Autumn this year continues with the high temperatures typical of the summer of San Miguel and offers the opportunity to continue enjoying nature and the outdoors, although it is advisable to strengthen before the imminent drop in temperatures.
- Warm weather persists this weekend
- What is “late summer” according to Chinese medicine
- How to take care of yourself in the Veranillo de San Miguel
- Time for internalization (and deepening relationships)
- Enjoy nature
- Adapting the diet
- Anti-flu allies
- Autumn cures
- Good habits in autumn
- Beneficial plants during the summer of San Miguel
Summer is over and we go through the season that takes us to winter. However, in Mediterranean countries autumn goes through different phases. After an initial drop in temperatures and some rains there is usually a resurgence of meteorological benevolence. It is what is known as “summer of San Miguel” (September 29). Although this year is lengthening abnormally due to climate change.
WARM WEATHER PERSISTS THIS WEEKEND
Autumn is being unusually warm in Spain and the trend seems to be that summer is getting longer and longer. At the end of October, a new episode of unusual heat is expected, the third of this autumn, and the minimum and maximum temperature will be up to 10 degrees higher than would be expected for this time. This unusual heat will affect all of Western Europe and can be maintained even until the first days of November.
WHAT IS “LATE SUMMER” ACCORDING TO CHINESE MEDICINE
In China it is considered a season in itself, the “late summer”, in which, according to traditional medicine, special care must be taken of the stomach, spleen and pancreas. To strengthen them, and improve digestion and defenses, it is advisable to eat raw foods and keep moving.
From the emotional point of view, the “summer” is a first bridge between an active, stimulating season, yang, summer, and another receptive, yin, winter. It is therefore a time of passage in which you have to strive to focus and rediscover yourself.
To maintain and increase well-being, it is advisable to take measures that reinforce the balance of yin and yang energies in the body. Acupuncture, medicinal plants and food are suitable means to achieve this balance.
In the next season, “authentic autumn”, the sensitive organs are the lungs and large intestine. To tone them you can increase the intake of oatmeal (in flakes, soup or as an ingredient in muesli) and onion.
It is also advisable to occasionally take dishes with carrots, sweet potatoes and ginger infusions (two slices of fresh root per cup) with a little honey and lemon. Autumn asks us to take care of ourselves and we can do it with pleasure, enjoying how much this time of year offers us in every way.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF IN THE VERANILLO DE SAN MIGUEL
As we tend to think about the future, it seems that autumn is colder than hot, more hostile than welcoming, but the truth is that in our latitudes you can still enjoy the warmth and sunlight well into the season.
It is true that in autumn the leaves fall, but they do it dyed with spectacular colors and between rays of sun and gusts of wine that move them capriciously.
It seems that nostalgia should invade us, but this feeling can be transformed into a pleasant serenity, which is born of the reunion with deeper areas of our being.
The very fall of the leaves, which has mistakenly become a symbol of decadence, does not mean anything bad for the trees. On the contrary, they first change color because the tree absorbs its nutrients and then fall because they are not needed. Thus, the tree adapts to the new weather conditions and concentrates its energies to overcome the winter.
We can do something similar. Taking into account the ambivalent nature of autumn we can design a multi-point plan that helps to remain in harmony with the environment and favors the maintenance of health in the following months of winter rigor.
TIME FOR INTERNALIZATION (AND DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS)
Autumn is the season that asks us to look for moments to be alone and pay attention to the messages of intuition.
Autumn is appropriate for solitary activities that favor intimate and internalization experiences. It is time to concentrate on one’s own interests, to transform summer vitality into autumnal creativity.
It is the appropriate time to start an apprenticeship course or begin any artistic or intellectual work. The projects must be attached to their own needs and possibilities, that is, they must be very personal and not a mere evasion.
Of course, loneliness is productive when it is sought or assumed, otherwise, it can be a cause of sadness.
The end of the holidays, the expectation of months of work ahead, the reduction of daylight hours… All can promote what has been called seasonal depression.
It is very helpful to organize life through well-established habits that include getting up early and enjoying live the first moments of light, meals in their hours, meetings with friends, rest time and enough hours of sleep.
A surmountable dose of nostalgia or sadness can contribute to psychic balance since all feelings must be experienced, but in general it is advisable to look for antidotes such as the company of people who provide “good vibrations” and who know how to listen and support.
Autumn is a good time to delve into family, friendship and love relationships. Before it is necessary to reflect on our own needs and those of the people who are close to us.
ENJOY NATURE
In summer, physical activity brings intense sensations. When the lungs, heart, and muscles are functioning at full capacity, the body is the center of the experience.
Instead, autumn calls for the necessary dose of outdoor exercise to allow you to enjoy the surroundings. Is there anything more magical than, for example, walking through a beech forest, when the leaves offer a spectacular range of colors and the forest exhales a contagious peace?
Walks or jogging in the countryside keep the cardiovascular system in good condition, but they can stop when you discover a unique plant, a group of mushrooms, edible berries or a rock of curious shape.
It is not about carrying a bag and dedicating yourself only to collecting, but about stopping to contemplate and breathe in silence. If you are always accompanied by a camera or, why not, a small notebook and a pencil, you can also perform a creative exercise and capture what you feel.
However, it is important to oxygenate the lungs. Instead of doing an aerobic activity, you can practice exercises such as those described in pranayama (breathing yoga), chikung or different relaxation techniques.
In general, an ideal breathing exercise is slow, regular and consists of a long exhalation (twice the inspiration).
ADAPTING THE DIET
Food must be adapted to the needs of the new season.
In general, it is indicated to consume less cold and raw foods than in summer and more products that provide a little more protein and that need slow cooking, either in the pressure cooker, steamed or in stews.
The objective is to concentrate the nutrients that favor the proper functioning of the immune system, which must protect us against flu viruses and colds.
ENJOY NATURE
In summer, physical activity brings intense sensations. When the lungs, heart, and muscles are functioning at full capacity, the body is the center of the experience.
Instead, autumn calls for the necessary dose of outdoor exercise to allow you to enjoy the surroundings. Is there anything more magical than, for example, walking through a beech forest, when the leaves offer a spectacular range of colors and the forest exhales a contagious peace?
Walks or jogging in the countryside keep the cardiovascular system in good condition, but they can stop when you discover a unique plant, a group of mushrooms, edible berries or a rock of curious shape.
It is not about carrying a bag and dedicating yourself only to collecting, but about stopping to contemplate and breathe in silence. If you are always accompanied by a camera or, why not, a small notebook and a pencil, you can also perform a creative exercise and capture what you feel.
However, it is important to oxygenate the lungs. Instead of doing an aerobic activity, you can practice exercises such as those described in pranayama (breathing yoga), chikung or different relaxation techniques.
In general, an ideal breathing exercise is slow, regular and consists of a long exhalation (twice the inspiration).
ADAPTING THE DIET
Food must be adapted to the needs of the new season.
In general, it is indicated to consume less cold and raw foods than in summer and more products that provide a little more protein and that need slow cooking, either in the pressure cooker, steamed or in stews.
The objective is to concentrate the nutrients that favor the proper functioning of the immune system, which must protect us against flu viruses and colds.
GOOD HABITS IN AUTUMN
In autumn the body is adapting to the drop in temperatures and is more vulnerable than in the middle of winter.
It is advisable to wrap up a little to avoid the effects of temperature changes on the body, especially when exposed to cold winds from the north.
In many places the dryness of the air is a problem, because in the dry mucous membrane’s viruses proliferate easily.
In indoor spaces you have to make sure that the humidity is always above 40% and if not, it will be necessary to put remedies: plants, humidifiers or glasses with water on the radiators, mainly responsible for this “drought”.
Dryness also harms the skin, which will benefit greatly from abundant fluid intake and care with natural moisturizers.
September, coinciding with the beginning of the course, is the time of year chosen by many to introduce new habits and especially those that have to do with physical condition. That is why the number of registrations in gyms is multiplied, where a rationalized physical practice is developed, which gets along very well with the spirit of autumn, when it is natural to try to regain control in many aspects of life.
If we decide to sign up, it is not advisable to perform exercises that force the muscles without then stretching, such as those of yoga or those described in classic books. as Stretching, by Bob Anderson (Ed. RBA-Integral).
Forward inclinations to the tips of the feet, backward bowings and jumps with leg openings are useful.
Disciplines that improve body self-awareness and with-it coordination and posture, such as taichi, chikung, eutony, RPG or anti-gymnastics, are also recommended.
BENEFICIAL PLANTS DURING THE SUMMER OF SAN MIGUEL
Essential oils of thyme, sage, calendula and eucalyptus, dispersed in the air of bedrooms and other indoor spaces, reduce the chances of contracting viruses by attacking them directly and stimulating the immune system response.
Echinacea taken regularly decreases the risk of getting upper respiratory conditions and reduces the intensity of symptoms if taken as soon as they appear.
BOOKS ON SEASONAL HEALTH
- Total health in 8 weeks; Andrew Weil. Ed. Uranus
- Health and seasons; Elson M. Haas, Ed. Edaf
- The art of taking care of yourself in the 5 seasons; Blanca Galore. Ed. RBA-Integral
