Inner Practice: A Change of Season, A Shift of Body & Mind
The beginning of autumn comes on 8 August 2023. This is the thirteenth of the twenty-four solar terms and it falls at the position where the Sun reaches 135° east longitude.
During this solar term, it indicates that the hot summer is about to pass and autumn is about to come and with every rainfall the weather will cool off even more. Nonetheless, Liqiu 立秋 is one of the key changes in the four seasons of the year and it is also where transition of the body and mind happens more significantly. So what should we do to ride on this transition that helps a change for the better in all aspects of our lives?
1. Declutter and throw out the old: any kind of changes are set off with getting rid of the old and unserving and welcoming the new and fresh. It is time to donate, throw out any items that have accumulated dust and dirt, including what you have been hoarding in your mental and emotional states of mind. Read more about Emotional Roots of Cancer here.
2. Take foods that are Yin nourishing: Autumn is a period that is more astringent and drier in the environment. Foods that can help nourish Yin are encouraged to be taken more such as pumpkin, pear, ladyfinger, red bean, white fungus, lotus seed. Read more about Herbal Prescription which can help with internal health here.
3. Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate: What more can I say – drink water please.
4. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbs: Autumn is a season when Lungs are in reign so all untreated or not fully treated chronic illnesses related to Lungs may flare and worsen during this time. Illnesses related to Lungs that may flare or relapse in Liqiu are asthma, cough, pneumonia, allergies, influenza, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, acne, bronchitis, lung cancer. However as Lungs are in reign during this period, treating such conditions related to Lungs with traditional methods have also the highest effectiveness.
Read another blog post on Hungry Ghost Festival, Cravings, Desires here.