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Beginning of Summer – Don’t Miss Out the Golden Days

 

Lixia – Beginning of Summer

 

Time slips through fingers. We are about to wave goodbye to spring and embrace the first solar term of summer – Lixia, marking the beginning of the next season, 

 

 On Lixia, Sun is at 45o ecliptic longitude and the handle of the Plough is pointing to South-east. As sayings in the Yuan Dynasty, “Li in Chinese means to establish, and Xia means big”. It refers to the maturity of plants in summer.

 

 “In summer, vegetation grows vigorously, and there are many trees around the house, with dense foliage.” After Lixia, the weather will start to get scorching. Everything on the earth will grow enthusiastically, like summoned by summer, showing the world their vigorousness and vitality. Winter wheat comes into full blossom and rape grows into maturity.

 

As said in Yi Zhou Shu: “On the day of Lixia, crickets chirp; five days later, earthworms come out; in another five days, serpent gourds breeds.” At this time, cherry blossom colours the world with pink, sophora and wheat flower spreads fragrance, rose paints the season in beauty as loquat zealously presents its golden fruit... Our ancestors appreciated the picture as a gala of nature at the beginning of summer.

 

 

Lixia was recognised at the end of the Warring States Period, and the ancients attached great importance to Lixia etiquette. During the Zhou dynasty, the emperor and the officials went to the outskirts to hold summer ceremonies, praying for good harvests. In later generations, Lixia involves "tasting new" activities. In Suzhou, "three new" refers to cherries, green plums and wheat, which are used to worship ancestors; Water Village in Jiangnan has the custom of cooking tender broad beans, as well as interesting games.

 

In the first text Suwen of Huangdi Neijing, it says that “the three months of summer, called Fanxiu, is a season in which all things in the nature are luxuriant and beautiful. The world meets, and the plants bloom and grow vigorously. People should go to bed early and get up early, not to be irritated by the long days. Don’t be grumpy. Love summertime. Seek interest in the outer world. This is a way to adapt to summer and maintain the spirit. Otherwise, the heart will be damaged, and the conditions provided for the autumn harvest will be insufficient. Malaria will easily occur in autumn and the disease will occur again in winter.

 

1. Life

In summer, although the temperature rises faster, the temperature difference between day and night is still significant. People should keep warm in the morning and evening. During this period, days are long, and nights are short, Yang is sufficient, and Yin is deficient. For the best self, we should go to sleep late and get up early to adapt to Yin deficiency and Yang sufficiency. Taking a nap in the early afternoon is commendable but the time should not be so long: 1-1.5 hours is considered appropriate.

 

2. Diet

As an old Chinese saying goes, radish in winter and ginger in summer keep doctors away. Vegetables like ginger and scallion are warm and appropriate intakes after Lixia are conducive to the cultivation of Yang Qi, which is known as “breeding of Yang in spring and summer”. After Lixia, human body’s Liver Qi is weak and heart Qi is becoming strong gradually, meaning that the diet should be sourer and less bitter to provide a complement to kidney and liver and adjust Stomach Qi. Light and easy-to-digest food should be added into daily diets with vegetables, fruits and grains. Appropriate intakes of fibres and vitamins, for example, tomatoes, beans and onions, are suggested. Salty food, organ meats and fat meat intakes, as well as intense tea and coffee, should be reduced for the sake of heart protection.

 

 

 

3. Exercises

After Lixia, sweating increases as temperature rises. “Sweat is a fluid of the heart system”, so people are recommended to avoid strenuous exercise because they lead to excessive sweating. Mild exercise such as walking, jogging and Tai Chi are suitable. Remember to drink some water after doing exercise.

 

4. Spirit

During the summer, the energy of the fire element which is connected with the heart is manifested with greater intensity. Thus, summer is related to Heart Qi. Health preservation on Lixia should place the priority at “heart preservation”. Hot weather generates grumpiness. At the beginning of summer, calmness is important to maintaining a healthy mood. Activities like painting, fishing, calligraphy, chess game and plantation are all good for a quiet spirit.

 

5. Meridian and Acupuncture

GV 9 Acupuncture Point (Extremity of Yang, Pinyin: Zhiyang): “Heart is a Yang organ with the energy of Yang Qi”. Yang Qi in the heart can promote blood circulation and maintain life activities. GV-9 is located on the back, on the posterior median line, in the depression below the spinous process of the 7th thoracic vertebra. Massaging GV-9 every day for 3-4 times and 3-6 minutes per time can effectively prevent angina and discomfort in the praecordium area. It also has a significant effect on the relief of angina pectoris, chest tightness, premature beats and palpitations.

 

 P6 Acupoint (Nei Guan): It is located on the anterior forearm, two cun above to the wrist crease, between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis muscles, along the pericardium meridian. Use one thumb to massage this point on the opposite arm for 1 minute, and then switch to the opposite side. Regular massaging can protect the heart and relieve heartache, palpitations, chest tightness and other symptoms.

 

 “The beginning of summer lingers in late spring.” Connecting two seasons, Lixia is not only important to the growth of all things but also crucial to our health preservation. During this time, people prepare their bodies for the scorching summer and become even more lively, known as: with internal upright Qi, evil Qi can no longer harm the health system.