Body Wisdom: The Lungs – The Art of Letting Go

In Western medicine, the Lungs are seen as spongy organs for respiration — taking in oxygen, expelling carbon dioxide, sustaining life through chemical exchange. When something goes wrong, treatment is aimed at the mechanics: inhalers, antibiotics, steroids.

In Chinese medicine, the Lungs are far more than air sacs. They are known as the “Prime Minister” — the minister who manages flow, distributes resources, and protects the borders. They govern not only breath, but qì, fluids, immunity, and even our emotional capacity to let go. The classics describe them as the place “where heaven meets the body,” because breath is the bridge between life outside and life within.

The Lungs’ role

The Lungs blend the qì of air with the nutritive qì - gu qì - of food (from the Spleen), distributing vitality throughout the body. When Lung qì is weak, there may be fatigue, shallow breathing, low immunity, or a weak voice — even without lung disease.

The Lungs also regulate the skin and pores, controlling how we open and close to the world. This is our wèi qì — the protective energy that defends against colds, flu, and external pathogens.

Emotionally, the Lungs hold grief. When sadness is unprocessed, it can settle into the chest, appearing as tightness, shallow breath, or even chronic cough. Each inhale becomes more than oxygen. Each exhale becomes the body’s way of releasing what’s no longer needed.

'The Jester' - The Integrated Qigong Front Arm High Meridian from the book Move Life Better by Deniz Paradot. All rights reserved. ©

The Lung meridian runs from the torso out through the shoulder, down the inner arm, and into the thumb. Its partner, the Large Intestine, continues the theme of release — whether through elimination, or the emotional act of letting go.

Qigong and the Lungs

Qigong offers a direct way to nourish the Lungs. In Integrated Qigong, movements that expand the chest, open the arms, and soften the shoulders activate the Lung meridian and its pair, the Large Intestine. These practices improve breathing capacity, strengthen boundaries, and make space for grief to move.

Students often describe a sense of lightness after Lung-focused Qigong — as if something heavy has lifted. The breath feels deeper, the chest softer, the mind clearer. This is the Lung system in balance: protective yet open, strong yet yielding.

Seasonal care in autumn

The Lungs belong to the Metal element and are most active in autumn. This is the season of refinement and release — when nature lets go of leaves and prepares for stillness. The Lungs ask us to do the same: to shed what no longer serves and breathe in clarity.

Ways to support the Lungs in autumn:

• Moisten the body – Autumn dryness can strain the Lungs. Eat pears, sesame, or drink warm teas.

• Breathe with awareness – Gentle breathing exercises (through the nose) or mindful walks in crisp air strengthen Lung qì.

• Practise letting go – Reflect, simplify, and consciously release old habits, clutter, or grief.

• Guard against cold – Keep the chest and neck warm with scarves and layers.

• Adjust rhythm – Begin to slow down. Go to bed earlier, rest more, mirror the season’s inward turn.

The Lungs in balance

When the Lungs are strong, breath is steady, boundaries are clear, and the spirit feels safe enough to exhale fully. In harmony with autumn, the Lungs remind us that health is not only about how well we breathe — but how fully we live within the breath.

This post is part of my “Body Wisdom: Living in Balance” series — exploring each organ through both Western and Chinese views, and showing how Qigong helps us embody these insights in daily life.

Heart | Pericardium | Small Intestine | Lungs | Large Intestine | Liver | Gallbladder | Spleen | Stomach | Kidneys | Bladder | Triple Warmer | Qigong as Movement Medicine