A Chinese Weather Report
By Thea Harlans

If you have ever been to see a practitioner of acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine and come out with a diagnosis like "wind-heat" or "wind-cold," you may think you walked into the Weather Channel instead of a medical office. The reason such a diagnosis often sounds like a weather report--"wind-heat-damp-cold"--is that Chinese Medicine evolved from an agrarian culture. Internal conditions are described in the same terms as outer climate. Thus we hear the term dampness used to describe an accumulation of fluids (phlegm) that the body is unable to diffuse. Symptoms that indicate such dampness also usually reveal its anatomical location, i.e. sinus problems indicate congestion in the cranial cavities, a cough indicates fluid in the lungs, and "foggy" thinking is a non-specific dampness that may precede a runny nose or a cough. Luckily for us, though we can't do much about the weather outside, there's a lot we can do for the "inner weather."

In the oldest known document of classical Chinese medicine, the Nei Jing or Yellow Emperor's Classic, from 200 BC. the primary emphasis is on attunement with nature as the basis for a healthy and well-lived life. The Nei Jing focuses on climate, especially wind and cold as the causes of disease; however, seen in a larger context, "nature, seasons, and climate" not only refer to physical environment but also to an individual's lifestyle and emotion. The Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, is used here as a metaphor for the culture that settled along the Yellow River following the Warring States period of Chinese history, a chaotic period after which it was possible to settle down and develop a civilization and written texts. (Prior to this, Chinese medicine was primarily an oral tradition passed down from teacher to student, an aspect that endures to this day.)

The question-and-answer format of the book reflects and records the understanding of the time regarding a well-lived life--one that integrates nature, lifestyle, and emotion--hallmarks that have become the foundation of Oriental Medicine as it is practiced all over the world. So when the question is asked "Why don't people live as long as the ancients?" the response of the Yellow Emperor seems strangely modern: "They are out of sync with nature, they indulge emotions, they partake of excessive sex and alcohol and they eat too many tasty things." The Yellow Emperor's advice is not always so global and philosophical. He teaches us, for example, that the injuries caused by the climate of one season become manifest in the following season. There is a great deal of practical information we can draw from this principle that will give us a smooth transition into the fall season.

So what are the injuries of the summer that may cause us difficulty in the fall? Excessive heat and humidity, or "summer-heat" as it is clinically termed, occurs when one's ability to sweat is impaired, a condition during which excessive heat may be trapped in the body. During the summer heat itself, hot spices can be used in cooking to induce sweat and cool the body. However, if the condition continues into the fall, bitter greens in salads or steamed vegetables are used to cool the body. Dandelion, fennel and artichokes are a few that will cool and clean the liver with quick results. Dandelion root is sold in capsules at your local health food store, dandelion root can be brewed as a tea. If your lawn is chemical-free, you can use the dandelions in your own backyard.

One modern-day manifestation of trapped heat can be seasonal allergies, as the internal heat makes us much more sensitive to any irritant. So, in addition to the cooling techniques already mentioned, here's a simple way to alleviate the allergic symptoms and boost the immune system's efforts to push the heat out of the body: Put a few drops of essential oil of peppermint in a tea cup of boiling water and inhale the fumes in order to open the head and sinus. Energetically speaking, the directionality of the immune system moves up: the defensive qi or energy of the body tries to push a pathogen up and out of the body before it reaches the chest. If the head is not open, the body cannot push out the pathogenic factor. (Caution--essential oil of peppermint is too strong for prepubescent children, individuals with hypertension, and anyone in a weak and fragile condition). Another quick fix to keep in your pantry for season allergies is Chrysanthemum flower tea, which quickly soothes irritated and red eyes and is available at many health food stores and oriental food stores.

In addition to the heat symptoms we've discussed, unresolved "summer heat" may also lead to excess dampness trapped deep in the body as we move into a cooler season. Cold constricts the body and pulls the dampness into a deeper level. We may have added to this dampness by the excess intake of cold foods and drinks. Cold taxes the spleen, which according to Chinese medicine is responsible for the transformation and transportation of fluids as well as the production of blood. The spleen prefers steamed and cooked foods, moderately warm spices, and has an aversion to cold, dairy and sugar. Excess dampness can manifest itself at a deeper level as respiratory problems or joint problems. A half hour of brisk walking daily at a pace that breaks a sweat is a good remedy for both respiratory and joint problems. The body should be well covered and allowed to cool down after exercising when the pores are open. You run the risk of exposing yourself to other pathogens if you skip the "cool down" stage. Diffusing aromatic essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender in a room will enhance respiratory function. Apples, pears and millet help restore good lung and stomach fluids. Ginger tea warms and moves damp that may disrupt digestive function.

Fall is a windy season and the Nei Jing places great importance on Wind as the cause of thousands of diseases. Wind can be the actual physical climatic wind or it can be emotional aspects of our lives that demand change. To protect yourself from the physical wind, keep the back of your head and neck covered, because that's where the gates of wind are located. You may see people practicing Tai Chi outdoors wearing very light clothing, but they will always have a turtleneck or scarf protecting the back of the head and the neck to keep these winds out. These winds cause the respiratory problems that crop up in winter, so start protecting yourself now.

The metaphorical aspect of wind invites us to be open to change. Late summer to fall is a point of transition from yang to yin, from the expansive ascending warming growth of spring into summer, to the inward, cooler, consolidating and restorative energy of fall and winter. The energy of the body actually pulls inward, the pulses become less exuberant and the body prepares to restore itself. It is an appropriate time to attune ourselves to this change, to harmonize our diets with foods prepared simply with a minimum of seasonings and combinations and to rid ourselves of anything we don't want to pull in. Think of the harvest of fall, yellow and golden foods, round foods, squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, cabbage, millet, rice, apricots and cantaloupe, to name a few--and you will be well on your way. Be flexible--take a few moments to find the rhythm of your own breath and you will begin to feel the rhythm of the change around you.