The Autumnal Equinox is the 16th solar term. As the old saying goes, "on the autumnal equinox day, Yin and Yang is equally half ". It’s recorded in "the Inner Canon of Huangdi": "Yin and Yang restrict and repel each other, and it’s important to unify them and achieve the relative dynamic balance of Yin and Yang". Therefore, the key to preserve one’s health at the time is to balance Yin and Yang. Then, how do we maintain the balance between Yin and Yang in human body?

    Prevent the invasion of exogenous evils. Autumn season is featured with dryness evil, divided into cold dryness and warm dryness. The key to the prevention of coldness and warmth cool and cool lies in the strong Zhengqi in the body. It’s often said that "if Zhengqi is strong in human body, no evils can do harm to health". In this regard, physical exercise is the most appropriate way to enhance Zhengqi. So, at thie time, it’s better to enhance physical fitness and improve disease resistance by doing appropriate exercise on a regular basis, such as jogging, yoga, Tai Chi, Baduanjin.

    Take a light and warm diet. In autumn, people should take care of their lungs for the dryness in autumn has no difficulty in impairing lungs, thus easily leading to dry throats, noses and lips as well as dry cough, dry skin, dry bound stool and so on. Therefore, the diet is mainly dominated with light and warm food. For example, lilies, white fungus, autumn pears, lotus root and duck, can do good to our lungs because they can help moisten lungs, produce saliva, nourish Yin and remove dryness.

    Keep optimistic and stay calm. In autumn, trees and grasses wither, which brings a feelings of sadness. At the time, people are easily depressed. So, it’s important to maintain a peace of mind, and lighten up. You may choose calligraphy and painting to cultivate your sentiments, or climb high and look far to enjoy ease of mind.

(By Liu Shuangwen from Yanqing Hospital Beijing Hospital of TCM)