What does the Metal element represent in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and how is it linked to purity and breath? Let’s see how the far infrared sauna can support this energy.
“Metal gathers and keeps what is essential, and lets go of what is no longer needed”
In Traditional Chinese Medicine Metal is the element of autumn: the time of harvest, of falling leaves, of nature withdrawing and preparing for winter. Its movement is one of gathering and descending, inwards.
In the human being, Metal represents the ability to tell what is precious from what should be let go, physically as well as emotionally.
The organs and the season of Metal
According to TCM, the meridians associated with Metal are the Lung and the Large Intestine. The season is autumn, the colour is white and the taste is pungent.
In the traditional view, the Lung governs breath and Qi and is connected to the skin, considered the body’s “third lung”; the Large Intestine’s task is to eliminate what is not needed.
The emotions of Metal
The emotion of Metal is sadness, or melancholy: that typical autumn feeling when the days get shorter. Metal in balance, on the other hand, expresses itself as order, clarity and the ability to accept change.
Sauna Smarty: skin, breath and gathering
Autumn is the season when the body asks for more warmth. Sauna Smarty’s far infrared sauna supports this moment with a deep, enveloping warmth.
- The skin: abundant sweating helps keep the skin clean and radiant, ready for oils and treatments.
- The breath: in a warm, quiet setting it is easier to slow down and breathe deeply and mindfully.
- Gathering: the session becomes a small personal ritual to find calm when it is cold and dark outside.
Some practical tips
- Spend the first minutes of the session taking a few slow, deep breaths.
- After the sauna, moisturise your skin with a natural oil.
- Drink water or a warm herbal tea to replace fluids.
- A session at the end of the day can be a good way to prepare for rest.
Read also the articles on the other elements: Water, Earth, Wood and Fire.
To learn more about the origins of this model, you can read the Wikipedia article on the five elements theory (Wu Xing).
