the breath; breathing expands it.
• Crying. Let tears flow when they come. Crying is one of the healthiest ways to move grief out of the body.
• Ritual of release. Write down what you want to let go of and burn it or bury it. Symbolic actions help the body follow. Practice reciting daily gentle affirmations for letting go, for example, “It’s safe to feel this” or “I don’t have to hold on anymore.”
• Walk in autumn nature. Watch the leaves fall. Let your body feel the natural cycle of release.
BALANCING THE METAL ELEMENT: ACUPUNCTURE & FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
By using the TCM practice of acupuncture, either alone or in combination with modern Functional Medicine for organ function support, holistic health practitioners can provide individualized approaches for restoring the metal element balance. Here’s how.
The Role of Acupuncture: Regulation, Release, Strength, Restoration
Acupuncture points along the Lung and Large Intestine meridians help improve breathing, bowel function, skin clarity, and energy. For example: LU 1 (Zhongfu), clears lung heat, and stops cough; and LI 4 (Hegu), boosts immunity, clears external pathogens, and supports bowel movement.
Since the Lung is linked to grief, acupuncture can help release stagnant emotional energy, using points like Lung 7 and Kidney 6 to open the chest, nourish yin, and allow grief to move through the body. The lungs also govern Wei Qi — our immune defense. So once the stagnant energy is released, strengthen immunity with acupuncture, especially during the autumn months, when we can be more prone to seasonal allergies, asthma, or colds.
Lastly, Metal thrives on order and rhythm. Acupuncture helps reset the nervous system and supports healthy sleep, breathing, digestion, and elimination — restoring natural cycles.
Functional Medicine for Lung and Colon Health (Metal Organs)
Functional Medicine takes a root-cause approach and can complement acupuncture beautifully during Metal season by focusing on ways that support nutrition and digestion, and manage inflammation and stress:
1. Lung Support
• Anti-inflammatory Nutrients: Omega-3s, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) help reduce airway inflammation and support detox.
• Breathing + Mitochondria: Mitochondrial support (e.g. CoQ10, magnesium) improves oxygen use and cellular energy.
• Environmental Detox: Reducing mold, smoke, and airborne toxins eases Lung burden.
• Stress Reduction: Stress tightens the chest and weakens immune defense. Adaptogens (like Rhodiola or Ashwagandha) can support adrenal-lung connection.
2. Colon Support
• Fiber + Hydration: Supports regular elimination to prevent toxin buildup.
• Prebiotics and Probiotics: A healthy microbiome trains immunity and prevents inflammation that can rise up to the lungs (gut-lung axis).
• Digestive Enzymes and Bile Flow: Proper digestion prevents bloating, gas, and constipation — key for healthy Metal flow.
• GI Repair Nutrients: Glutamine, zinc carnosine, and aloe vera help heal leaky gut or inflamed colon tissue.
This fall, pay attention to your own Metal element. Listen to your body, your breath, and look for any of the signs that indicate it may be time to get help. And understand that grief is not something to “fix.” It’s something to move through — with breath, kindness, and time. When we support the Metal element with water’s courage and fire’s warmth — and with TCM practices and Functional Medicine approaches — we slowly find our way back to balance. Like the trees, we begin to let go; and in doing so, we make space for winter’s rest and spring’s renewal.
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If you are interested in exploring acupuncture and/or Functional Medicine to balance or re-balance your mental and physical health, schedule a FREE consultation, or book an appointment with us. Contact our office: 301-881-2898, or email [email protected].