Autumn

Simmers on the kitchen stove.

All afternoon dense kernels
surrender to the fertile
juices, their tender bellies
swelling with delight.

In the yard we plant
rhubarb, cauliflower, and artichokes,
cupping wet earth over tubers,
our labor the germ
of later sustenance and renewal.

Across the field the sound of a baby crying
as we carry in the last carrots,
whorls of butter lettuce,
a basket of red potatoes.

I want to remember us this way—
late September sun streaming through
the window, bread loaves and golden
bunches of grapes on the table,
spoonfuls of hot soup rising
to our lips, filling us
with what endures.

The organ systems that correspond to the autumn are the Lungs and the Large Intestine.  The Lungs connect the inner and outer atmospheres. On a physical level they exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide; deep breathing and good air are essential to vitality and life.  The lungs take in inspiration not only on a physical level, but also on a mental and spiritual level. As they expand we can receive air, and connect to people, emotions, and ideas. As we take in the brightness and colors of the season, we can stand in awe and appreciate the beauty around us; this feeling may be intensified by the knowing that this splendor is fleeting and the leaves will fall and the environment around us will change. The lungs support the rhythmic cycles of the body including breathing, elimination, sleep, the pace of the heart and blood circulation, the condition of skin and pores, and the maintenance of our overall energy.

The Large Intestine has the function of eliminating what is unnecessary or toxic to our bodies on all levels. We can choose what nourishes us from all the input around us (not just food, but thoughts, television programs, people we spend time with), extract what we need from all of this, and eliminate what we don’t need. Just as the trees don’t hold onto their leaves through the winter, we need to let go of what is no longer necessary; then we have made space for the new to come in the spring.

As nature moves into a time of rest, we can learn from her to do the same.The period of peak activity, summer, is past. It is time to bring our energy in, to contain it until spring.

• Go to bed an hour earlier. The body needs more rest in the cooler temperatures to help it conserve heat and stave off cool weather illnesses. (Nature gives us a large hint by decreasing the hours of daylight.)
• As the weather cools, wear a hat, a scarf, a turtleneck sweater, warm socks. The lungs can be damaged by cold and damp so it is important to keep the head, neck, chest, and feet covered and warm during the cool and cold weather.
• Go through your closet, desk, garage, junk drawer, basement, medicine cabinet (pick one or more), and get rid of what you no longer need. Throw out what is no longer good, and donate or pass on the rest.
• Take time each day to breathe in and out slowly and deeply.
• Select a deciduous tree that you can see from your window. Observe it daily from September through November, noting the minute and large changes.
• Drink chai or mulled apple cider.
• Balance aerobic exercise with stretching and breathing (think yoga, tai chi, and qi gong).
• Meditate. Start with 5 minutes a day, and gradually expand the time. Notice the changes in your life once you start.
• Practice acknowledgment.
• If you tend toward perfectionism, make a deliberate mistake and notice that the world does not end.
• Each night write a few sentences describing something wonderful you saw or noticed that day.
• Prune your activities. What are you doing that no longer nourishes you? Create an empty space into which, in time, something new can grow.

Here are a couple of recipes to get you started with your fall cooking. First one with beets, a vegetable that my husband says “tastes like dirt;” and he likes this soup.

Recipes

Russian Cabbage Borscht
from allrecipes.com

1. 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced potatoes
2. 1 cup thinly sliced beets
3. 4 cups stock or water
4. 2 Tablespoons butter
5. 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
6. 1 tsp. caraway seed
7. 2 tsp. sea salt
8. 1 celery stalk, chopped
9. 1 large carrot, sliced
10. 3 cups coarsely chopped red cabbage
11. black pepper to taste
12. 1 tsp. dried dill weed
13. 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
14. 1 Tablespoon honey
15. 1 cup tomato puree
16. sour cream

1. olive oil
2. 3 cups slivered onions
3. 6 large cloves garlic, minced
4. 1 Tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
5. 1 teaspoon sea salt
6. 1 teaspoon tumeric
7. 1 teaspoon ground coriander
8. 1 teaspoon ground fennel
9. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
11. freshly ground black pepper to taste
12. 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
13. 1 cup water
14. 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
15. 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
16. 1 large eggplant
17. 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
18. 1/3 cup slivered, blanched almonds
19. cooked rice