Smiling always to diffuse the lung and keep the spirit

With the autumn wind, everything starts to degenerate. Yang qi is declining, while yin qi is growing. The leaves are withering and falling. In terms of the five emotions, sorrow corresponds with the autumn. People are prone to be quiet, sad, and depressed. Meanwhile, some mental and emotional disorders will be aggravated, especially insomnia and depression. Therefore, it is of great importance to protect the body and astringe the spirit in autumn.

Sound sleep and being energetic will reduce the possibility of feeling fatigued and listless in autumn. It is better to go to bed at 22 o’clock and fall asleep at 22:30 to 23:00. People with low sleep quality can have a foot bath with warm water before going to sleep. Some Chinese herbal medicines such as rose flower (Méi Gui Huā, Flos Rosae Rugosae) and Mugwort Leaf (ài Yè, Folium Artemisiae Argyi) that can invigorate blood and resolve constraint are added to effectively alleviate tension and melancholy.

“Motionlessness” or staying still is also a very important way to nourish yin and spirit, which is advocated in autumn. Meditation can effectively alleviate fatigue, and different meditations can be chosen according to different situations. If we are in a bad mood, we can meditate on something pleasant; if nervous, we can meditate on natural scenes of mountains and rivers, and birds and flowers can be meditated upon. Meditation is also beneficial for insomnia.

Besides above-mentioned health preservations, it is also crucial to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude. In TCM, there is a saying that we should be “always smiling to diffuse lung qi”. Laughing is a great “exercise” for the human body. As the saying goes, “a smile can make you 10 years younger”. Smiling can adjust and improve breathing, which is conducive to the discharge of turbidity in the body. It is really a panacea that can relax the mind and body.