As we move into Fall, we’re stepping into the season of the Metal Element in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) — and with it, an invitation to practice one of the hardest and most necessary skills we have: letting go.

Metal governs the lungs and large intestine, the organs of taking in and releasing. Every breath is a small rehearsal for this — we draw in what nourishes us, and we release what no longer serves us. When Metal is balanced, that rhythm flows easily: clear breathing, steady digestion, and an emotional life where we can feel a loss fully and then move through it. When Metal is out of balance, we get stuck. Grief lingers instead of moving. Clutter — physical, mental, emotional — piles up instead of clearing out. The body can hold this too, showing up as shallow breathing, sluggish digestion, or skin flare-ups (the skin, after all, is considered a third lung in TCM).

People with strong Metal energy tend to be clear-eyed, orderly, and grounded in their own values — but the growth edge for all of us, Metal-dominant or not, is learning to release with grace rather than gripping tighter as things change.

That’s the thread running through our September and October Energy classes. Each week, we’ll work with a different facet of what it means to let go — of grudges, of grief, of the need to be perfect, of the stories we tell ourselves about who we should be — using Energy Medicine Yoga to support the lung and large intestine meridians and open space for this seasonal release. And by the end of the series, you’ll be living in closer alignment with your authentic self and, dare I say it, your soul. Improving communication with your spiritual self can help you navigate the path ahead, especially when the road signs aren’t completely clear.

Here’s what we’ll explore together:

Week One: Letting Go 1.0. The essence of the metal element is release. This means learning to “let go.” Letting go can be applied to negative emotions, beliefs, or physical clutter that no longer serve a positive purpose in our lives. Can you let go of impatience that you had with a friend, spouse, or co-worker? Can you clean up some clutter in your house? Can you let go of clothes you don’t wear or books that you don’t read? What small shifts can you begin to make that you’ll build on over the next two months as we ride the road through the Autumn season? From a symbolic perspective, the Large Intestine (one of the organs of the metal element) encourages us to let go of emotional and mental clutter, just as it rids the body of physical waste. This process of elimination leaves room for fresh experiences and ideas to take root.

Week Two: Grieve. Feeling our grief can be difficult, and people often try to avoid it. The Lung, often referred to as the “Tender Organ,” is responsible for taking in the pure Qi (energy) from the air we breathe. Just as it inhales the fresh air, the Lung also holds the key to releasing what no longer serves us. It is associated with the release of grief and sadness. By working with the lungs (the yang organ of metal), we can open space for grief to arise, be felt, and acknowledged. We take time to feel what is just under the surface, needing expression and release.

Week Three: Breathe. Practicing deep breathing (known as pranayama) significantly benefits our emotional, mental, and physical health. The breath helps to move emotions through our bodies, releases the attachment to obsessive thinking, and activates our parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest and digest” response). Take a deep breath in and feel the lungs expanding from the bottom up as you breathe through your nose to a count of four. Hold for four counts then exhale slowly through the mouth, releasing air from the entire lung. Hold the exhale for four counts. Repeat. Do this for at least five minutes each day and notice the benefits.

Week Four: Accept imperfection. Self-acceptance and gratitude are paths out of the trap of perfectionism. Accept that you are not perfect; nobody is. Accept that you have done your best. Accept the reality that there is no such thing as perfection. Life’s beauty is found in its imperfections. Wabi-sabi is an old Japanese idea that says cracked or worn things hold the most value because they are alive and used.

Week Five: Let Go 2.0. Now that we have gotten some practice at “letting go,” we will begin to work on the hard-wired pattern of complaining and having regrets. See if you can go through one week without either one. Spending a week without complaints or regrets can begin the process of eliminating them just as you would any other toxic substance. Of course, you will catch yourself engaging in these patterns. When you do, just stop and pause. What else can you say about the situation? How can you shift your relationship to life as it is? How can you forgive yourself for your past?

Week Six: Connect to Wonder. Look around you and use the eyes of a child, of curiosity, of wonder. See what inspiration you can derive from nature: the sky, the trees, the flowers, the birds, the animals. See if you can bring that same investigation into your own body. Your body is the most incredible organism that is constantly working for your greatest good. Can you begin to sense into wonder about your body and the teeming life all around you?

Week Seven: Respect yourself. To show yourself respect, notice how you speak to yourself. Is your self-talk kind and compassionate, or are you often judging yourself for the way you look, what you accomplish, and what you have? How are you spending your time? Are you spending time with people who respect you and who you respect? Are you spending time in activities that enhance your wellbeing or detract from it? Awareness is the first step toward changing behavior that is disrespectful and reprogramming respect.

Week Eight: Live with Integrity (be true to your own values). One of the gifts of the metal element is the ability to develop a strong moral code and a system of values. Do you know what your values are? Are you aware of when you are veering off course? Spend time making a list of the things you feel are important. Notice when your values are leading you toward a life of integrity and when they might have become a little rigid. Compromise is not always easy for us. Remember that the world is not black-and-white. There is always another way of looking at everything.

Week Nine: Honor Your Spirit. Meditation plays a big role in balancing the metal element. These practices can help manage emotions like grief, facilitate a process of letting go, and promote emotional cleansing. In addition, meditation is essential for gaining insight into your connection with that which is greater than yourself. The Insight Timer app offers a range of meditations designed to support you in finding inner peace, less stress, greater compassion, and more.

Join me for one or all of these classes on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. Central Time (or by recording after the class). September and October are dedicated to you finding your path through the autumn months with greater ease, understanding, and connection to your higher self. You can sign up for September here.