Late Summer Archives - Mend Acupuncture

Clear Heat With LI 11
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Clear Heat With LI 11

acupoint, Acupressure

Clear Heat With LI 11

By Alexandra|2023-08-23T14:50:23-04:00August 23rd, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure|Tags: damp, Heat, Late Summer, LI11|

Here we are. In the absolute depths of summer heat. The season when yang reaches its pinnacle, affecting our bodies and minds in a variety of ways. Large Intestine 11 (or Li11) is one of the most powerful points for clearing any type of heat. Even its name is cooling, Qu Chi, which means "Pool At The Bend," because the point is located at the bend of the elbow. One thing that I love the most about acupuncture points is that some of the most commonly used points have such a wide gamut of indications, and Li11 is certainly [...]

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The Often Overlooked Harvest
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The Often Overlooked Harvest

Seasonal Changes, Wellness

The Often Overlooked Harvest

By BrianD|2022-11-15T14:04:42-05:00August 23rd, 2022|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: abundance, harvest, Late Summer|

Photo by Dominika Roseclay The second chapter of the Han-era text called the "Yellow Emperor's Simple Questions" discusses how one should live in the different seasons. The advice for Summer has a section that says, "Go to rest late at night, and rise early. Never get enough of the sun. Let the mind have no anger. Stimulate beauty, and have your elegance perfected." It's the last sentence that I want to focus on in this article. Ancient and medieval commentators on this passage offer some insight into what it could mean to "stimulate beauty, and have your elegance perfected." [...]

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Gentian Root
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Gentian Root

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Gentian Root

By marissa|2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 9th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: bitters, gentian root, herbs, Late Summer, nutrition, recipe, summer|

Gentian Root...AKA cocktail bitters. A plant that encompasses many different species grown in all parts of the world, this root has a very long history in herbal medicine. As a liver tonic and digestive aid, Gentian has been used for literally millennia. Some of the most effective heat clearing formulas in the Materia Medica list this plant as a primary ingredient. During the hot damp heat of a Baltimore summer, common complaints can include headaches, digestive upset, red eyes, afternoon sore throats, nausea and hot/itchy rashes. All could potentially benefit from a bit of Gentian root. Now, bear in [...]

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Nourishing Ourselves in Late Summer
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Nourishing Ourselves in Late Summer

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Nourishing Ourselves in Late Summer

By Kim|2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 9th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: doyo, Late Summer, recipe|

The quality of the bright summer light is just starting to change from pale yellow to a richer, creamier yellow; the evening light is waning a little sooner; the robin’s last brood of the season has hatched. We’re entering the fifth and shortest season of the year called Late Summer in Five Element theory. It’s a time of transition from yang to yin, a phase between the expansive growth of summer and the inward pull toward autumn. This season correlates to Earth which serves to both feed us and ground us. According to Dr. Elliott Haas, “In the Chinese [...]

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The Dog Days of Mothering: Parenting Burnout
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The Dog Days of Mothering: Parenting Burnout

coronavirus, Parenting, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

The Dog Days of Mothering: Parenting Burnout

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:06:40-05:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: coronavirus, Parenting, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, coronavirus, covid, damp, five element, Late Summer, parenting, seasonal changes, TCM|

It’s been 5 months since our kids came home from school and haven’t left. At the time, we thought it would be 2 weeks until routines returned to normal. Or maybe until the summer. Now many of us are collectively confronting that there’s no date for going back to the usual places our children go to. It feels like the longest snow day on record – at first a welcome break, an introspective pause, then the trappings of the “weather outside” taking on new gravity. A familiar feeling has surfaced, one that I recall from infant days and toddler [...]

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Clear Damp, Eat Noodles
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Clear Damp, Eat Noodles

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Clear Damp, Eat Noodles

By Dana Robinson|2023-08-29T17:36:57-04:00August 26th, 2020|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, damp, food medicine, Late Summer, noodles, seasonal changes, TCM|

Late Summer has a tendency to make the body feel heavy and tired, and the mind sluggish. This can come along with digestive upset and slowdown. It's a conundrum of what to eat during this time of year. While summer is the best time to rely on locally grown produce, all those peaches, melons, tomatoes, and peppers can be hard to digest, even though they are loaded with micronutrients. If you're finding that you're losing your appetite, feeling uncomfortable after eating, or that your mind and body just feel foggy and clouded, you might be experiencing what Chinese Medicine [...]

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Questions of Late Summer
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Questions of Late Summer

Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Questions of Late Summer

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-09-03T18:03:08-04:00August 15th, 2020|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, damp, Late Summer, questions, seasonal changes, TCM|

Earth is the glue that holds everything together. Before diving into the Questions of Summer, it's helpful to take a moment to get to know the element of Late Summer: Earth. Through the Earth Element, we are able to be satisfied – to feel as if we have enough, to no longer be hungry. Earth gives us the ability to stand firm and remain grounded in an ever-changing world. We all have needs. How we go about satisfying our needs and the needs of others depends largely on our Earth Element. Are we able to acknowledge our needs? Are we [...]

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Spleen 21: The Great Embrace
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Spleen 21: The Great Embrace

acupoint, Acupressure, Digestion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Spleen 21: The Great Embrace

By Dana Iscoe|2022-11-15T14:06:41-05:00August 12th, 2020|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure, Digestion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, damp, digestion, fatigue, Late Summer, pain, seasonal changes, spleen 21, TCM|

Spleen 21 is the perfect acupuncture/acupressure point for this time of the year. Called dabao 大包 in Chinese, and translated to Great Enveloping or Great Embrace in English, it is the final point on the Spleen meridian. This meridian is responsible for processing food for digestion, promotes thought for wisdom, and turns Late Summer's humidity into a harvest. We think of Spleen 21 particularly when one is feeling weak, notices pain all over the body, and feels fullness in the chest. Locating Spleen 21 You can find this point by reaching your hand over [...]

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Late Summer’s Worry
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Late Summer’s Worry

coronavirus, Digestion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Late Summer’s Worry

By JaimeRoslyn|2022-11-15T14:06:42-05:00August 11th, 2020|Categories: coronavirus, Digestion, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, covid, covid-19, damp, digestion, emotion, fatigue, Late Summer, mood, seasonal changes, TCM, worry|

These days, there’s plenty to worry about. Yet here we are, in Traditional Chinese Medicine’s season of Worry. In TCM, it's commonly understood that as natural beings, we're affected by our natural environment including the season we're in. As we sit squarely in Late Summer (late July to mid-September), we recognize the season’s impact not only on our body but on our emotions, as well. Pay close attention to Worry this season. This can look like over-thinking or focusing too much on a particular topic, as well as self-doubt, insecurity, confusion, projection of responsibility and blame, insomnia, martyrdom, resentment, frustration, and [...]

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Chinese Medicine’s Fifth Season: The Second Half of Summer
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Chinese Medicine’s Fifth Season: The Second Half of Summer

Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Chinese Medicine’s Fifth Season: The Second Half of Summer

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-08-23T10:32:52-04:00August 4th, 2020|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: brain fog, Chinese medicine, damp, digestion, fatigue, Late Summer, mood, pain, seasonal changes, TCM|

It’s that time of year again when we remind you that there are actually FIVE seasons in Chinese Medicine. And we’re at the beginning of the lesser known one, Late Summer. As you’ve probably noticed, Summer is the time to enjoy long days of rising early, staying up late and filling the time in between with both relaxing and lively activities. Late Summer, though? It has its own flavor and is quite different. When Late Summer arrives, so does a bit of fogginess, laziness and lack of focus. If you’re feeling a bit sluggish or unmotivated, you’re not alone. All [...]

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