This time of year seems to always be a mix of events. I just returned earlier this week from a trip to Ireland teaching part two of a course on the fundamentals of Tung’s acupuncture, and it’s just great getting back to in-person teaching. We calculated that it was 16 years ago when I started teaching in Ireland, and every time I’m there it’s always a great trip with great East Asian medicine practitioners.
The down side of course is yet once again our Supreme Court here in the US continuing to reverse years of precedent that protects the weak, protects minorities, and ensures a fairer system of law. We’re also already a year out already from the Court’s abomination that was the gutting of 50 years of legal precedent for personal privacy and legal access to essential women’s health services. So yet once again, this July 4th was a bit less celebratory for us here.
Despite our cool Spring and start of Summer, we are now experiencing weather that has been very hot, and quite humid. Even indoors with air conditioning there is an oppressive feeling. The heat of Summer has definitely arrived and it is right on time, as today July 7th, starts the next seasonal node of 2023 - Minor Heat (Xiao Shu 小暑).
The Minor Heat seasonal node marks an important change in the movement of Qi in the natural world. Summer Solstice (Xia Zhi 夏至) began the transition from Yang-expansion to Yin-contraction in the environment. Therefore, Minor Heat is the first seasonal node in the nascent Yin time of the year. However, although we are transitioning into the Yin time of the year, it is still hot and getting hotter. Weather change happens slowly. Think of it like a train barreling ahead at high speed. Once the conductor decides to stop the train and put it in reverse, she first puts on the breaks. Even though the breaks are applied, it takes several hundred feet before the train actually stops. Only then will it very slowly start moving in reverse. The movement of the seasons is just like this. Once we have flipped the switch from Yang to Yin, the weather still continues to warm for some time before the very slow movement in the opposite direction begins.
The smaller segments of the seasons for this Node are Warm Winds Arrive (温風至), First Lotuses Blossom (蓮始開), and Hawks Learn to Fly (鷹乃学習). These three are the traditional Japanese version of the mini-seasons. The Chinese version is slightly different, with the second being called Crickets Take Up Residence in Walls (蟋蟀居壁). Personally, I’d rather have lotuses rather than crickets invading my house!
The most important “to do” recommendation during this time is to nourish the Heart by maintaining an optimistic outlook – something I’m personally trying to do despite what I mentioned in the introduction above. Why is this? June and July are the months associated with the Fire phase. Also, if we overlay the 12 time periods of the day with the 12 months of the year (i.e., the 12 two-hour periods of the day that each correspond to one of the primary channels), June is the time of the Heart channel and July the Small Intestine channel - both are Fire. Since this is the Fire Phase time of year, it is the time of the Heart Zang. We nourish the Heart by keeping a calm mind and being optimistic. Pessimism or other negative emotional states can lead to patterns such as Liver stagnation, which in turn can transform into heat and harass the Heart. We can also nourish the Heart and regulate the Fire phases by doing some specific Qigong exercises (we are doing some of these in our online practice sessions).
As mentioned above, the first 5-day period of Minor Heat is known as Wen Feng Zhi (溫風至), - Warm Winds Arrive. This certainly describes what is happening in the weather right now, especially in the Northeastern United States! The weather has been hot and humid. Therefore, we need to be careful about environmental dampness damaging the body. As clinicians we should instruct patients who are prone to damp patterns on how to eat, dress, etc… In this light the main “to avoid” this time period is undue exposure to cold and excessive consumption of cold items (both cold temperature and cold thermal nature). While it may seem logical to be in cold places in cold weather, there is certainly a problem in the west with using air conditioners to cool rooms to temperatures lower than we’d feel comfortable with in winter! Furthermore, the overconsumption of cold (and especially cold and sweet) food and drink damages the Spleen leading to more damp accumulation. Instead, we should drink beverages that are cooling, as well as either bitter (to drain), or acrid (to move). This will cool the body without developing damp stagnation. Examples include green teas, or chrysanthemum and mint herbal teas. In China summer is the season to drink green teas such as the famous Dragon Well – Long Jing Cha 龍井茶.
Diet for Minor Heat
Because now is the time of significant dampness and heat, in general we should consume foods that are cooling and either bitter or acrid (which can drain damp). For example, this is the time of year to consume in-season fresh greens. In addition to chrysanthemum and mint we can also consume lotus leaf tea; lotus is a plant with a summerheat cooling nature that is also slightly bitter to drain heat and dampness. Advise patients to sip fluids throughout the day so they don’t dehydrate rather than drinking copious amounts of iced beverages all at once that may exacerbate damp conditions. If patients have damaged fluids, they can consume cooling and moist vegetables (such as cucumber) or fruits (such as watermelon).
One traditional recipe for this time of year is congee made from Yi Yi Ren (pearl barley) and adzuki beans. This basic combination is mild and neutral in temperature, and both the Yi Yi Ren and adzuki beans drain dampness. Yi Yi Ren strengthens the Spleen and adzuki beans clear heat as well.
This time of year it is also a great idea to start preparing herbal formulas that will be used in the colder weather. My next blog post coming soon will discuss making a medicated wine for the cold seasons to come.