One of my favorite sayings in Chinese Medicine is, “Wind is the carrier of 1000 diseases.” 

This does not mean an air or physical wind, but a state of dis-ease when the body is out of balance. Wind is considered the backbone of many diseases, and affects the body in the same way as sudden gust of wind affects trees, shaking leaves and branches creating havoc.

CAN YOU FEEL THE SHIFT?

It's that time when the hot summer days shorten, cold creeps in mornings and night, and the bright energy of summer is replaced by the slower, introspective, contracting energy of Autumn.

Summer are winding down and we are transitioning into the season of harvest. The expansive energy of summer lingers in the air, yet winds are picking up and the leaves are starting to fall. It’s time to take stock in the celebrating the abundance of summer and let it nourish our body and mind. 

Know that this is the energy of shifting seasons, and the effect on our mind-body can have real affects physically, emotionally and psychologically.

It is the long-awaited change of winter to spring. There is renewal and new life all around. Trees are sprouting, flowers have begun to bloom, and the sun warms us with longer days. It is a time of growth, regeneration and rebirth. Spring is time to address the health of the mind, body, and spirit. The energy of spring is abundant with the Wood element in Chinese Medicine; a time of immense, irrepressible growth. In Spring, the Wood element is considered New Yang.

Kidneys are the source of all energy (Chi) within the body, and they store the reserves of Chi we need to handle stress and change, heal, prevent illness and age in health. Much like the parasympathetic system of the body, Kidneys provide the energy to spring forward into health.In winter, make sure to nurture and nourish Kidney Chi, as it is easy to feel zapped and easily depleted of energy.

Traditional health sciences of India and China share many similiar concepts.  Ayurveda, the ancient tradition of India, is usually translated as "science of life". Chinese philosophy and social structure are integrally related to the harmony of body and spirit. Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine see  these concepts as instructional, rather than scientific, and aimed at enhancing life. Both  systems  focus on balancing Energy for optimum health.

In celebrations of food around the New Year, many dishes and ingredients sound like Good Luck words and phrases, and foods become symbolic in eating and offering. Food offerings are a prayer to ancestors or the Jade Emperor and The Kitchen God.

Autumn is ruled by Metal, and  time to gather and organise for winter, return inside and reflect on life. We use metal to help us collect and harvest in the form of tools and vessels. This is a time to seek to restore balance in the world and in ourselves.

There are some reasonable comparisons of Indian and Chinese traditional medicine. The Chinese system describes excess and deficiency conditions, and the Ayurvedic system depicts excitation or disturbance (Vitiation), and sluggishness of the doshas. These imbalances correspond with Chinese excess and deficiency theory.