Saw and grow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn. store in winter.”
Human’s bodies need to follow the laws of nature to Preserve Qi to Prevent illness and enhance Physical and Mental Health. To go with it will bring health, to go against it will bring illness.
What we can do to help ourselves:
· Sleep earlier and get up later and enough.
· Basking the back in the sun for 20 minutes in the morning. especially people who have or had winter depression.
· Eat and drink warm. keep warm.
· Reduce sweating.
· Avoid excessive emotions.
· Moderate exercise.
This will help us to live a longer life with quality.
When we are complaining about the hot humid summer weather, autumn is not far away. Lately, I have been told by some patients that they have some phlegm or some digestion problems. and feeling tired.
The laws of nature are: “Sow and grow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, store in winter. ” And our human bodies should follow the laws of nature to prevent illness and preserve health. “To go with it will bring health; to go against it will bring illness”.
Summer is the perfect season for everything to grow; it is a season full of Yang energy. The weather is hot, and people usually go to bed late and get up early. With a lot of sweat and being switched back and forth between the air-conditioned environment and outside temperature, our bodies keep adjusting the Qi and blood circulation to keep up with our energy consumption, therefore, people can get energy-deficient sometime.
In autumn. The law of nature is like this: everything matures and calms down in this season, the Yin energy increases, temperature drops, and wind becomes stronger (atmospheric pressure goes up), The heat diminishes. Nature uses this natural phenomenon to drive away the hot and humid weather. So, people have a clear and crisp climate’s feeling in autumn.
How to preserve our Qi in autumn?
Preserve Qi in autumn.
Try not over consuming the Qi of our bodies. Earlier to bed and to rise, keep emotional calm.
Avoid diarrhoea and indigestion.
Diarrhea is common in autumn, especially for children. Because of the hot and humid weather in summer, our gastrointestinal system can store some damp-heat, especially in those who are used to drinking icy water and having cold food. When the weather becomes cool in autumn, our bodies will automatically adjust to eliminate the dampness and heat. Therefore, symptoms like diarrhea and gassy stomach might come along in autumn.
What can we do about it?
We need to pay attention to our diet from late summer to early autumn. Try to have lighter food, cut back on oily food and icy drinks. Please remember that bowel movement is necessary every day, so that our bodies can eliminate the waste in our alimentary canal to get rid of heat and dampness. For children, it’s important to keep their abdomen warm at night.
Prevent cold and cough.
In hot summer, our bodies dissipate heat by keeping the pores open and sweating. When autumn comes, the temperature drops, usually it’s warm during the day and chilly at night, and the air becomes drier. If no special attention is paid to keeping warm at night, then it’s easy to get a cold and cough and fatigue.
So, in this season, we should make sure to keep warm if the weather suddenly change and have enough sleep at night, drink warm or room-temperature water, or hot tea.
Avoid depression, Enhance mental health
Summer goes and autumn comes, temperature fluctuates and then drops. Nature enters a phase where Yin Qi is ascending and Yang Qi descending, some people may have depressed mood sometimes. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Yin energy (coldness) increases, Yang energy (warmth) will decrease, during this time, depression can be triggered.
Therefore, to avoid depression and the recurrence of depression in winter, we have to make sure our Qi and blood circulation is strong. Pay attention to our clothing – keep warm. Eat warm food and have warm drinks. Have enough sleep and good lifestyle; exercise to preserving our Qi. It can help us feel more positive and optimistic. Preserving our Qi in autumn lays a good foundation for us in winter.
Prevent arthritis
It is common for arthritis to occur during the end of summer and at the start of autumn. Cold, heat, wind and damp can be easily stored at the joints. Especially for people who are suffering from arthritis or people who have joint pain, recurrence could take place easily so it is important to conduct certain exercises for the joints. Cold, heat, wind and damp can be discharged of the joints with certain physical exercises. Also do not stay or sleep in the draft. Keep your joints warm when the weather is getting colder. Take more rest when the joints are inflamed.
Tips:
Clear the heat and dampness in our stomach.
Eat more light food, vegetable and fruit. Try to have less deep fried food and red meat.
Kiwi fruit can help and have good effect on relieving the stomach and cleaning the bowel.
Chinese radish: It has the effect of relieving gassy stomach, clearing bowels and food retention in stomach. You can have raw Chinese radish, boil it in soup or stir-fry it.
Tips for cold and cough
Peppermint tea: It has the effects of detoxification and clearing heat in the lungs.
Stay away from draught.
Cut back on spicy food.
Avoid depression and anxiety.
Generally speaking, those people who are depressed or anxious because of the temperature drop; their constitution is characterized as weak in Yang Qi. Yang Qi has the effects of stimulating and promoting warmness. So, people who are weak in Yang energy (QI) should pay attention to keeping themselves warm, have warm drinks and food, try not to get over-excited and exhausted. keep doing appropriate exercise, so that they can get enough energy to avoid and resist depression.
4. Rotation practice for the joints
Practice rotation exercise for the ten major joints every day clockwise and anti-clockwise. The ten joints are: Left and right shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles. Do a few times a day or as much as you can comfortably do, recommended to do Qi Gong, Taiji and Yoga
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
In Chinese, the definition of “Dan Tian” 丹田is terminology for practicing Tai Chi and Qi Gong. It is Qi Core of the body.
In the vast universe, no creature can exist without the core. The principle is that the rotation or revolution of everything in the universe moves around their internal core and external core.
In nature, the core of all kinds of plants, they cannot exist without roots and core. For example apples, pears, peaches, and apricots, etc. all depend for living on their roots and core. Seeds are another form of core, which induce plants to germinate, grow and produce fruit. Similarly, a country, company, family, and each person require a core to develop and strengthen.
Thousands and millions of cores rotate and revolve endlessly to move, restrict, oppose, wane, wax, and interact with each other to wisely achieve the balance between internal and external. The core unites all things tightly together. Meanwhile, the core transmits energy and power to each part of a substance from the inside. Core energy is the vital energy of all creatures; they cannot live without core energy.
Where is this core of life – Dan Tian The Dan Tian is below the navel inside the stomach area.
What is Qi Core of the body? Human’s core (Dan Tian) of the body is the source of vital energy of life and blood, which includes innate energy,acquired energy, and root of wisdom.
Why is Dan Tian the Core
Dan Tian is the origin of the seed of humanity. The seed of mankind consists of ovum from female and sperm from male, which originates in Dan Tian.
Exercising the movement of Dan Tian’s energy can help improve energy and blood circulation, and movement of internal organs. They are effective methods to balance Yin and Yang in our bodies, help cure and prevent disease, increase longevity, and improve the quality of life, nourish energy and blood, strengthen immune system. Maintain optimism and help prevent depression, anxiety and dementia.
Innate energy comes from Dan Tian The Dan Tian is a deep source of innate energy. Ovum (Yin) and sperm (Yang) combine together in our body (Yin and Yang), to generate an embryo, and multiply the next generation. Dan Tian is the origin of the foetus humanities innate energy and body. In addition, Dan Tian is vital energy to induce the foetus forming, growth, and giving birth. The innate energy of each person is inherited from parents; and it comes with uniqueness constitution of energy, which decides composition and personality of each person.
Acquired energy comes from Dan Tian The Dan Tian is also a deep source of acquired energy. After birth, people rely on energy and blood to survive, and to maintain health. Energy and blood is obtained from nutrition of food and inhalation of oxygen. People digest and absorb nutrition to form energy and blood. The acquired energy from Dan Tian combines nutrition from food and oxygen, generates energy and blood, and supplies it to every part of body all the time. Therefore, people give birth and grow; internal organs work; and bodies do activities.
Wisdom is from the Dan Tian Wisdom is from the Dan Tian, the sun in our body. It can be regarded as the “Gut Feeling” in western countries to some extent (to be continued).
4. How do we use and strengthen the Dan Tian
Benefit for physical and mental health.
Qi Gong and Tai Chi are specially designed to make full use of the Dan Tian Energy.
5.Methods of daily exercise for Dan Tian:
Open up the body from Dan Tian. Standing: open up Dan Tian to straighten the spine and organs. Walking: heels down, toes up, open up Dan Tian. Sitting: open up Dan Tian – body up right.
Benefits of this include:
Opening up of internal organs makes energy and blood flow and decreases stagnation.
Opening up Dan Tian to elongating spine to nourish the brain to help prevent dementia, depression and stagnation.
Improved blood circulation.
Opens up skeleton and ligaments.
Reduced stress and anxiety.
Maintains optimism and helps prevents depression.
Helps fertility and gynaecology problems.
Helps the immune system.
Helps improve posture.
Breathing from Dan Tian
It is a strong performance of energy and blood when we are able to breathe from Dan Tian. Breath will be weak and shallow when we are ill, weak, and getting older. Breathing from the Dan Tian improves blood circulation, enhances energy and blood, and maintains physical and mental health.
Strong energy from Dan Tian leads to strong energy and blood. Moreover, strong energy and blood result in physical health and psychological optimum to help prevent depression, dementia, and stagnation.
To exercise Qi Gong and Tai Chi is not only to be undertaken in classes, but also to be considered as natural daily activities. Thus, we can be healthier and have more enjoyment in our lives.
Prevention and wisdom are the principles of Traditional
The laws of nature are: Sow and grow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, store in winter. And our human bodies should follow the laws of nature to prevent illness and enhance Physical and Mental Health.
“To go with it will bring health; to go against it will bring illness”.
The law of spring is: As the yang energy goes up, the yin energy goes down. Yang energy creeps in after the winter solstice (the shortest days of the year). Because it is still cold, people still think we are in winter, but the energy of spring starts from there. Winter is the time for storing yang energy, when we stay indoors more than during other seasons. Eat warm food, have warm drinks, wear more, and use heaters to stay warm to store and preserve energy.
It is not just humans that do this – animals hibernate during winter to store their energy. Plants are the same. When spring comes, the temperature rises and the yang energy increases; all things on earth start to grow. Soil starts to become loose; bugs and animals start to emerge; birds return. This is nature helping us store in winter, waiting for spring, so everything can grow.
For human bodies, the stored energy needs to be released in spring. If we don’t, we might become sick during spring because of the increased inner heat in the body. If we didn’t store enough energy in winter, or damaged the energy in winter, we will have not enough energy to release and become more deficient leading to becoming unwell.
That is why there are some people getting colds, sore throat, phlegm, coughs, allergies, itchiness, there is an increase in strokes, and chronic hepatitis can play up during this season.
How do we preserve health in spring?
1. Refresh the spirit: springtime connects liver’s energy in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). One of the functions of the liver is that it releases emotions to maintain peace of mind, happiness and control anger. When our Qi flows freely we can help prevent depression and anxiety. So walk in nature, look at greens and exercise.
2. Ensure you get enough sleep: we often feel sleepy during spring because the temperature goes up; the blood vessels, sweat glands and pores are diastole; the circulation is exuberant, and getting enough sleep is especially important for pregnant women, children, and for the elderly.
3. Get up earlier: because sunrise is yang energy rising, getting up when the sun rises will assist your yang energy in growing. Because spring time is liver time, and in TCM the liver nourishes the ligaments, this is the season to stretch it and exercise the body, improve circulation, and remove stagnation and toxins to make the body more flexible and healthier.
4. Clear the heat: after hibernation, we may store some heat. The temperature increases during spring and germs become more active, which is why there are more contagious viruses, germs, sore throats, flu, itchiness and allergies. Clear the heat in the body the following ways:
Drink more warm water and tea
Eat a lot of green vegetables and less red meat
Eat less spicy food
Drink less alcohol.
Nourish the liver: Liver stores blood, Helps Qi flow freely and its indicators are the eyes. We can nourish the liver in the following ways:
1. Appropriate exercise such as Tai chi, Qi gong, walking, dancing etc. to ensure there is enough fresh air, moderate sweating.
2. Eat less sour and oily food.
3. Maintain peace of mind to avoid getting over angry witch can damage energy (Qi) of the liver.
4.The liver connects to green colour – go into nature and look at green colours to help the liver’s energy to feel calm.
5. Avoid draft: Spring is a windy season; nature is very wise in using wind to blow away coldness, on the other hand people can catch the wind, which causes colds, coughs, asthma and arthritis. Also wind makes us feel emotionally unsettled.
6. For people with winter depression: spring is a good season to recover from it. Do appropriate morning exercise and have healthy diet to combat depression.
“Traditional Qi ” has two concepts : prevention and wisdom
Written by Angela Tian Zhu (Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner)
Taiji Quan (Tai Chi) and Qi Gong are ancient Chinese exercises which emphasise the unity of mind and body. They involve slow, circular movements with ascending, descending, opening and closing actions as a natural motion of Qi flow in the body, mental concentration, breath control and relaxation – without losing firmness.
Taiji means Yin Yang and is an exercise based on the theory of Yin and Yang philosophy using movement to balance their energy.
Taiji Quan Yin and Yang movements centre on the Dan Tian (the Dan Tian is located under the navel, inside the lower abdomen and is the Qi centre) and involve mental and physical concentration, dynamic and static, empty and full. Ascending, descending, opening and closing – from the Dan Tian. Forward and backward, circling with rotation and revolution. Firm and soft. The whole body is connected as a whole. The movements are coordinated and coherent. The principles of Yin and Yang are embodied – they are opposite and restricted, interdependent, ebb and flow and transform.
Qi Gong is an energy exercise based on the theory of TCM. It includes health and medical Qi Gong. Qi means energy. In TCM, Qi is the most essential substance to constitute the human body and sustain. Its life activity. It is described as life energy and a life force. It is the most important function of the body and without it we could not exist. Gong means ability, skill, the work or exercise. Qi Gong is a mental and physical practising skill that integrates the body’s movements, breath and mind together in a natural manner.
Taiji Quan and Qi Gong are energy exercises, and the difference between them is that Taiji Quan is also used for defence.
Taiji Quan and Qi Gong can help promote and regulate the flow of energy and blood circulation. They dredge the meridians, nourish the organs, strengthen the muscles, tendons and bones. Also, they prevent illness and help to elevate the body’s self-potential and enhance physical and mental health. All these serve to maintain our quality of life and improve longevity.
Over the last few days lots of patients have been telling me they have more phlegm, coughs, runny nose and uncomfortable stomachs, heavy head, fuzzy head, less appetite, sore and tight joints, tiredness and low mood. All of these symptoms are indicative of dampness in the body.
What is dampness?
Dampness comes from our external environment or internally in the body. It may be due to Qi (Energy) deficiency preventing us from moving fluid from the inside to the outside of the body, or the external dampness from the weather or living conditions. Or eating and drinking excessively. It can stay in our body to make us unwell.
Apart from the symptoms listed above, how do we know more if we have dampness in the body?
1. Difficult to wake up in the morning and or puffy eyes and face
2. The tongue is bigger and has teeth marks. The coating on the tongue is thick and creamy.
3. Coughing with phlegm, heaviness in the head, sleepiness, poor memory, feeling depressed or anxiety and sometimes a heavy feeling on the chest.
What can we do?
Lifestyle:
Exercise daily.
Make yourself sweat lightly by having a warm soup or hot tea.
Eat light food, with less salt.
Have a nap if you can.
Do not sleep or sit in a damp place. Keep your clothing and linen dry.
Make sure clean the mould in the house and have indoor ventilation.
Food tips
Food tips:
Have pumpkin soup with ginger.
Barley with mung bean soup – add 1 handful each of barley and mung beans, simmer in 1 litre of water or more for half an hour.
Drink ginger tea, use more ginger in cooking, eat a bit more onion and garlic.
Make sure to go to toilet every day.
Drink less cold icy drinks, eat less sweet, fat and creamy foods, and drink less alcohol.
Qi Gong tips:
Reverse breathing – breathe in and expand your stomach out, breathe out hold your stomach in. Do this a few times in a row, and a few times each day.
Massage your stomach and ribs in a circular motion.
Being healthier makes you happier and being happier makes you healthier.
Traditional Qi’s two concepts are prevention and wisdom.
In Chinese, the definition of “Dan” 丹 is the color ‘red’. “Tian” 田 can be defined as paddy field, or an area that can be mined for treasure or minerals.
In the vast universe, no creature can exist without the core. The principle is that the rotation or revolution of everything in the universe moves around their internal core and external core.
In nature, the core of all kinds of plants, trees and flowers are their roots. Plants cannot exist without roots, for example apples, pears, peaches, and apricots, etc. all depend for living on their roots or core. Seeds are another form of core, which induce plants to germinate, grow and produce fruit. Similarly, a country, company, family, and each person require a core to develop and strengthen. Thousands and millions of cores rotate and revolve endlessly to move, restrict, oppose, wane, wax, and interact with each other to wisely achieve the balance between internal and external. The core unites all things tightly. Meanwhile, the core transmits energy and power to each part of a substance from the inside. Core energy is the vital energy of all creatures; they cannot live without core energy.
Where is this core of life – Dan Tian? The Dan Tian is below the navel inside the stomach area.
What is Qi Core of the body? Human’s core (Dan Tian) of the body is the source of vital energy of life and blood, which includes innate energy,acquired energy, and root of wisdom.
Why is Dan Tian the Core?
Dan Tian is the origin of the seed of humanity. The seed of mankind consists of ovum from female and sperm from male, which originates in Dan Tian.
Innate energy comes from Dan Tian The Dan Tian is a deep source of innate energy. Ovum (Yin) and sperm (Yang) combine together in our body (Yin and Yang), to generate an embryo, and multiply the next generation. Dan Tian is the origin of the fetus, humanities’ innate energy and body. In addition, Dan Tian is vital energy to induce the fetus forming, growth, and giving birth. The innate energy of each person is inherited from parents; and it comes with uniqueness constitution of energy, which decides composition and personality of each person.
Acquired energy comes from Dan Tian The Dan Tian is also a deep source of acquired energy. After birth, people rely on energy and blood to survive, and to maintain health. Energy and blood is obtained from nutrition of food and inhalation of oxygen. People digest and absorb nutrition to form energy and blood. The acquired energy from Dan Tian combines nutrition from food and oxygen, generates energy and blood, and supplies it to every part of body all the time. Therefore, people give birth and grow; internal organs work; and bodies do activities.
Wisdom is from the Dan Tian Wisdom is from the Dan Tian, the sun in our body. It can be regarded as the “Gut Feeling” in western countries to some extent (to be continued).
How do we use and strengthen the Dan Tian?
Exercising the movement of Dan Tian’s energy can help improve energy and blood, and movement of internal organs. They are effective methods to balance Yin and Yang in our bodies, help cure and prevent disease, increase longevity, and improve the quality of life, nourish energy and blood, and maintain optimism and help prevent depression, anxiety and dementia,
Benefit for physical and mental health.
Qi Gong and Tai Chi are specially designed to make full use of the Dan Tian Energy.
Methods of daily exercise for Dan Tian:
Open up the body from Dan Tian. Standing: open up Dan Tian to straighten the spine and organs. Walking: heels down, toes up, open up Dan Tian. Sitting: open up Dan Tian – body up right.
Benefits of this include:
Opening up of internal organs makes energy and blood flow and decreases stagnation.
Opening up Dan Tian pushing spine up nourishes the brain to help prevent dementia, depression and stagnation.
Improved blood circulation.
Opens up skeleton and ligaments.
Reduced stress and anxiety.
Maintains optimism and helps prevents depression.
Helps fertility and gynecology problems.
Helps the immune system to help prevent cancer.
Helps improve posture.
Breathing from Dan Tian
It is a strong performance of energy and blood when we are able to breathe by using Dan Tian. Breath will be weak and shallow when we are ill, weak, and getting older. Breathing from the Dan Tian improves blood circulation, enhances energy and blood, and maintains physical and mental health.
Strong energy from Dan Tian leads to strong energy and blood. Moreover, strong energy and blood result in physical health and psychological optimism to help prevent depression, dementia, and stagnation. To exercise Qi Gong and Tai Chi is not only to be undertaken in classes, but also to be considered as natural daily activities. Thus, we can be healthier and have more enjoyment in our lives.
Prevention and wisdom are the principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by: Angela Zhu (TCM Practitioner, Qi Gong & Tai Chi Instructor)
Often my patients tell me that whenever the weather is humid and hot, they feel depressed and pessimistic. These feelings are worse on rainy days. Sometimes they can feel heavy in their body, tired and have digestive problems.
Why does the humidity affect us?
Nature’s effect
Nature is the big universe, and the body is the small universe therefore we are part of nature. When the weather is humid and damp, the dampness from the external environment will cause dampness inside our body. Healthy people have enough Qi (vital energy) to eliminate and adjust the heavy dampness inside their body. But for those whose Qi is deficient or for those who may already have some fluid stored in their bodies, the dampness cannot be eliminated easily. When too much dampness stays in the body, it will make feel people tired and sometimes generate phlegm. When dampness is trapped in the stomach, it can block Qi movement, which may make you feel depressed or anxious.
Too much cold drink and food
Human bodies are supposed to decrease dampness and reduce heat by sweating. In our modern society people prefer to stay in an air-conditioned room or have icy cold drinks but this will keep heat and dampness in the body. With all the heat and dampness kept inside the body it can lead to fatigue, indigestion, and feelings of depression and anxiety. Also, we may catch a cold easily. (Special attention should be given to children)
External dampness plus internal dampness
Women’s health Special attention should be paid during menstrual period. The external dampness may cause abnormal menstruation, period pain and PMT with feeling more depressed and anxious.
Catching chill at night
In the hot weather, we enjoy having icy cold drinks during the day and keeping the air-conditioning on while we sleep at night. When we are asleep, it’s easy to catch a night chill. It can cause fatigue, headaches, make us feel tired, nauseous, and mentally disturbed.
How to look after ourselves in the summer days:
Appropriate amount of sweat every day is necessary. But too much sweat can damage Qi (vital energy)
Exercise properly and gently. Exercise accelerates blood circulation and sweat, which will benefit Qi (vital energy)
Try to cut back on icy drinks and food
Make sure to have a bowel movement every day. It helps with the elimination of waste and dampness.
Drink a lot of water. Urinate frequently.
Fresh ginger has the effect of dispelling cold, clearing damp, eliminating phlegm, and warming the stomach. Drinking ginger tea or using ginger in cooking helps achieve these effects.
Barley has the effect of clearing damp and eliminating phlegm. Put some barley together with rice when cooking rice or put some in when cooking soup.
Watermelon has the effect of removing heat and clearing damp, it accelerates urination.
Mung beans have the effect of clearing dampness and heat. Mung bean soup and mung bean sprouts are perfect food for summer.
Tofu has the effect of clearing heat.
Preserving health in humid summer days has a direct effect on our health in autumn. It also helps our mental and physical health.
Nourish our energy. When you take a drink of cold water you need to spend extra energy to warm up the water before your body can absorb it.
Strengthen the energy of your organs blood circulation. When cold water passes your chest, it may cool your heart, lungs and bronchi and effect breathing.
Protect your Stomach energy. Cold water can make your stomach contract, weaken the energy of the stomach consequently effect your digestion.
Help gynecological health. Cold water can give you period pain, irregular periods.
Help to reduce allergies. So, the energy can flow better in your body.
Help mental energy and enables us to be happier.
I suggest that people with depression, anxiety, tiredness and digestion problems, drink warm water.
Get up with the sun. The Rising Energy in nature helps our growing energy.
Avoid wind and keep warm. Spring wind blows away the cold winter energy and the weather changes very often and dramatically. So, avoid wind and keep warm to help the growing energy and prevent disease.
Eat more green vegetables and less red meat, spicy food and alcohol.
In winter more people get flu, bronchitis, poor circulation. Some people have winter depression. Or more frequent urination, etc.
Why is there a higher percentage of death rate from disease in winter than in any other seasons? Why does more depression exist in winter? Why do asthma, emphysema and bronchitis worsen in winter? Why is there frequent urination? Should only pollen be blamed for hypersensitivity in spring?
The laws of nature are: Sow and grow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, store in winter. Our human bodies also follow the laws of nature to prevent illness and preserve health.
To go with it will bring health, to go against it will bring illness”.
Winter is the season for preservation and storing. But why to preserve and store, what to preserve and store, how to preserve and store?
A. Why to preserve and store?
Winter is the coldest season of the year. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)’s Yin-Yang theory Yin is cold and dominated by static energy while Yang is warm and dominated by active energy. With winter’s low temperature and cold wind, Yin energy prevails and Yang energy hides. In nature, everything goes into a state of dormancy and animals hibernate (after the harvest season of autumn). Nature is preserving and storing its Yang energy. As a part of nature, humans should follow the law of nature, preserve and store the Yang energy inside our body. Only if enough Yang energy is preserved and stored in the body that sprouting becomes possible in spring, growing in summer and harvest in autumn for our body and nature.
B. What to preserve and store?
TCM holds the view that the Yang energy in the kidney is warm and has a driving force. With strong Yang energy in the body we can resist against cold, has good blood circulation to enhance mental health and physical health and to prevent depression and anxiety.
Preserve and store the mental energy,
We have Seven emotions “excitement, anger, worry, sadness, grief, fear, shock”, they are normal emotions.
But the extreme emotions can damage our inner energy lead to depression and anxiety.
C. How to preserve and store?
Early sleep and later getting up. (at the time when the sun rises)
Eat warm food, avoid eating and drinking cold food.
Keep warm, especially the lower back (that is near the kidney), abdomen, head, legs and feet.
Try to keep in a stable mood, stay calm.
Appropriate amount of physical exercise. Avoid excessive sweating,
D. Tips for preserving and storing Energy.
Wear a singlet to keep the kidney, chest and belly warm, wear socks and hat to keep warm in winter.
People who have bronchitis, emphysema and asthma especially need to pay attention to keeping the chest warm.
Having feet bath in hot water helps improve winter depression and poor circulation.
Eat more sesame, walnuts, nuts and meat to help the Yang Energy.
Ginger and lamb soup is good to strengthen the Yang energy in winter.
Have walnut, honey and ginger at the same time, it is good for your brain, and it helps with the Yang energy.
Preserving health in winter, you will get healthier in the coming spring.
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by Angela Tian Zhu (Chinese Medicine Practitioner)
When we are complaining about the hot humid summer weather, autumn is not far away.
The laws of nature are: Sow and grow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, store in winter. And our human body should follow the laws of nature to prevent illness and preserve health.
“To go with it will bring health, to go against it will bring illness”.
Circulation and blood to keep up with our energy consumption, therefore, people can get energy-deficient sometimes.
In autumn, the law of nature is like this: everything matures and calms down in this season, the Yin energy increases, temperature drops, (atmospheric pressure goes up), dry heat diminishes.
Nature uses these natural phenomena to drive away the wet and humid weather. People have a clear and crisp climates’ feeling in autumn.
Restrain the functioning of Qi in autumn.
Preserve the Qi of our bodies. Early to bed and early to rise, keep a peaceful mind.
Avoid diarrhea and indigestion.
Diarrhea is a common illness in autumn, our gastrointestinal system can store some damp-heat, symptoms like diarrhea and gassy stomach might come along in autumn.
What can we do about it?
Have lighter food, cut back on oily food and icy drinks. Keep the abdomen warm at night.
Tips:
Clear the heat and dampness in our intestines and stomach.
Eat more light food, vegetable and fruit. Try to have less fried food and meat.
Kiwi fruit has good effect on relieving the stomach and cleaning the bowel.
Chinese radish: It has the effect of relieving gassy stomach, clearing bowels and food retention in stomach. You can have raw Chinese radish, boil it in soup or stir-fry it
Reduce anxiety and promote relaxing.
Have warm drinks and food, try not to get over-excited and exhausted, keep doing appropriate exercise, so that you can get enough energy to avoid and resist depression and anxiety.
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by Angela Zhu (Chinese Medicine Practitioner)
A client came to see me recently with an upset stomach and diarrhea which started with the bush fires and the smoky air. Even though he is not near the bush fires, nor does he have a lung and heart condition, he can suffer as a result of the particles in the air which circulate throughout the whole body. The smoke can make people feel nauseous and give them an upset stomach with diarrhoea.
People who have mental disorders could feel worse because of the lack of oxygen in our whole body.
People generally who have poor digestion, or a stomach condition, may feel depressed too. People who feel depressed have anxiety and sometimes this affects their digestion – it works both ways. They are very much connected because in TCM, Stomach energy governs our digestion, the absorption of nutrients and it also nourishes our muscles. When we inhale a lot of smoke, it can weaken our Stomach energy and it may lead to problems such as poor appetite, abdominal distension, loose stools and tired muscles. It can make you feel emotional, depressed, anxious, easily upset or fearful because the Stomach is considered our second brain.
What can we do?
Avoid smoky air whenever possible
Eat light food regularly
Avoid eating heavy, oily and too much food all at the same time
Avoid eating when you are angry and upset
Eat food and drink liquids at body temperature to preserve your energy
Have a warm breakfast
Try not to drink and eat at the same time to avoid a bloated stomach
Try to keep your stomach warm with appropriate clothes
Consume less alcohol, coffee and soft drinks
Take short showers, at medium temperature, to preserve your energy
Massage your ribs which helps digestion and also moves the bottom of your lungs – to release matter which has settled there. Place your palms on your ribs circling inwards, down and to the side, several times.
Summer Solstice is the time for the longest day and shortest night in Australia and the southern hemisphere. From then the daytime will be getting shorter and night-time will be getting longer.
In nature, Yang Energy (Yang Energy is rising, growing, moving, and living energy) has reached its peak and started todecline. Yin Energy (opposite of Yang Energy) has reached the bottom and started to increase. Yin and Yang Energy are changing during the summer and winter Solstice.
This time of the year most flowers have blossomed, and fruit and grains are growing. Humans as part of nature should follow the laws of nature to enhance mental and physical health. Nature’s change could affect us.
This time is a good time of the year to help prevent depression, anxiety, and some physical problems – because Yin and Yang in nature are changing.
Suggestions:
Getting up early with Sun rising energy.
Control and manage anger, stress, and anxiety.
Perspire, but avoid it excessively.
Have a nap in the afternoon.
Shower with warm water – not too cold and not too hot.
Do not stay or sleep in a draft.
Use air-conditioning sensibly.
If you use a fan at night, make it blow towards a wall. When the breeze bounces back it will be gentler.
Avoid having too much icy food and drinking.
Healthy foods for Summer:
Watermelon, Cucumber. Greens. Mung beans, Tufu and sprouts– help reduce the heat.
Fresh ginger helps reduce dampness, phlegm, and colds in humid weather.
Eat more fruits and vegetables that are in season.
If we have a Healthy summer, we will have a Healthy Autumn.
Written by Angela Tian Zhu
Third Generation of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner.
· Nourish our energy. When you drink cold water, you need to spend
extra energy to warm it before your body can absorb it.
· Strengthen the energy of your organ’s blood circulation. When cold water passes your chest, it may cool your heart, lungs, and bronchi and affect your breathing.
·Protect your Stomach energy. Cold water can make your stomach contract, weaken the energy of the stomach consequently affect your digestion.
· Help women’s health. Cold water can give you period pain, and irregular periods.
· Help to reduce allergies. So, the energy can flow better in your body.
· Help mental well-being and enable us to relax.
It makes us sleep better.
I suggest that people with depression, anxiety, tiredness, and digestion problems, drink warm water.
