Among the Trees:
A Practice to Help You Let Go
It's been a quiet few weeks. I've been spending much of that time among the redwoods, listening more than usual — and I want to share something I've been contemplating with you.
In Chinese Medicine, Autumn belongs to Metal, which governs the Lungs and Large Intestine — the organs of taking in and letting go.
This year, according to the classical Chinese calendar, the seasonal shift came earlier than you might expect in the northern hemisphere — on August 7 — the solar term called Liqiu, the Beginning of Autumn.
But regardless of the season, the Metal element can teach us a lot.
Metal is the energy of refinement, of sorting what's precious from what's spent.
Metal is also, quietly, the element of grief. The Lungs hold our sorrow, and Autumn gives us permission to feel what we've been carrying. It's a time of purification and cleansing that allows us to acknowledge what we've lost or outgrown in order to make room to breathe more fully. (You can learn more about grief in this context in episode 76 of our podcast)
I've been drawn to the redwoods this season, and I don't think it's an accident. There's an ancient wisdom in the company of great trees.
In Daoist thought, the old evergreens — the pines and cypresses that live for centuries without ever losing their green — have long been revered as symbols of longevity and quiet endurance.
And the redwoods offer their own teaching of truth. They're among the oldest and tallest living beings on Earth, yet their secret isn't in holding on. They shed constantly — needles, bark, whole limbs — and they hold each other up by weaving their shallow roots together underground rather than gripping deep into the soil on their own.
They endure not by clinging, but by releasing what they don't need and by leaning on one another. They've mastered exactly what this season asks of us.
During Autumn — but really during any season — being among trees of any kind help you to breathe more deeply, which strengthens your Lungs, and supports your ability to let go.
Empty your mind, release physical tension from your body, and find true stillness with the Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Meditations.
Here's a simple practice for you to work with:
Find a quiet moment and take a slow, full breath in. At the top of the breath, pause.
Then, let the exhale be longer than the inhale, and as you release it, silently name one thing you're ready to set down.
It doesn't have to be dramatic. It can simply be a worry, a habit, an old story you've outgrown.
Let the breath carry it out of you. Repeat this as many times as you need, allowing yourself to be present for as long as possible with any emotions that this carries.
Letting go can only happen when we're present enough with what we've been holding onto — this is how it dissipates.
Autumn reminds us that release isn't loss. It's how we make space for what matters most.
