Surrender Into Metal
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Moving from the momentum of summer, through the grounding of Earth, we arrive at one of my favorite seasons - Autumn - ruled by the Metal element. A time of year great for letting go of waste in your life (physical and meta-physical) and cleaning up the temple of your body.
But, what does it actually mean to "let go"? And how do we know if we are doing it? These are questions attuned with the precision of Metal, offering up the perfect opportunity to practice mastering the opposing forces of action and surrender.
The Essence of Metal
“There is so much evidence that life does quite well on its own. The planets stay in orbit, tiny seeds grow into giant trees, weather patterns have kept forests across the globe watered for millions of years and a single fertilized cell grows into a beautiful baby. We are not doing any of these things as conscious acts of will; they are all being done by the incomprehensible perfection of life itself. ”
The Metal Element has a high affinity for spiritual mastery, and weighs heavy with opposing forces of action and surrender. Simultaneously delicate and cutting, Metal is the time of year to roll up your sleeves and get serious about your internal environment while simultaneously trusting in the innate perfection of your physiology.
Don't hold back, be consistent and compassionately stern with your commitments this season. Say "no." Consider it like boot-camp for your best self. Get out of comfortable patterns and emotions holding you back from more freedom, abundance, love and vibrancy.
Be bold and brave in listening to the volume of your intuition and trust that it has your best intentions in hand. Relax, let-go where you can, and trust the process.
The Practice of Letting Go
Knowing when to push ahead and when to surrender takes practice, and may look different for everyone. The key to thriving and re-connecting to yourself is all about cultivating your own blueprint.
We can look to the trees this time of year for guidance, as they begin to let-go of their leaves. This happens without force or will, but as a natural release in assurance of survival through the winter.
What must let-go in service of your survival? And how can that become more gentle and innate?
In my own experience, letting go feels pretty scary. Thoughts like: Who will I be without that [insert: belief, person, habit, profession] in my life? Maybe it's just fine the way it is...
...But it doesn't feel fine. It feels heavy, anxious, stagnant and difficult. And so the process of letting go begins...slowly and with fear white-knuckling every step of the way.
To overcome this internal tug-of-war, notice where you are fearful and consciously cultivate more agenda-less curiosity.
Letting go becomes infinitely more innate when you cultivate a sense of trust and safety in your body. The best way to do this is through compassionate commitments that you make in service of your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health - creating a strong foundation for letting-go. Some sample commitments for the Metal time of year:
- Meditation (doesn't have to be long, 2-3 minutes even, but does have to be daily)
- Nutrition (cut out the garbage: sugar, processed foods, white flours - maybe gluten or dairy)
- Journal (write positive affirmations, reflections, new beliefs)
- Sleep (get plenty of it, take naps even)
- Ritual (water first thing in the morning, fresh flowers every week, hot tea in the afternoon, daily walk in the woods...find a nourishing ritual that feeds your spirit and make time for it - no matter your mood)
What Would You Bring To Your Temple?
A teacher of mind recently asked me the above question. Sure, I'd heard the phrase "your body is your temple" a thousand times but it wasn't until her thoughtful provocation that I actually took a moment to reflect.
When I think of a temple, I think of a pure, clean, peaceful place that holds deep wisdom and compassion for all beings. There is no place for negativity, criticism, anger, clutter or junk.
If you truly take a moment to visualize your body as an external temple that you might visit, think closely about what kinds of thoughts, gifts, foods, habits and attitude you would bring in with you.
What would you leave at the door?
Now, how can you begin treat your body like this temple - letting go of whatever you carry around all day that isn't suitable for this place of wisdom and worship. Keep it clean, peaceful, joyous, positive and full of love (especially for yourself). Sometimes the negative chatter can feel like it is "keeping us in line" - but it is actually preventing you from stepping fully into a life of vibrant joy and health. Start re-conditioning what is OK to bring in and what is not. The consequences of not doing so are too great.
The Perfect Time is Now
As humans, we are designed to continually reflect, adjust, and re-align - dancing with our own unique partners of surrender and action. We do this all year long throughout the seasons of our lives - during challenging or emotional times of struggle that call for us to conjure our inner wisdom.
Autumn offers this kind of opportunity even if there isn't a pivotal struggle in your life. By using the energy abundant this time of year, you can strengthen the volume on your intuition spiritual connection - impacting your immediate experience and equip you with techniques to draw upon when you need to call on the energy of Metal outside it's season.
Sometimes it can be the most difficult path to go inward, but it's almost always the most rewarding. Give it a try this season.
Yours in health,
Erin