In traditional Chinese medicine, autumn is a season of inward energy, a time to let go of excess and prepare for winter’s stillness. Aligning our daily rituals with the season helps the body adapt with ease.
Breath is a natural ally. Try turning your commute into a mindful practice: turn off distractions, roll down the window, and breathe deeply as you pay attention to your surroundings. Pair this with hydration, swapping dehydrating drinks like coffee or black tea for water or soothing herbal infusions.
Eating seasonally also supports balance. Foods with astringent quality, such as pickles, sauerkraut, lemons, and apples, help guide the body inward, while ingredients like millet, sweet potatoes, almonds, and seaweed combat dryness in our body from a traditional chinese medicine viewpoint. Together, they support digestion and immunity during this seasonal shift.
But autumn also brings challenges, especially for those with allergies. Sneezing, fatigue, or sensitivities can feel amplified this time of year. To soothe symptoms naturally, try a Neti Pot Rinse. A neti pot is a small teapot used in Ayurvedic tradition to cleanse the nasal passages. You fill it with warm saline water (about 1 cup of distilled or previously boiled water mixed with ½ teaspoon of non-iodized salt), tilt your head over a sink, and gently pour the solution into one nostril so it flows out the other. This simple practice flushes out allergens, dust, and mucus, leaving your breathing clearer and reducing irritation.
You can also brew Allergy-Tamer Tea:
- 1 ½ ounces rose hips
- 1 ounce yerba santa leaf
- ½ ounce nettle leaf
- ½ ounce orange peel
- ½ ounce lemongrass
Mix the herbs in a bowl and store in a glass jar. Use 4–5 tablespoons per quart of water. Drink 2–3 cups per day for 6–8 weeks, or as needed. This blend brings together vitamin C–rich rose hips, soothing yerba santa, and balancing nettle to calm seasonal reactions.
Lifestyle also makes a difference. Regularly washing bedding, airing out rooms, and adding a HEPA filter can help minimize triggers indoors. Small steps add up to big relief.
Acupressure can really help with allergies as well as building your body to help strengthen your immune system to fight infections during the colder months. Have you been afraid of needles but always wanted to try acupuncture? You have the benefits of acupuncture but instead of needles, the therapist holds the acu points with their fingers or thumbs.