五行 Wu Xing (Five elements): TCM annual wellness program overview

Spring- sprouting/ birth

According to the five elements, spring and liver are correlated due to their similar character. Hence, TCM nourishing attention is centered on liver wellness in spring.

The Chinese have a saying “autumn wind sweeps fallen leaves, spring breeze brings rebirth.” I always imagine spring breeze like a flying alarm, waking up vitality in animals and plants on her path.

The vitality here is the yang qi stored in us over the winter season. Our yang qi rises towards the skin, activating various organs and improving circulation along the way. This change of state from hibernation to full body activeness can be exhausting and causes some people to be tired. Chinese calls this the “spring sleepiness”.

However, sleeping is not good for the germination of yang qi. TCM’s wellness wisdom recommends fewer sleep and waking up early in spring and doing sports or exercise outdoors to help overcome the sleepiness and support our body transiting into it’s more active state.

Keep a happy, easy, cheerful mind and go out to nature, soak in the energy of rebirth in the forest. This will help harmonise the qi in liver and maintain a good balance with other organs. The liver has a outgoing character. Depression and melancholy can hurt the liver in turn.

Nourishing food for liver in spring: Shepherd’s purse, spinach, yam, mussels, Tremella(snow fungus), oat and Chrysanthemum Mulberry Tea

Summer- growth

After birth in spring, summer is all about growing bigger and stronger. The rich yang qi covers the ground in green and thickens the forest with foliage.

As yang qi comes to the surface and drives the blood to support the growth from within, our internal yang qi is relatively low in summer. For some, this lower level of internal yang qi can lead to chest tightness, shortness of breath, and excessive sweating. While yang qi is needed for growing outwards, it is also necessary to have a healthy level of qi internally to maintain the basic functioning of the organs.

According to the five elements, summer and the heart are linked due to their similar character. Hence, TCM nourishes the heart as the main organ in summer. Due to the summer heat and the growth, a lot of energy is used and we tend to be exhausted easier. It is recommended to start the day early while it is cooler, taking a siesta around mid day to avoid the heat and recharge ourselves at the same time, and continue in the cooler late afternoon and go to bed later than in other seasons.

Heat also make us more irritable. Be mindful of your feelings. The summer qi is yang in principle, with an outgoing characteristic. Do not oppress feelings. Let them out but don’t be taken over. Our heart is particularly sensitive to anger. So keep a lid on it. Moderation is an important guiding principle in TCM.

Dietary principle: light on flavouring, plenty of water, more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and less greasy and sweet foods

Nourishing food for heart in summer: seaweed soup, Lotus seed porridge, Mung bean porridge

Autumn- harvest/ gather

In autumn, yang qi retreats and yin qi rises. The restlessness (yang) of the growth comes to an end. Along with it comes maturity, a sense of calmness (yin) settles in.

Based on the five elements system, autumn and the lungs are connected. The autumn qi and the qi of the lung are in sync. Both share the character of withdrawing, retreating. When leaves fall in autumn, our qi and blood withdraw and gather inside us. Sadness and grief are also linked to the lungs in the five elements system. Don’t overdose on sadness. It will hurt your lungs and cause an imbalance among the 5 organs.

TCM recommends to sleep and get up early in autumn. This is because our yang qi is out and active in the day, and should be withdrawn and rested in the night.  Mirroring the natural rhythm, this autumn sleeping schedule helps to gradually store yang qi in the body.

The Yellow Emperor’s book about the internals points out the importance of replenishing yin qi in autumn. In TCM, yin refers to our various body fluids. As blood and qi withdraw inwardly, their levels on the skin become lower naturally. On top of that, externally, the air is drying up, this often results in dryness in the mouth, nose, throat, skin and stool in autumn.

Choose less strenuous exercise and sports for autumn to avoid losing too much body fluid and yang qi.

Nourishing food for lung in autumn: more moisturising and yin nourishing food, like Sesame, honey, dairy, sugar cane, pear; less spicy food, like chili, ginger, spring onion.

Winter- store

Entering winter, yin qi continues to rise, heading to its maximum, the winter solstice. Being the counterpart of yang (active), yin is calm in nature.

Winter in a year is like the night in a day. This is time to rest and repose. To mirror the natural rhythm, we should sleep early and get up late, because sleep is good for storing our yang qi in the body. And winter is all about storing for the new life cycle to start next spring.

To store yang qi, avoid too much physical labour, dress warm to stop losing yang qi and bathe your feet in the evening to promote quality sleep.

Based on the five elements system, winter and kidney are correlated and the emotional counterpart is fear. Avoid being in fear too frequently to protect your kidney’s wellbeing. In TCM, ears are the kidneys’ external corresponding body parts. Frequently massaging the ears is beneficial to the kidneys.

As mentioned, sleep is important in winter, especially sleep between 11pm and 1am replenishes the kidneys’ yin qi and between 11am and 1pm boosts kidneys’ yang qi. Take a midday nap in winter if you can.

Repose

In yin (calm) qi, predominant in winter, repose is an essential part of the winter nourishment. Reading, listening to music, being in the sun, taking in “aroma essence”, like eating tangerine, are helpful in setting our mind in repose.

Nourishing food for kidneys in winter: black colour food is generally nourishing for kidney, e.g. black bean, black sesame, black rice. Otherwise, chestnut, Chinese yam rhizome, lamb, honey, Gordon Euryale seed and walnut are recommended for winter dietary.