Reasons for Nourishing Yang in Summer

Generally speaking, summer should be a time when the Yang Qi is relatively strong. Many people will ask, why do you still need to nourish yang in this season? Won't it bee too much?

In fact, the human body is prone to sweat in summer. "Sweat is a combination of yang plus yin." Sweating is inseparable from both yin and yang. The reason why people can sweat is because yang pushes yin out of the body, which forms sweat. Therefore, sweating too much not only hurts the yin. In the beginning it is hurting both the qi and yin. Over time, it becomes hurting both yin and yang. Sometimes people feel very tired after sweating profusely, which is actually the symptom of hurting the yang energy. In addition, the instinctive reaction of people in hot weather is to seek to cool down, but if the temperature is too low, it will hurt the yang as well. For example, if the temperature of the air conditioner is too low, it will hurt the yang after a long period of time and cause some "air-conditioning sickness."

The treatment method of Chinese medicine is called "adjusting according to the situation." In summer, replenishing the yang is actually utilizing the weather as the yang is strong at the time and the treatment effect will be better than doing it in the winter. The San Fu Tian treatment and the saying of treating winter illness in summer are the application of such theory. Someone once questioned the San Fu Tian treatment and was skeptical about its effectiveness. It should be noted that health preservation itself is a process of correcting physique, and the effect will definitely be slow. Many health-preserving methods of Chinese medicine are not too magical. Persistence is the only key. For example, after having the San Fu Tian treatment, there may not be any effect in the first year and no significant effect in the second year. But after the third year, the effect will become obvious.

The San Fu Tian treatment is more suitable for people with yang deficiency and shall not be abused. For example, people who belong to a fiery physique will definitely not response well to the treatment. Another point is to look at where the sticker used in the treatment is sticked to. Some acupuncture points are suitable for everyone. For example, Zusanli (足三里) is a strong acupoint that can be sticked by men, women and children, but some acupuncture points cannot be sticked casually. Therefore, whether it is San Fu Tian treatment or yang nourishing medicine, they may be ineffective or even counterproductive if incorrectly applied. It is recommended that if you have problems to any of the above, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible. (This column is published every Friday)