In Chinese Medicine, we have been endowed with ancient written records, dating back to over 2000 years ago. One of the most important texts for Chinese Medicine, philosophy and culture is the Huang Di Nei Jing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), which has 2 parts: Su Wen (Basic Questions) and the Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot). In the Su Wen, the mythical Yellow Emperor, like a student, makes observations and poses the masters, Qi Bo or Lei Gong, with questions on health, medicine, Chinese philosophy, etc. He and the masters are in dialog with one another, discussing cosmological, Chinese philosophical and medical issues, not unlike what the Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato did with metaphysics and other themes, or even what we have these days in podcasts, which aren’t often written but are audio or video recorded.

In Chapter 2, The Art of Life through the Four Seasons, Huang Di describes the Summer season:

“In the three months of summer there is an abundance of sunshine and rain. The heavenly energy descends, and the earthly energy rises. When these energies merge there is intercourse between heaven and earth. As a result plants mature and animals, flowers, and fruit appear abundantly.
“One may retire somewhat later at this time of year, while still arising early. One should refrain from anger and stay physically active, to prevent the pores from closing and the qi from stagnating. One should not overindulge in sex, although one can indulge a bit more than in other seasons. Emotionally, it is important to be happy and easygoing and not hold grudges, so that the energy can flow freely and communicate between the external and the internal. In this way illness may be averted in the fall. The season of fire and heart also encompasses late summer, which corresponds to the earth element. Problems in the summer will cause injury to the heart and will manifest in the autumn.”

This is a description of the Yang of Summer revealed on our planet, which climaxes at the Summer Solstice. It manifests itself as the intense heat of sunshine together with enough rain, stimulates growth as well as ripens fruit. It is also a guidance for us humans to live our Yang energy in balance, on how we can live in harmony with our environment, the Earth and Cosmos, in order to remain healthy and thrive. These wise words were written in another era and place but still applicable in the present moment universally, even here in the West. It speaks of staying “physically active,” being “happy and easygoing” as well as of “communication between the external and the internal.” This is the power of Summer in balance, but when not in equilibrium we get scorched by its fires with no rain to nourish us, as we have observed this past June around the world in the northern hemisphere.

Huang Di ends Chapter 2 with a reminder and warning:

“The transformation of yin and yang in the four seasons is the basis of the growth and the destruction of life. The sages were able to cultivate the yang energy in spring and summer and conserve the yin energy in autumn and winter. By following the universal order, growth can occur naturally. If this natural order is disregarded, the root of one’s life will be damaged and one’s true energy will wane.
“Therefore, the change of yin and yang through the four seasons is the root of life, growth, reproduction, aging, and destruction. By respecting this natural law it is possible to be free from illness. The sages have followed this, and the foolish people have not.”

The Yellow Emperor reminds us that yin and yang are but natural expressions of life; growth, reproduction, aging, destruction and rebirth are stages of transformation in the nature of life on this planet. If we respect and accept these stages, we will not only be free of illness but also from suffering. Only the “foolish” resist and will pay the price of their folly.

Let us heed the advice of the ancients now, that we may learn what they already knew over 2000 years ago and consequently create a harmonious life on Earth for the present and future.

 
REFERENCE
Ni, Maoshing (1995): The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine. Boulder, USA: Shambhala Publications
 
 
 
Image Huang Di from Wikipedia

As we head toward the darkest day of the year, the Winter Solstice, I feel the need to find my roots, like the trees do. This can be in the practices that I do in Qi Gong and Meditation or even in the food and herbs that I ingest. A few years back, I wrote about the famous herb, Ginger. We find it in stores here like any other produce; recently I even came across Ginger grown in Switzerland. It has become one of those common household herb all over the world. It can be used as food, as a beverage and as medicine, when one knows how. This is the power of this plant.

Ginger originates from Maritime South-East Asia, which includes Malaysia, the place where I was born and raised. From this area, this plant began to spread to places like India, China and Arabia, which then came to Europe via the Roman empire. The Chinese described in text written in the Warring States period (475–221 BCE) how Confucius ate Ginger with every meal.

In the Chinese Materia Medica, Ginger is listed in a few different forms. They are fresh Ginger (Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens, 生姜 Shēng Jīang), Ginger peel (Cortex Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens, 生姜皮 Shēng Jīang Pí), dried Ginger (Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis, 干姜 Gān Jīang) and quick-fried Ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Praeparata, 炮姜Páo Jīang). This is because Ginger is a very versatile being. Each form can have one or more of the the abilities to warm, heat up, disperse edema, dispel the effects of toxic substances or harmonize the effects of other herbs.

In its fresh form, just like we get them here in the normal grocery store, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens, 生姜 Shēng Jīang, is a food-grade herb. As such, one can cook it with other ingredients to enhance the taste of that particular food, like fish, meat or vegetables. In some Asian supermarkets, you may find young ginger, that which is yellowish in color with a green stem protruding out of the rhizome. This form is a little less warming than the older brown version. Herbal decoctions regularly containing multiple Herbs, prescribed by a Chinese medical practitioner, often includes Ginger to harmonize the Herbal Formula combinations; aiding better absorption of the Herbs into the body and to prevent possible toxic side-effects from other potent Herbs. In fact, I have read that Ginger can be used as a remedy for food poisoning, and is cooked with fish in order to neutralize toxins in many traditions. 
 
In the everyday, we can grate it, make an Herbal infusion out of it just by adding hot water and letting it steep for 10 minutes just as a beverage. This can be very helpful too if you had symptoms like chills and/or fever caused by the common cold virus. In fact, making a foot-bath or a whole-body-bath with this infusion till one gets warm and sweaty would also help expel what we call "Wind-Cold Invasion" in Chinese Medicine. If you wanted to enhance the digestive effect of Ginger, then you can throw in a couple of slices of Ginger into a pot with water and cook it for at least 15 minutes. This infusion would be less spicy but more warming for the Stomach, good for stopping nausea and vomiting in pregnancy or otherwise, help relieve bloating and digestive distress. Shēng Jīang enters the Lung, Spleen and Stomach, is spicy and warm. In contrast, Shēng Jīang Pí, Ginger Peel is spicy-cool and is good for edema and promoting urination. 
 
As with anything, too much of a good thing transforms it into a hindrance. If you tend to heat in your system, then too much Ginger will overheat you. A spicy flavor will circulate Qi and too much circulation will dry out the body. Use moderately or speak with your practitioner, if Ginger is appropriate for you. I find that this is one of the many simple herbal foods that I almost always have at home or with me when I travel. One of our favorite meals is rice with chicken, cooked with Ginger, soya sauce and Sesame oil; a simple but scrumptious recipe passed down to me from my mother, which is also a postpartum remedy. Like so much around the world, people have used food as medicine since time in memorial. It is only us modern urban-dwelling, city-folk, who are often times disconnected from nature, who question the validity of food being able to affect our health or never really realize that what we put into our bodies might affect who we become.

Ginger’s power lies in its versatility to transform from home remedy, to medicine, to regular beverage for the everyday. It doesn’t have to have fancy packaging or come out of a gilded bottle to be potent. It is this simplicity that makes Ginger mighty.
 


Image Ginger Root by Engin Akyurt on pexels.com