Embrace the Seasonal Flow
You are determined to lose weight, get fit, learn a new skill. It’s ideal to embark on such new tasks right now with the start of spring.
Spring is upon us for those of us living in the Earth’s northern hemisphere.
Temperatures are becoming warmer and we enjoy more hours of daylight. Nature is vividly expressing itself, as flowers push up from the soil, new foliage emerges on trees, animals out of winter hibernation scurry about, and birds back from winter migration chirp away outside our windows.
Nature's seasonal flow of energy applies to humans, too, under the beliefs of Chinese tonic herbalism. We benefit when we adapt to be in sync with the energy dynamic of each season, according to Ron Teeguarden, a master Chinese herbalist and purveyor of the Dragon Herbs Chinese herb shops in Los Angeles.
Takeaways
1. Spring is an ideal time to start resolutions since energy levels are rising in and around us.
2. Each of the year's four seasons has a unique energy dynamic.
3. Adapting to these seasonal energies can have a profound impact on our health.
For example, right now, many of us have begun experiencing “spring fever,” the strong desire to be outside and active after months of leading more-sedentary lives during the cold winter months. Spring is “a period of time when energy is rising,” said Teeguarden, who has been training in, and practicing, Chinese herbalism for approximately 50 years. "It's a powerful force," he said.
Photo courtesy of 123rf.com
During the winter, it’s “probably not the best time” to start resolutions, such as a new exercise regime, since we are "supposed to be holding on" to our "jing" during those months, said Teeguarden. In Chinese tonic herbalism, jing is the primal energy of life.
But, if we wait until the spring fever hits us to start that activity, “there is a lot more power" behind that resolution, he said. Thus, we might find ourselves being more successful in those endeavors.
Teeguarden made these comments during a weekend seminar he hosted on Chinese tonic herbalism Jan. 11-12, 2020, at Dragon Herbs' shop in Santa Monica, California. My sister Patricia and I were quite fortunate to attend this wonderfully enriching educational event, and Teeguarden, his wife, Yanlin Teeguarden, and the entire Dragon Herbs staff deserve much credit for offering it. I have been using Dragon Herbs products since 2014, and I think Teeguarden—who has a second Dragon Herbs store in LA’s Beverly Hills neighborhood and also sells his products online—has some of the finest-quality Chinese tonic herbs available, if not the best outright.
“We should take measures proactively to adapt to the seasonal changes rather [than] being impacted or overwhelmed by them.”
Tonic herbs (e.g., ginseng, reishi mushroom, schizandra berry) are those herbs that we can take each day to help promote our wellness, enhance vitality, and build our bodies' resiliency and adaptability to boost our longevity. Chinese herbalism does not consider tonic herbs to be remedial, meaning medicinal or for the elimination of disease.
Ron Teeguarden discusses Chinese tonic herbalism during a seminar on Jan. 12, 2020, at his Dragon Herbs shop in Santa Monica, California. Photo by Michael Sirak
The seminar took place before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the United States. Admittedly, it may be much more difficult for many of us to move out on some resolutions right now—especially outdoor or social activities—due to the restrictions on freedom of movement and gatherings that authorities have imposed on us to stem the virus's spread. However, I think the ideas covered below still apply.
Before continuing the discussion of spring and tackling the other seasons, let me first explain one of the major concepts of Chinese tonic herbalism: "The Guiding Principle" of yin and yang. To do this, I will rely on Teeguarden's seminar comments, along with information from his seminar briefing slides, the Dragon Herbs website, and the appendix on Chinese tonic herbalism found in the company’s product catalog (version 5.0).
Yin and Yang
The Guiding Principle is the belief that "yin" and "yang," two opposing yet interdependent forces, are the basis of our health, and life, in general.
Yin is the force associated with accumulating, assimilating, and storing energy in the body for later use. Thus, yin is normally connected with rest, receptivity, and quietude.
Yang represents the force that expends energy; it is tied to action, expansion, expression, and movement.
Both forces always are present in the body’s structure and functions. You cannot have one of these forces without the other, as yin supplies yang and yang manifests yin.
“Life itself is entirely a matter of yin and yang forces working together, maintaining dynamic balance (scientists call it homeostasis) on the microscopic and macroscopic scale,” read one of Teeguarden’s briefing slides.
The symbol for yin and yang. Photo courtesy of 123rf.com
We achieve optimal health when we can cultivate the proper balance of these two forces in our bodies—and taking Chinese tonic herbs may help us in this regard (more on that later). Conversely, sickness represents the prolonged imbalance of yin and yang, while death signifies their separation.
Yin and yang are cyclical. As one force progresses, the other recedes, and then the phases reverse. “This cyclic movement and change results in the maintenance of a harmonious, properly balanced whole,” states the Dragon Herbs product catalog.
Nature reflects this flow. Each year has two main phases: the yang period, those months (i.e., December to June) during which the days become longer, lighter, and warmer; and the yin period, the months (i.e., June to December) when the days grow shorter, darker, and colder.
The four seasons represent the cycle in this way: Spring is the beginning of yang (yang within yin). Summer is the time of full yang. Fall is the start of yin (yin within yang). Winter is the period of full yin.
"The four seasons’ yin-yang transformation has profound impact on our health," stated a briefing chart. "We should take measures proactively to adapt to the seasonal changes rather [than] being impacted or overwhelmed by them. Our yin-yang should synchronize with nature’s yin-yang.”
Now let's look more closely at the dynamics of each season. The following sections include Teeguarden's suggestions on tonic herbs we could take during the different times of the year. Please understand that Teeguarden makes no medical claims nor gives medical advice, and nothing I write below should give the impression that he does so in any way whatsoever.
Spring
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As previously discussed, spring—the beginning of the yang period—is the time of rising energy in nature and in our bodies.
The season is associated with the liver, which stores blood and controls the flow of "qi" energy throughout the body, according to a briefing slide. (Each of the seasons is tied to a major organ, as you will see.) Qi, pronounced “chee,” is the energy we acquire through breathing and eating that manifests in action and thought. Think of it as our day-to-day vitality.
Qi is more abundant in the liver during this time of the year; rising early and going to sleep late helps to match that energy, said Teeguarden at the seminar.
“Our yin-yang should synchronize with nature’s yin-yang.”
The liver "likes to stretch and hates stagnation,” so “cultivate your will to grow" during this time, he said.
Spring is also a good time to tune and cleanse the liver, said Teeguarden. He recommended tonic herbs like goji berries, gynostemma leaf, reishi mushroom, and schizandra berry.
It's also a time to find healthy outlets for releasing any pent-up emotions, said Teeguarden. “Learn to control anger, as that is the aberrant emotion associated with the liver," he said.
Summer
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Summer, the time of full yang, is linked to the heart. "It’s time for love; it’s time for an expression of that," said Teeguarden.
As with spring, qi is abundant, so it's best to rise early and go to sleep late to flow with that, he said.
With hot temperatures and excess dryness in some places, "it is worth it to be moderate" in our actions, said Teeguarden. "Be careful not to get heat stroke. That sounds trite, but if you get too hot, … it hurts your heart, hurts your brain," he said. Accordingly, "swim when possible," he said.
American ginseng, chrysanthemum, and gynostemma leaf are among the tonic herbs that help to cool the body when there is excess heat, according to a briefing slide and the product catalog.
To help counter extreme dryness and restore body fluids, consider tonic herbs like Chinese licorice, dendrobium, goji berry, and schizandra berry, said Teeguarden.
Fall
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Fall, the start of the yin period, is the time to protect our qi and start storing it for next year, said Teeguarden. We should rise early and go to sleep early to flow with the season's energy, he said.
“The whole concept with fall is like harvesting your field," said Teeguarden. "It’s like you are separating essence from the waste, … you cut it down to the essence," he said.
That applies both to accumulating qi and, at a deeper level, to building wisdom by gleaning the lessons from our experiences and letting go of memories and emotions that hold us back, he said.
The lungs are dominant during the fall, so “do more deep breathing exercises," as “the breath helps you to take in and let go," said Teeguarden.
“A contemplative mood is appropriate in the fall," but "protect against becoming gloomy," he said.
Teeguarden suggested taking tonic herbs like asparagus root, ophiopogon root, and schizandra berry to help bolster the lungs and keep them moist, since fall tends to be dry.
Winter
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Winter, the time of full-blown yin, is the season during which we should accumulate jing and tonify and build the strength of our kidneys, said Teeguarden. The kidneys store jing for the body.
Jing, translated as "regenerative essence," is "fundamental to life," states the Dragon Herbs product catalog. "It is the deepest source of energy in the body and is associated with our genetics. Jing is also our long-term energy and may be thought of as our life-force reserve," it states.
"Jing energy is depleted by living itself, but most especially by stress, excessive behavior, and overwork," states the catalog. Although the body has certain regenerative power and we can replenish our jing with tonic herbs, "when our jing is used up, we die," it states.
Tonic herbs supporting the kidneys and building jing include: asparagus root, deer antler, dendrobium root, eucommia bark, goji berry, he shou wu root, ophiopogon root, rehmannia root, and schizandra berry, according to a briefing slide and the catalog.
“The four seasons’ yin-yang transformation has profound impact on our health.
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"This is the time when your body will absorb them. You can build your jing. You can build it twice as fast now as you would have in the fall, three times as fast as you would in the summer," said Teeguarden.
Less sexual activity during this season will help to preserve jing, he said, adding with a smile that this doesn't mean we have to have "a lot less."
During the winter, we should rise late—ideally becoming active after sunrise—and go to sleep early, said Teeguarden.
Winter is also the time to conserve qi; reducing intake of cold foods will help in that regard, he said.
To protect against extremes of cold weather, tonic herbs like astragalus root, cinnamon bark, and red ginseng help to warm the body, according to a briefing slide.
The sign in front of Dragon Herbs’ Chinese tonic herb shop in Santa Monica, California. Photo by Michael Sirak
The seasonal energy dynamic of the yin-yang cycle is powerful and there are steps we can take to align ourselves with it to bolster our health and well-being.
If you’ve fallen off the wagon and have not kept up with the 2020 resolutions you boldly launched back in the cold of January, don't beat yourself up. Now, with the arrival of spring, is the time to (re-)engage.
There are many additional aspects and levels of Chinese tonic herbalism that I did not cover. I highly recommend you take advantage of Dragon Herbs' resources to learn more.
