Autumn is one of my favourite seasons of the year, though according to Taoist philosophy, there can be no favourites – the seasons are as they are and we can enjoy them all! The weather is mild, the air feeling fresh and crisp and of course, the change that is happening in nature is beautiful
Summer is a Yang season, which means that lightness, brightness, liveliness, expansion, growth and creativity are the principles that hold true at this time of year. So to live in accordance with these natural principles to enhance your health, the lifestyle we live and the foods we eat are important. The last post focused on
Unfortunately, the Chinese sage is not I, but is the famous Yellow Emperor (Huang Di), an emperor who reigned in the middle of the third millenium BCE and wrote one of the most important classics of Taoism, the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing), which gives a holistic picture of human life.
If you look about you and see what is going on in nature in Spring, you’ll see a lot of growth, which tends to have an active and ascending nature. Your body functions best when it is in harmony with nature so these same characteristics of growth correspond to the type of food that is
It is definitely lovely to be seeing growth abound in nature at the moment, but for 1 in 5 of the Australian population, this may be accompanied by a groan because it marks the start of the “hayfever season”. Hayfever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, occurs in people who have a hypersensitive reaction to
Spring is here – the bite in the air is gone, there is finally warmth you can actually bask in, the leaves are returning and the flowers are blooming. It is a season of birth and rejuvenation and in Chinese Medicine, for optimal health, it is best to live in accordance with these natural principles,
About 1 in 10 people have at least a moderate level of insomnia. Most people just live with it but over time, their body doesn’t get the recovery that it would normally get during sleep and their memory, concentration and health worsen. I believe that getting a good night’s sleep is one of the keys
Ju Hua, pronounced “joo hwa”, is the Chrysanthemum flower. I love having this as a tea – its flowery flavour has a distinct and soothing taste. In a tea, it is often made with the dried flowers but it is also available as a powdered granule combined with cane sugar – highly delicious but they
In Chinese Medicine, being in tune with nature is important in maintaining health and preventing illness, and a part of this is being able to change with the seasons. Throughout the year, we experience change from the heat of Summer to the dryness of Autumn, to the cold of Winter and the wind of Spring.
“The sages lived peacefully under heaven on earth, following the rhythms of the planet and the universe. They adapted to society without being swayed by cultural trends. They were free from emotional extremes and lived a balanced, contented existence. Their outward appearance, behaviour, and thinking did not reflect the conflicting norms of society. The sages