Seasonal Nodes : Major Heat

Photo by @zezorzan

We are in the hottest time of the year according to the traditional Chinese calendar. Right now, here in the Mid-Atlantic States, we are having very hot, humid weather. Yesterday, Wednesday July 22, is the beginning of the last node of Summer known as – Great Heat or Da Shu.

The 3 periods within Great Heat are Decaying Grass Transforms into Fireflies, The Earth Lies Wet Beneath Sweltering Heat, and Heavy Rains Fall Intermittently. In these images we see plant life coming to an end of growth, and we experience the combination of both dampness and heat in nature.

The best option health wise for Great Heat is to focus on clearing heat, boosting Qi, and treating winter diseases ahead of time.  Clearing heat makes easy sense – too much heat in the body needs to be removed to keep us in balance. The reason we need to boost Qi this time of year is because too much heat drains and weakens the Qi internally. 

One of my favorite ways to balance heat during the current seasonal node is herbal foot bathing.  There are many different Chinese herbal remedies just for this purpose and I am sure you can find them on-line. One simple way I enjoy foot bathing this time of year is simply adding a few drops of my favorite essential oils to tepid water, a few rose petals and some deep breathing.  Along with the above suggestions, it’s best to avoid overly spicy foods and foods which overly heat the body. This is the time of year to eat seasonal vegetables, such as cucumber, raw tomato, squash, and melon. Heat clearing herbs can be added to the diet as well. Here at the farm our favorites are all the mints, agastache, anise hyssop, and Vitex. This is also the seasonal node when Hua Xiang Congee is consumed. And when it is the peak heat of the day I pour a cup of watermelon juice and take a cool break. Autumn is just around the corner, so enjoy these last few weeks of the Great Heat!