Living Well Through the Three Months of Autumn: Seasonal Characteristics and Health Cultivation Methods You Should Know

"The three months of autumn are called the period of calm and balance. The heavenly qi becomes urgent, the earthly qi becomes clear. Retire early and rise early, arising together with the rooster. Keep the will calm and peaceful to soften the punishing force of autumn. Gather in the spirit and qi to bring the autumn qi into balance. Do not let the will stray outward, so that the lung qi stays clear - this is the response to the autumn qi, the way of nourishing the harvest."

- Huangdi Neijing, "Great Treatise on Regulating the Spirit According to the Four Qi"

To cultivate health during the three months of autumn, one must firmly grasp the principles of the Neijing. The classic says: "The three months of autumn are called the period of calm and balance. The heavenly qi becomes urgent, the earthly qi becomes clear. Retire early and rise early, arising together with the rooster. Keep the will calm and peaceful to soften the punishing force of autumn. Gather in the spirit and qi to bring the autumn qi into balance. Do not let the will stray outward, so that the lung qi stays clear - this is the response to the autumn qi, the way of nourishing the harvest."

Let me explain: the three months of autumn refer to the seventh, eighth, and ninth months of the lunar calendar. During the three months of autumn, metal qi governs the season, and in the human body it corresponds to the lungs.During the three months of autumn, lung qi governs the season, so the lungs must be nourished.

Metal qi gathers and descends, dominating collection. After plants are sown in spring and grow in summer, autumn is the season of maturity and harvest. At this time the heavenly qi is brisk and urgent, and the earthly qi is clear and bright. To adapt to this season, people should sleep early and rise early, getting up promptly when the rooster crows, so as to keep the mind calm and tranquil and to soften the harm done to the body by the killing force of autumn. During the three months of autumn, one should gather in one's thoughts and control one's emotions to adapt to the calm-and-balanced character of autumn. Do not let the spirit stray outward, so as to keep the lung qi balanced and even. This is the method of adapting to the characteristics of the autumn season and preserving the body's collecting qi. If one goes against the gathering of autumn qi, the lungs will be harmed, and in winter the yang qi, which should be stored, will be unable to store, giving rise to the illness of yang-deficiency diarrhea.

2018 is the year of Wu-Xu, when fire movement is in excess; when fire is strong, metal is weak. As autumn metal governs the season, strong fire overcomes metal, making various symptoms of lung heat easy to appear. Therefore, during the three months of autumn in 2018, attention should be paid to nourishing and moistening the lungs to soften the punishment by fire, and also to diffusing and descending lung qi to prevent coughing and other symptoms.

The three months of autumn include:Beginning of Autumn, End of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, and Frost's Descent - six solar terms in total.Below, combining traditional Chinese medicine theory, the seasonal characteristics and health cultivation methods of each solar term in the three months of autumn are explained in detail.

Beginning of Autumn (August 7, 2018)

During the Republic of China period, the great physician Peng Ziyi held that the Beginning of Autumn is the starting point of the year's circular movement. He believed that at the Beginning of Autumn, the yang qi between heaven and earth begins to gather and descend, and the hot qi on the ground that has not yet entered the soil begins to be pressed into the soil. This yang qi is completely stored below the ground through the Winter Solstice, and at the Beginning of Spring it begins to rise and float above the ground, serving as the source of energy for the new spring's cycle of life.

Around the Beginning of Autumn, when Taiyin damp earth governs the time, people's spleen and stomach are often especially weak, so a light diet is most needed. One should not overeat raw and cold foods, greasy foods, or fried, grilled, and spicy items that stir fire and wind, in order to prevent damage to spleen yang. Especially for those who constitutionally have yang deficiency with damp-heat and who additionally overeat wind-stirring and blood-stirring trigger foods, and further are exposed to damp-heat and damp air, illnesses of the wind-damp-heat impediment type are unavoidable. Conditions such as gout and red, swollen, hot, painful joints tend to flare up at this time and need timely prevention.

In the heat of summer, yang qi diffuses outward, and people, sensing the qi movement of heaven and earth, easily develop symptoms such as restlessness, excessive sweating, fatigue, and reduced concentration, most of which are normal reactions needing no treatment. But after the Beginning of Autumn, as the yang qi of heaven and earth gathers and descends, the above symptoms should gradually ease. If symptoms of excessive yang qi dispersal still appear, appropriate regulation is needed. One may useDark Plum Three-Bean Soup: 30 grams soybeans, 30 grams black beans, 30 grams mung beans, 40 grams dark plums,decocted in water. When cooking the soup, a little white sugar may be added to adjust the taste, because white sugar has the effect of tonifying the center and helps the body's yang qi gather and descend into the earth.

End of Heat (August 23, 2018)

From the Beginning of Autumn to the End of Heat, the yang qi between heaven and earth descends, all things gradually take root, and the human body begins to slowly feel stronger, no longer easily experiencing fatigue and drowsiness. The summer heat gradually gathers in, and cool qi gradually arises. At this time the human body begins to feel comfortable, and the skin slowly stops feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

The summer heat and fire qi between heaven and earth gather downward, and meeting the cool qi at the ground, fog easily becomes pervasive. This must be because after the Beginning of Autumn, metal qi descends, and the gathered summer fire comes back out again; dry metal cannot withstand summer fire, the descending qi is insufficient, and fire instead overcomes metal. In cities, the fog will be mixed with various automobile exhaust fumes and stirred-up dust. If people breathe this kind of fog, they are most prone to respiratory tract infections, manifesting as itchy and uncomfortable throat - this is exactly the pattern.One should take Dark Plum Root-Securing Decoction.

White Dew (September 8, 2018)

At the Summer Solstice, above the ground it is very hot, while below the ground it is cold. After the Beginning of Autumn, metal qi gathers and descends, and the hot qi above the ground is gradually pressed below the ground. By the Autumn Equinox, the hot qi above and below the ground is in a state of balance. At White Dew, there is still slightly more hot qi above the ground; upon meeting the ground, the hot qi condenses into water droplets - this is White Dew.

At White Dew, the hot qi between heaven and earth gradually enters the ground. Taking a large tree as an example, the flourishing branches and leaves of the entire summer begin to gather toward the roots at White Dew, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and the yang qi at the roots becomes more and more abundant. Heat descends and coolness arises, all things take root, and the human body's yang qi further gathers and descends. After entering autumn, the body's yang qi gathers and descends, but the central earth remains weak, so care must be taken to prevent cool qi from damaging central yang: as the temperature difference between day and night increases, attention must be paid to wearing clothes for warmth; one must not excessively crave raw and cold fruits, to prevent injury to central yang that leads to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms;before sleep, drink a little sour plum drink to nourish yin and promote fluids.

Analyzing from another angle: in the eighth lunar month, the corresponding earthly branch is You; in the You month and You hour, yang is stored and yin grows. Moreover, the nature of You belongs to metal, and metal qi gathers. When metal is dry, dampness hides, and hot, humid weather gradually retreats. It also corresponds to the twelfth message hexagram, Wind over Earth, Guan. The Guan hexagram has four yin and two yang, with yin growing and yang diminishing. From the hexagram image, wind moves over the earth. Although at White Dew and the Autumn Equinox, metal qi first gathers, yang qi still flows above the ground, with an image of hot qi floating upward. Moreover, Xun wood overcomes Kun earth; Kun earth is the spleen, and the spleen is easily injured, giving rise to illnesses such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Autumn Equinox (September 23, 2018)

In golden autumn, the eighth month, yang qi first gathers. The Autumn Equinox is the time when yin and yang are equally divided. At this time day and night are equal in length, and the yang heat above the ground and the yang heat below the ground are equal, evenly divided above and below, hence it is called the Autumn Equinox. After the Autumn Equinox, the pressure of metal qi gathering and descending increases, the yang qi below the ground gradually exceeds that above the ground, and the weather gradually cools, with tree leaves gradually turning yellow.

According to the "host qi" in the yun-qi theory of the twenty-four solar terms, the period from the Autumn Equinox to Light Snow is the fifth qi. The qi movement between heaven and earth changes from Taiyin damp earth to Yangming dry metal. At this time the climate is dry and turning cool, the yang qi of heaven and earth further gathers and descends below the ground, and all things gradually show a bleak appearance. At this time gathering and descending dominate, the sky is high and the air crisp, exactly matching the virtue of Yangming, hence it is called Yangming. When host qi and guest qi generate each other, there is peace; if guest qi overcomes and attacks host qi, harm is easy.

After the Autumn Equinox, the weather gradually becomes dry. Being affected by dry qi easily damages fluids, causing dry mouth and tongue, sore throat, chest tightness, coughing, and other symptoms.Apples, pears, pine nuts, sugarcane, and other items that nourish yin, clear fire, and moisten the lungs, as well as lily bulb, honey, white wood ear, sweet orange, ginkgo, red dates, sugarcane, and other clear-tonifying and gently moistening products, may all be eaten more at the appropriate time.Furthermore, one may eat some white radish, raw or cooked, which has the greatest effect of moistening the lungs, clearing fire, soothing the throat, and dispelling dryness, and is a seasonal food.

At the Autumn Equinox, yang qi follows gathering and descending as its natural course; the temperature is comfortable, yang qi is gathered inward, people feel most comfortable, sleep more deeply, and emotions are also stable. But on the day of the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month, the yang qi of heaven and earth is attracted upward by the full moon. When yang floats, it does not gather, easily causing insomnia, irritability, restlessness, dizziness, head distension, and other symptoms. Therefore, on the night of the full moon, one should not admire the moon for too long, to avoid being affected by the moon and disturbing the gathering and descending yang within the body. Staying quietly indoors and chatting with family is most appropriate.

Cold Dew (October 8, 2018)

After the Autumn Equinox, the weather gradually reveals the true killing nature of dry metal; the sky is cold and clear, the dew is cold and chilly. At this time the collecting order is in full force, and it is easiest to borrow the power of heaven to help the human body gather the floating summer fire back into the kidney water.

The proverb "At White Dew, do not bare the body; at Cold Dew, do not bare the feet", at this time "one autumn rain, one spell of chill," so one must pay attention to keeping warm as the weather turns cool. But do not add clothes too much or too quickly; as the saying goes, "bundle up in spring, freeze in autumn." Moderately enduring some cold in autumn can remind the body to begin gathering its yang qi, which is beneficial for storing yang qi in winter.

At Cold Dew, pay attention to the following points in health cultivation:Sleep early and rise early, eat sparingly and move little, do not work too hard, do not sweat heavily, wear slightly thin clothing so the body can feel the cold autumn qi. Calm the mind and be alone, directing attention to Yongquan. In this way one can slowly mobilize the metal qi within the body, synchronizing the human body with the four seasons of heaven and earth. Soaking the feet in hot water before sleep is extremely effective for gathering yang. Never overeat raw and cold fruits; as yang qi first gathers and spleen yang has not yet recovered, the greatest care is needed, otherwise autumn diarrhea will occur frequently.

Frost's Descent (October 23, 2018)

Lu Zhaolin of the Tang dynasty wrote, "In autumn, the harsh frost descends, and the deeply worried are made unhappy by it; in winter, the yin qi accumulates, and the sorrowful-faced are made joyless by it." Entering autumn and winter, the weather gradually turns cold, and all trees are bleak; one is most prone to feeling sad. Sadness is the emotion of the lungs; sadness damages lung qi, and when qi stagnates, the liver becomes depressed, and depression gradually arises. Every year in autumn and winter, the depressed patients I treat in Austria gradually increase. I suggest that at this time one be more cheerful, smile more, socialize more with friends, and eat a little something spicy, which helps to vent lung qi and soothe liver depression.

We are now at Frost's Descent, when the yang qi between heaven and earth gathers and descends, and we feel colder and colder. When it is cold, wear more clothes; never complain about why the weather is so cold. One should know that the cold at this time is precisely for the warmth of the coming year. The proverb goes, "If there is no frost in the tenth month, there will be no bran in the mortar." If there is no frost at Frost's Descent, then the yang qi of heaven and earth must not be gathering; when spring comes there will be no yang to rise, grain will not grow, and the harvest will surely be poor. With no rice to pound, how sad that would be. Similarly, at this time health cultivation requires nourishing the gathering and storing of yang qi.

Analyzing from the eight trigrams: Frost's Descent is exactly late autumn and early winter, corresponding in the Later Heaven Bagua to Qian. Qian is the trigram of the northwest, belonging to metal in nature and descending. After the Summer Solstice, heavenly yang is outside; by autumn the summer heat wishes to gather inward and contends and struggles with earthly yin - this is called Qian. The Qian position is called the Heavenly Gate; at late autumn the gate of heavenly yang opens, and yang qi gradually gathers and stores into the earth. When yang gathers in the earth, it can secure and protect yin essence; when yin essence obtains yang, its generation has roots, to respond to the use of all things beginning anew.A skilled physician, when using herbs and applying needles, should take advantage of the opening of the Heavenly Gate and emphasize gathering yang and collecting descent.

Moreover, at Frost's Descent the sky is clear and the air crisp, yang qi gathers and is stored in the kidney water, and people respond accordingly, feeling full of energy and healthy and strong. If at this time a warm wind suddenly rises from the east, the root of yang is damaged. Wind wood sways, and ministerial fire does not store. Many people experience fatigue and lethargy, low spirits, poor concentration, and easy irritability, occasionally with red eyes and gritty eyes, which are also signs of wood fire floating upward. One needs to needle Xingjian to drain wind fire, needle Baihui to calm the spirit and stabilize the will, and needle Taiyuan to gather metal and descend on the right, pacifying wood qi. One may also needle the four points half a cun above, below, left, and right of the navel to secure the root and nourish the primordial, so that kidney water is calm, wind wood is pacified, and all symptoms disappear on their own.

In late autumn at Frost's Descent, the leaves of the mulberry tree, having received frost qi, flutter down. These leaves most fully obtain wood qi, and after being struck by frost also obtain metal qi; therefore, winter mulberry leaf is cold and cool in nature and best drains wood fire. For treating sore throat, itchy throat, and other ailments caused by wood fire floating upward, if the pattern identification is appropriate, using it can achieve rapid results. (This article is reposted from Dong Hongtao Studio; author Dong Hongtao; copyright belongs to the original author.)

Wonderful content