Five Elements: Late Summer
Late summer is a hot and humid rainy season. This transitional season frequently starts out quite warm in mid-July, but then becomes cooler in August. Late Summer is the energy of the Earth. It’s time when Earth’s fruits and vegetables are ripening and getting ready for harvest.
From TCM point of view dampness and heat are among six pathogenic factors that affect our bodies. As ‘dampness goes into Spleen’ minding Spleen during late summer is the priority.
The nature of dampness is sticky, heavy and turbid. It is difficult to eliminate.
Once dampness combines with the heat and enters Spleen it leads to many digestive problems such as:
– Stuffy, distending feeling in the stomach area
Five Elements: Summer
Stay healthy this summer following simple Chinese Medicine rules
The Five Elements are one of the pillars of the Oriental culture; they are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each element corresponds with different season, stage of growth and internal organs in human body.
Summer is the energy of Fire, which represents joy, laughter, passion, love and growth. It’s the season of growth and maturation, warmth, activity and relationships. Our gardens are blossoming, fruits and vegetables are growing, animals are getting ready to have offspring.
According to Chinese Medicine there is a strong connection between the nature and human body. Health is defined as a harmonious balance of all five elements. To nourish it we should follow the changes of natural environment and seasons, keep in balance with the nature and avoid the invasion of exogenous pathogenic factors (wind, heat, dampness, dryness, cold and summer heat).