November always feels like the in-between.

 It’s the month where life speeds up externally — inboxes fill, calendars crowd, travel plans form — while nature quietly reminds us to slow down. The days shorten, the air cools, and our bodies instinctively crave warmth, stillness, and simplicity.

This is the perfect time to pause, center, and ground before the rush pulls you off balance.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, November marks the end of Metal’s refining energy and the first whispers of Water’s deep yin pull. It’s a liminal space — a time of letting go and listening in. And while the Earth element is most active in late summer, classical teachings remind us that Earth is also the harmonizer — the center we return to during all transitions.

So as we cross this seasonal threshold, grounding into your Earth, your center, becomes the most stabilizing practice you can offer yourself (and your clients).

The Energetics of the In-Between Season

Every seasonal change invites both physical and energetic recalibration.
Metal’s crisp, structured energy has asked us to release what no longer serves — habits, clutter, and even ways of thinking. But as we move toward the quiet introspection of Water, we can feel a bit unmoored.

This in-between space is ruled by Earth’s balancing influence — the energy of nourishment, digestion, empathy, and integration. When our Earth is strong, we feel grounded, present, and capable of digesting not only our food but also our thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

When it’s weak, we spiral into worry, overthinking, and emotional reactivity — something many practitioners and clients experience as the holidays approach.

How Transitional Seasons Challenge Our System

This time of year, our bodies and minds are caught between opposites:

• More activity, less rest
  
  
• Heavier foods, lower digestive fire
  
  
• Emotional output, less quiet time
  
  

The Spleen and Stomach, organs associated with the Earth element, transform and transport nourishment — both physically and energetically. When we overextend ourselves, skip meals, or live in constant “output mode,” our center becomes depleted.

The result? Fatigue, sugar cravings, bloating, foggy thinking, and that familiar sense of being “off-center.”

Practices to Reclaim Your Center

🍲 Nourish from the Inside Out

• Choose warm, cooked meals — soups, roasted root vegetables, hearty grains.
  
  
• Limit cold smoothies and raw salads; your body now craves warmth and moisture.
  
  
• Drink warm water or ginger tea throughout the day to gently stoke digestive fire.
  
  

🌿 Essential Oils for Grounding

Use oils that support digestion and emotional centering:

• Ginger – ignites inner warmth and motivation.
  
  
• Wild Orange – uplifts mood, harmonizes Earth Qi, dispels worry.
  
  
• Cedarwood or Vetiver – deeply grounding; perfect for evening diffusion or acupoint use before rest.
  
  

Apply one drop (diluted) to the abdomen in clockwise circles, or inhale before meals to bring awareness back to the body.

✨ Acupressure Points to Support Your Center

• ST36 (Zu San Li) – strengthens Qi, boosts immunity, improves digestion. (pair with ginger)
  
  
• SP6 (San Yin Jiao) – balances the Spleen, harmonizes emotions, supports yin. (pair with Vetiver or Cedarwood)
  
  
• PC6 (Nei Guan) – calms the heart, reduces anxiety, connects breath to center. (pair with Wild Orange)
  
  

Hold each point with one drop of the essential oils for 1–2 minutes while breathing deeply.

Emotional and Energetic Grounding

The busyness of November can easily pull us into worry or restlessness — both signs of unbalanced Earth energy.
Try beginning or ending your day with a centering ritual:

• Pause before meals to take three grounding breaths.
  
  
• Replace worry with gratitude. Every time you notice looping thoughts, shift to: “What is one thing that’s working beautifully right now?”
  
  
• Journal with gentle prompts such as:
  
  
• “Where can I soften control and trust the rhythm of the season?”
  
  
• “What truly nourishes me right now?”
  
  

These small pauses rebuild the foundation of stillness we need before Water’s deeper introspection arrives next month.

For Practitioners

As holistic healers and wellness entrepreneurs, we spend so much time holding space for others that we sometimes forget to nourish our own center. Yet our clients feel our energy before they hear our words.

When you stay grounded, your sessions carry more calm. Your intuition sharpens. Your business decisions flow with more ease.
 

This season isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing less, with presence.

🌿 Closing Reflection

This month, give yourself permission to slow the spin.
November invites us to linger in the middle — between the harvest and the hibernation, between output and stillness. When you nourish your center, you’ll find that everything else — digestion, energy, clarity — begins to harmonize naturally.

As we move deeper into this season, remember: steadiness is strength.
And in my next post, we’ll explore how gratitude and gut health intertwine — revealing how your emotional and physical digestion truly mirror each other.

Until then, take a breath, ground your Qi, and let this transitional month be your teacher.

Need more support integrating essential oils and acupoints into your practice… Consider my popular certification course, AcuOil Alchemy.