by Joseph Furedi | May 25, 2025 | Yin Yang Wisdom
As the Winter Solstice arrives — the shortest day and the longest night of the year — In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this period Yin energy reaches its peak, and Yang energy begins to rise.
Aligning with the Season
TCM teaches us to live in harmony with nature’s rhythms. Winter is the season of rest, restoration, and “storing”. Just as trees draw energy inward and animals hibernate, we too are encouraged to slow down, preserve our energy, and cultivate warmth within.
According to TCM, winter is associated with the Kidneys, which are seen as the source of our deepest energy, or Jing (essence). This makes winter the most important time to protect and nourish kidney energy, which governs growth, reproduction, and longevity.
Key Practices for Winter Wellness
- Rest and Stillness
Sleep is the foundation of winter wellness. Go to bed earlier and rise later, matching the longer nights. Conserve energy where possible — this is a time to withdraw from the intensity of outward activity and turn inward.
- Gentle Movement
Avoid overexertion. Instead, slow, mindful exercises like Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or walking. These help circulate Qi (vital energy) without depleting your reserves.
- Warm, Nourishing Food
Winter is ideal for tonic nutrition. Choose foods that warm the body and support kidney health:
Lamb, beef, ginger, garlic, cinnamon – to build Yang QI and circulate warmth
Black sesame, walnuts, black beans – nourish kidney essence
Bone broth, congee, stews – easy to digest and gently fortifying
Avoid raw, cold, or iced foods and drinks, which can weaken the stomach Qi and affect digestion
- Emotional Balance
In winter, we need to practice emotional stillness. Avoid extreme emotions.
- Some suggestions
• Foot baths: Soak your feet in warm water promote circulation and improve sleep in the evening for 10-15 mins
• Keep warm with your back. Stomach, legs and feet.
• Getting 15 minutes of morning sun can help mental and physical health .
• Avoid excessive sweating, Overeating and drinking .
• Avoid sleeping or lying down for more than 9 hours.
In TCM theory, winter is not a time of stagnation but of deep replenishment. What we do now—how we eat, rest, and care for ourselves—strengthens our vital Qi, so we will be healthy in the coming spring and summer.
Stay warm, stay mindful, and allow this season of stillness to become a source of strength.
Written by: Angela Tian Zhu.
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner
Tai Ji & Qi Gong Instructor.
by Joseph Furedi | Mar 30, 2025 | Yin Yang Wisdom
When we are complaining about the hot humid summer weather, autumn is not far away. Lately, I’ve been told by some patients that they are suffering from indigestion, gassy stomach and diarrhoea, and some patients told me that their children keep coughing with phlegm.
The laws of nature are: “Sow and grow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, store in winter. And our human bodies should follow the laws of nature to prevent illness and preserve health. To go with it will bring health, to go against it will bring illness”.
Summer is the perfect season for everything to grow; it is a season full of Yang energy. The weather is hot and people usually go to bed late and get up early. With a lot of sweat and being switched back and forth between the air-conditioned environment and outside temperature, our bodies keep adjusting the Qi and blood to keep up with our energy consumption, therefore, people can get energy-deficient sometimes.
In autumn, the law of nature is like this: everything matures and calms down in this season, the Yin energy increases, temperature drops, and wind becomes stronger (atmospheric pressure goes up), may dry heat diminish. Nature uses these natural phenomenon to drive away the wet and humid weather. So people have a clear and crisp climates’ feeling in autumn.
How to preserve our health in autumn?
- Restrain the functioning of Qi in autumn.
Early to bed and early to rise, keep a peaceful mind.
Indigestion is a common symptom in autumn, especially for children. Because of the wet and humid weather our gastrointestinal system can store some damp-heat, especially in those who are used to drinking icy water and having cold food. When the weather becomes cool in autumn, our bodies will automatically adjust to eliminate the dampness and heat inside, therefore symptoms like diarrhoea and gassy stomach might come along in autumn.
What can we do about it?
We have to pay attention to our diet from late summer to early autumn. Try to have lighter food, cut back on oily food and icy drinks. Please remember that bowel movement is necessary every day, so that our bodies can eliminate the waste in our alimentary canal to get rid of heat and dampness. For children, it’s important to keep their abdomen warm at night.
In hot summer, our bodies dissipate heat by keeping the pores open and sweating. When autumn comes, the temperature drops, usually it’s warm during the day and chilly at night and the air becomes drier. If no special attention is paid to keeping warm at night, then it’s easy to get a cold and cough.
So, in this season, we should make sure to keep warm if the weather suddenly change and have enough sleep at night, drink room-temperature or warm water, hot tea.
Summer goes and autumn comes, temperature fluctuates and then drops. Nature enters a phase where Yin energy thrives and Yang energy decreases. Some people may have lower mood sometimes. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Yin energy (chillness) increases, Yang energy (warmness) will decrease, during this time, depression can be triggered easily.
Therefore, to avoid depression and the recurrence of depression, we have to make sure our Qi and blood is strong. Pay attention to our clothing, food, sleep and lifestyle, restrain our Qi and be positive and optimistic. Preserving our health in autumn lays a good foundation for us in winter.
It is common for arthritis to occur during the end of summer and at the start of autumn. Cold, heat, wind and damp can be easily stored at the joints. Especially for people who are suffering from arthritis or people who have joint pain, recurrence could take place easily so it is important to conduct certain exercises for the joints. Cold, heat, wind and damp can be discharged of the joints with certain physical practices. Also do not stay or sleep in the draft. Keep your joints warm when the weather is getting colder. Take more rest when the joints are inflamed.
Tips:
- Clear the heat and dampness in our intestines and stomach.
- Eat more light food, vegetable and fruit. Try to have less fried food and meat.
- Kiwi fruit is rich in Vitamin C, which has good effect on relieving stomach and cleaning the bowels.
- Chinese radish: It has the effect of relieving gassy stomach, clearing bowels and food retention in stomach. You can have raw Chinese radish, boil it in the soup or stir-fry it.
- Tips for cold and cough
- Peppermint tea: It has the effects of detoxification and clearing heat in the lungs.
- Stay away from draught.
- Cut back on spicy food.
- Look after your emotions
Generally speaking, those people who are depressed because of the temperature drop; their constitution is characterized as weak in Yang energy. Yang energy has the effects of stimulating and promoting warmness. So, people who are weak in Yang energy should pay attention to keeping themselves warm, have warm drinks and food, try not to get over-excited and exhausted keep doing appropriate exercise, so that they can get enough energy to avoid and resist depression.
Exercise for the ten major joints every day. The ten joints are: Left and right shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles.
Prevention and wisdom are the two principles of Traditional Qi.
Written by Angela Tian Zhu
Third generation of Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Tai Ji and Qi Gong instructor.
Translated by Janet Zheng
© Copyright Angela Tian Zhu 2025
