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Spring EquinoxEnjoy the beautiful spring light together
Today we welcome the Spring Equinox, the fourth of the twenty-four solar terms in China, and also the fourth solar term of spring. According to the old lunar calendar, the Spring Equinox is the midpoint of the spring season, hence the name Spring Equinox.
According to the “Collected Explanations of the Seventy-Two Seasonal Phenomena”: “In the middle of February, ‘dividing’ means half; this is the half of ninety days, hence it is called ‘dividing’.” The “Spring and Autumn Annals: Yin and Yang” states: “The Spring Equinox is when Yin and Yang are equal, hence day and night are equal, and cold and heat are balanced.”
The word ‘Equinox’ reveals two meanings: On one hand, it refers to the equal division of day and night, each lasting 12 hours; on the other hand, it signifies the balance of spring. Additionally, the Spring Equinox is a solar term in which Yin and Yang are balanced, day and night are equal, and cold and warmth are half.
The Spring Equinox also holds significant astronomical importance, as on this day the sun shines directly on the equator, resulting in equal day and night in both hemispheres. After this day, the sun’s direct position continues to move northward, leading to longer days in the northern hemisphere and shorter days in the southern hemisphere. Climatically, there are also notable characteristics; after the Spring Equinox, except for the Tibetan Plateau, northeastern regions, northwestern regions, and northern parts of North China, the rest of China enters a bright spring.
Three Phenomena of the Spring Equinox
First Phenomenon: The arrival of the swallows; Second Phenomenon: Thunder begins to sound; Third Phenomenon: Lightning begins.
The arrival of the swallows: The swallow, known as Xuan Niao, arrives in spring and departs in autumn. The first phenomenon of the Spring Equinox, “The arrival of the swallows”, indicates that swallows come in spring and leave in autumn. When the swallows arrive, the vibrant spring has also arrived, with grasses sprouting and flowers blooming.
Thunder begins to sound: The interaction of Yin and Yang produces thunder; at this time, the Yang energy gradually increases, while there is still some Yin, thus the sound of thunder emerges; as noted in the “Yunhui”: “The emergence of the symbol is difficult.” The commentary states: “Emergence is akin to coming forth.”
Lightning begins: Lightning represents sunlight; as the Yang energy flourishes, when the Qi is released, light is born. Thus, the “Liji” states: “All sounds are Yang; light is also Yang. The “I Ching” states: “Thunder and lightning combine to manifest.” The “Gongyang Commentary” also states: “Lightning is the light of thunder.” Xu’s theory states: “Thunder is Yang, lightning is Yin.” This is incorrect; in the height of summer, there is no thunder, yet lightning still occurs, which can be observed.
In summary:Five days after the Spring Equinox, swallows begin to return from the south; another five days later, thunder begins to sound during rain; and another five days later, lightning begins to flash during rain. This marks the true arrival of spring and also indicates that the time for spring plowing has arrived.
Health Preservation during the Spring Equinox
During the Spring Equinox, day and night are equal, Yin and Yang are balanced, and all things in heaven and earth are in a state of Yin-Yang equilibrium. People should also adjust their health practices in accordance with the natural characteristics of heaven and earth, seeking harmony between Yin and Yang, and maintaining a state of balance. During this solar term, health preservation should align with the season, ensuring emotional expression is moderate, daily routines are regular, diet is adjusted, appropriate exercise is undertaken, and diseases are prevented to maintain the balance of Yin and Yang in the body.
Spring Equinox: Maintain a regular daily routine
The Spring Equinox falls in mid-spring, and daily routines should still adhere to the principles outlined in the “Huangdi Neijing: Suwen: Treatise on the Four Seasonal Adjustments”, which states: “In the three months of spring, this is called ’emergence’. Heaven and earth give birth together, and all things flourish. Sleep at night and rise early, walk widely in the courtyard, let your hair down and walk slowly to nurture your spirit.Do not kill, do not take away, reward but do not punish” as general health principles.
As spring is in full bloom, all things appear vibrant, but after entering spring, people often feel drowsy, dizzy, and sleepy, a phenomenon commonly referred to as ‘spring drowsiness’. Modern medicine believes that as spring arrives, the capillaries in the skin expand due to rising temperatures, increasing blood supply to the surface, while the blood flow to the brain decreases, affecting the oxygen supply to the brain, leading to the drowsiness associated with spring.
The effective way to resolve spring drowsiness is to maintain a regular daily routine, ensuring a consistent sleep schedule and moderate exercise. Regular routines help promote good sleep, and good sleep allows the brain to rest adequately, ensuring sufficient blood supply to the brain, thus alleviating daytime drowsiness and fatigue.
How to improve sleep? Before bed, you can soak your feet in warm water, drink a cup of hot milk, listen to soft music to calm your mind, and gather your Yang energy, which can help alleviate insomnia, vivid dreams, and waking symptoms, improving sleep quality. In the morning, you can also take walks, do exercises, practice Tai Chi, or jog to invigorate the Yang energy that has settled overnight, promoting the circulation of Qi throughout the body and adjusting the blood supply to the organs. When the organ functions are robust, drowsiness will naturally dissipate.
“In spring, do not reduce clothing; in autumn, do not wear hats.” During the Spring Equinox, temperatures have not fully warmed up, so do not remove winter clothing too early. Clothing should be adjusted according to temperature, with a preference for “thicker on the bottom and thinner on top”, ensuring “not too cold, not too hot”. Additionally, clothing should be loose and soft to align with the spring’s characteristics of growth and expansion.
Spring Equinox: Diet should balance cold and heat
On the day of the Spring Equinox, there is a local custom in Kaiping, Guangdong, called “eating spring vegetables”, aimed at encouraging outdoor activities. Picking wild vegetables outdoors promotes the rise of Yang energy, and the spring vegetables themselves have the effect of strengthening the spleen, dispelling dampness, and alleviating stagnation, making them excellent ingredients for health preservation during the Spring Equinox. Therefore, local residents have a saying: “Spring soup cleanses the organs, washing the liver and intestines; for the whole family, peace and health.”
Fresh “spring vegetables” can clear heat, soothe the liver, benefit the spleen, cleanse the intestines, and promote bowel movements, while also regulating excessive rising of liver Yang, making them suitable for individuals with internal heat constitution.
Common spring vegetables in Lingnan include Houttuynia cordata (fish mint), spinach, celery, and Portulaca oleracea (purslane).
· Houttuynia cordata can clear heat and resolve phlegm, preventing and treating influenza.
· Spinach is sweet and cool, clearing heat, detoxifying, nourishing blood, and moistening dryness.
· Celery is sweet and neutral, clearing heat, benefiting dampness, calming the mind, and subduing liver Yang.
During the Spring Equinox, dietary adjustments should be balanced; even for those with a neutral constitution, food choices should also balance cold and heat, and meat and vegetables. When consuming cold foods like seafood and vegetables, they can be paired with warm seasonings like scallions, ginger, and garlic to mitigate their cold nature. When consuming Yang-enhancing dishes like leeks, garlic, and ginger, they should often be paired with yin-nourishing ingredients like eggs, meat, and fish to counteract the rising nature of the ingredients. The Spring Equinox diet should balance cold and heat, ensuring that the flavors and effects do not lean towards one side, allowing Yin and Yang to mutually control and assist each other, preventing imbalances.
Spring Equinox: Emotional expression should be moderate
During the Spring Equinox, the spring atmosphere is strong, and liver Qi is also vigorous. The Yang energy of the liver rises, leading to an excess of liver fire, making it easy to disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang, especially in terms of emotions, which can often manifest as impatience and irritability in interactions with others. Spring Equinox health preservation emphasizes balance; at this time, one should maintain a calm mindset in accordance with the seasonal requirements, avoiding anger and irritation, dealing with matters in a gentle manner, and cultivating a tranquil heart to prevent disturbing liver Qi and causing Yin-Yang imbalance.
While maintaining a cheerful disposition, it is important to keep emotional balance, allowing for emotional expression but with moderation. If there is anger, it should be expressed, but not to the point of losing control; if there is joy, it should be sincerely expressed, but not excessively loud.
During weekends, one can go for a spring outing, enjoying nature, cultivating good emotions in the fresh air; or after work, gathering with friends for tea, chatting, or playing sports can also be uplifting.
Spring Equinox: Outdoor exercise is recommended
During the Spring Equinox, nature is balanced between Yin and Yang, and exercise should also harmonize the internal and external. It is advisable to spend more time outdoors in parks or the countryside, which can both exercise the body and uplift the mood, achieving two benefits.
In spring, it is best to engage in activities in sunny, well-vegetated areas, taking deep breaths to provide the brain with fresh oxygen, which can enhance mood, invigorate the spirit, and eliminate drowsiness.
Fly kites outdoors
Flying kites is a common folk activity during the Spring Equinox. The sunny weather during this time is perfect for outdoor activities. At this time, going out to fly kites, running, and exercising can promote the circulation of Qi and blood, aiding the rise of Yang energy, while also bringing joy and helping to smooth liver Qi, which is very beneficial for health preservation during the Spring Equinox.
Spring Equinox: Scalp massage and exercises
Procedure:
① Bend and bring together the fingers of both hands, lightly touch the scalp with the fingertips, and rub vigorously from front to back and from the center to the sides of the entire scalp several times until you feel the scalp relax and warm.
② Following the same front-to-back and center-to-sides order, apply firm pressure to the entire scalp ten times, using the pads of your fingers, avoiding using your nails.
③ Again, following the same order, scratch the scalp back and forth over short distances, similar to washing hair, scratching each area eight times, and repeating this for five times over the entire scalp.
④ Finally, gently massage the scalp.
Doing scalp exercises daily can significantly improve blood circulation in the brain, enhance memory, relieve dizziness and headaches, and achieve vitality, sharp thinking, and eliminate fatigue and drowsiness.
Spring Equinox: Prevent recurrence of old illnesses
With the arrival of the Spring Equinox, springtime warm diseases such as epidemic meningitis, influenza, mumps, whooping cough, rubella, measles, and epidemic parotitis become prevalent. Here are a few non-pharmaceutical dietary remedies for your reference.
Scallion and Fermented Soybean Soup
3 scallions, 10 grams of fermented soybeans. Add two cups of cold water, simmer on low heat until the liquid reduces to one cup, then stop the heat and let it cool slightly before consuming. Used to prevent and treat wind-cold colds.
Ginseng and Perilla Drink
15 grams of Codonopsis pilosula (Dang Shen), 15 grams of perilla leaves, 3 slices of ginger, 3 jujubes (sliced), decoct in water. Used for the early stage of wind-cold colds.
Radish and Scallion Drink
5 slices of white radish, 3 scallions. Decoction, strain, and drink as tea. Take once in the morning and once in the evening. Effective for preventing influenza and whooping cough.
Mung Bean and Cabbage Soup
60 grams of mung beans, 3 cabbage hearts. First, cook the mung beans until soft, then add the cabbage hearts and cook until done. Drink the soup and eat the mung beans and cabbage hearts. Used to prevent epidemic parotitis.
Children’s Chickenpox Formula
9 grams of reed root, 5 grams of mulberry leaves, 3 grams of cicada slough, 1 gram of mint, 5 grams of fermented soybeans, 2 grams of gardenia, 6 grams of honeysuckle, 6 grams of forsythia, and 6 grams of purple flower ground ivy. Decoction for oral administration. For children under three years old, indicated for early symptoms of chickenpox with fever and slight itching. If the chickenpox is surrounded by purplish-red spots, consider adding Isatis root, dandelion, or raw Rehmannia.
Spring Equinox Dietary Remedies
Leek and Shrimp Congee
Ingredients: 100 grams of rice, 50 grams of shrimp, 30 grams of leeks, 1000 milliliters of chicken broth.
Method: Clean and cut the leeks into sections, devein the shrimp, blanch, and chop; wash the rice, then put all three ingredients into a pot with chicken broth and cook into congee, adding salt to taste.
Effect: Nourishes Yang, strengthens tendons, and benefits the spleen. Suitable for those with Yang deficiency and cold intolerance, and soreness in the waist and legs.
Cold Dressed Houttuynia cordata
Ingredients: 250 grams of Houttuynia cordata, a little fine salt, chili oil, and sugar.
Method: Clean and cut the Houttuynia cordata, soak in salt water for a few minutes, then drain and mix with a little fine salt, chili oil, and sugar, and serve.
Effect: Clears the lungs, detoxifies, promotes urination, and alleviates dampness and constipation. Suitable for those with excessive liver Yang and lung heat with yellow phlegm.
Three Flower Tea
Ingredients: 6 rose buds, 6 jasmine flowers, 12 jasmine flowers, steeped in boiling water.
Effect: Soothes the liver, regulates Qi, invigorates blood circulation, and addresses sleep issues caused by liver fire.
During the Spring Equinox, take time to leisurely enjoy this tea. Before drinking, appreciate the shapes and colors of the flowers in the water, and inhale the fragrance, which can greatly help us express liver Qi.
Chenpi and Crucian Carp Soup
Ingredients: One crucian carp (about 250 grams), 100 grams of lean pork, 10 grams of ginger, 10 grams of dried tangerine peel, 3 grams of pepper, salt, and Shaoxing wine to taste.
Method: Clean the crucian carp, removing the internal organs and scales; clean and cut the lean pork; clean and slice the ginger; cut the dried tangerine peel into strips. Stuff the ginger, tangerine peel, and pepper into the crucian carp, and place it with the lean pork in a clay pot, adding an appropriate amount of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for one hour over low heat, adding salt and Shaoxing wine to taste before serving.
Effect: Strengthens the spleen, regulates Qi, and dispels dampness.
Eight Treasure Cake for Spleen Health
Ingredients: 250 grams of glutinous rice flour, 250 grams of fresh yam, 50 grams of lily, 15 grams of Solomon’s seal, 30 grams of fox nut, 20 grams of white lentils, 30 grams of Poria, 4 dried plums, and sugar to taste. Cut the dried plums into strips for later use.
Method: Clean and slice the fresh yam, wash the Solomon’s seal, lily, fox nut, and white lentils, and cook them together with the fresh yam until done. Grind the Poria into powder, mix it with glutinous rice flour, add sugar and an appropriate amount of water to make a batter, then mix in the cooked fresh yam, lily, fox nut, and white lentils, steam until cooked, and sprinkle with dried plums before serving.
Effect: Strengthens the spleen, nourishes the kidneys, and moistens the lungs.■
▲ Source: Guangdong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
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The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University
28 Liguang Road, Lishui Town, Nanhai District, Foshan City