Law of Five Elements, seasons - flavors - activity *
August 2, 2024•360 words
(I add the asterix at the end of a post title to indicate a post with practical, real life advice)
The Law of Five Elements applies to all living things but Chinese saw patterns of five all around us. They distinguish five seasons in a year and connect them to the elements:
- Wood: Spring, the season of birth and growing
- Fire: Summer the season of maturation
- Earth: late summer or Indian summer , the time of peaking and time of heavy, hot weather and the harvest
- Metal: Fall, the season of declining
- Water: Winter, the season in which things die and, at the end of Winter the life in nature returns again.
In Chinese medicine, the five seasons are used for recovery of organs associated with each season. These are the months when special attention is placed on "treating in season".
Wood: Liver and Gallbladder
Fire: Heart and Small Intestine; Pericardium and Tripple Heater
Earth: Spleen and Stomach
Metal: Lung and Large Intestine and
Water: Kidney and Bladder
To help these organs, in their season you can add more foods with tastes that stimulate the associated organs:
Spring - Wood, add Sour foods
Summer - Fire, add more Bitter foods
Later Summer - Earth, add fruits
Fall - Metal, add more Spicy foods and
Winter - Water, add Salty foods in moderation.
Be reasonable and moderate - natural foods of these tastes are supposed to be taken in moderation and with awearness that they may harm you when taken in excess.
Another way to improve your health is to match your activity levels to the season:
Spring - Wood, time to "spring forward" and get active (in moderation)
Summer - Fire, another Yang season is the time for outdoors, hiking, beach sports, etc.
Late Summer - Earth, time to slow down and find a good balance between activity and rest
Fall - Metal is the time of the year to be moderate, not too much activity, preparing for
Winter - Water is the season to sit by the window in a rocking chair, observing the world outside, contemplating the past year and planning for Spring.