Travis Kern 9/7/22 Travis Kern 9/7/22

Qi Node 15: 白露 Báilù (White Dew)

An insight into how Yin is beginning the take charge of the season and heralding the powerful return of Winter Yin Qi

Yin Descends to Take Charge

Yang has continued to collapse as part of its regular cycle and is no longer violent and pernicious. The dew begins to appear in the early morning as a whisper of the coming cooler season and its eventual snow. Days tend to still be warm but evenings are increasingly cool as Yang ebbs, and Yin begins to coalesce and strengthen. These cool early mornings are a time for clarifying the edits demanded of the fall season and to appreciate a kind of graspable stillness only available during nodes of nascent Yin qi.

At this point in the year, Yin is like a young girl taking her grandfather Yang by the hand and showing him around his house. He may not remember where he left the paper or the remote or that he needs to cook lunch for himself, but she is his helper. He may not be as invigorated as he was in years past, but she reminds him of his youth and her presence forces him to remember things he thought were lost to time. She, meanwhile, listens to his stories and encourages his reminiscence because there is wisdom she can absorb and integrate into herself as she grows and takes a larger and larger role in daily life.

Activity Moves More Indoors

Outdoor exercise should be minimized and activities that induce a lot of sweating should be edited down. Preserving your body’s fluids during this time of the year is essential, as the fall season is dominated by dryness and a cooling wind that can exacerbate yin deficiencies if we aren’t mindful of our activity. Eating in the evening should grow increasingly light, with meals becoming more vegetable and broth based to supply essential moisture during the dry time. Avoiding eating after 7pm is increasingly advised to avoid overtaxing the waning yang qi who is weakest in the evening phase of the day.

Classical Prescriptions

Enjoy foods from this time of the year. Squashes and final tomatoes. Corn and wheat being harvested. Potatoes before they are prepared for storage. Fill your diet with moist foods and focus your eating to the daylight hours.

If you carry latent heat conditions, especially damp-heat conditions, start your morning with a barefoot walk in the dew. Dress warmly and then go out and take a five minute stroll through the wet grass. Feel the wet and cool entering your body. Then return inside and dry your feet, rub them to get warm, and immediately put on socks.

Continue the cognitive editing you began with the first moon in autumn and begin to organize it into your “intellectual harvest” of habits and activities that will serve you well in the internal and reserved season to come.

Travis Kern 9/19/18 Travis Kern 9/19/18

Falling Leaves and Changing Winds

Travis Kern, L.Ac.

The transition from Summer to Fall is a marked one in most parts of the US. Not only do the days start to shorten and the temperatures get cooler but many people start to get excited about the coming holiday seasons. Whether spending time with family or loved ones, going on trips, playing out meaningful traditions, or just getting a few minutes of pensive reflection, the fall season reminds us all of the continuous change intrinsic to all of our environments.

Historically and still in many parts of the world, Fall is the time of harvesting and fruition; of storing away the potent Yang that has dominated these last several months so that in the coming months ruled by the dark and cold Yin, we have enough motive force to sustain our lives and activities. This process is easiest to see in the picking, processing, and canning of late summer fruits and vegetables. If you’ve ever grown tomatoes or green beans, you know that those four plants you started in May are now overfilled with ripe fruit, more than you could ever eat, and it’s time to pack their nutrients away to help satisfy your appetites come Winter.

But it is not only in food and eating that the Fall season can be experienced. Indeed, our activity and movement during this time of year also changes. Many of us know the feeling of wanting to curl up on the couch with a warm drink and watch our favourite films or read a great book. Humans start to feel slower and disinclined to make intense physical efforts. This tendency is our natural movement toward the hibernation of the eventual winter season when we need to conserve our energy and our effort because making big things happen during the cold of the coming Winter can be difficult and almost always depleting.

Fall is also the Chinese Medicine season of dryness and even though in many parts of the country fall brings increased rain, the air begins to chap our faces and lips and the ground starts to crack as the chill begins, reflecting the systemic dryness of the season. Foods that are moistening and supportive of the lung from a Chinese Medicine point of view are a must during this time of year.

The Interaction of Yin and Yang

The classic Taiji symbol has been common in American consciousness since the early 90s at least. That swirl of white and black doesn’t usually draw profound contemplation from Western people but it is indeed a powerfully simple image of a very complex idea. It would be easy to imagine that Yin and Yang have moral qualities because of our Western dualistic mindset (for more on that check out this blog post). Yet, the dark and cold qualities of Yin are not bad things just as the movement and activity of Yang are not good things. They have no moral dimension and they are both absolutely required in order for life to move forward and flourish.

What is movement with no substance or earth with no animation? The interaction of Yin and Yang form the essential elements of all things both living and not. They are descriptors of things and of changes between states of being. They can be used as all the parts of speech and each aspect gives us more insight into the complexity of existence. Profound indeed.

But it’s hot where I live. Like, all the time. In every season…

When we talk about the changes in season, the theories we expound on here are rooted in the the patterns and times of Earth’s Northern Hemisphere and a latitude roughly equivalent to central France. If you lived in Australia or Brasil, your seasons would happen in different months but they would still happen. And though most of us think of the change in season as a change in the temperature of the air, the ancient Chinese considered many more factors than the sensation of hot or cold in the air. Spring is the time when new plants sprout and grow powerfully. Summer provides the necessary sunlight to grow the bulk of our food. Fall is the time of harvest and storage. Winter is the season of conservation and contemplation. Regardless of the exact temperature of your particular locale, these qualities present themselves in every place, every year. OF course we have all experienced a warmer Christmas or a really wet autumn, but these weather based assessments are only one aspect of the season. Tapping into how you feel in your body, of what your experience is during any given month in the year is the best way to begin to sense the environmental and cosmic changes that are happening all the time.

This Moon and the Coming Qi Node

Knowing how cosmic changes affect us on our little blue planet is no small feat. I use calendar notes and updates to keep me in the loop and even then I planted my tomatoes two days after a full moon (those in the know are aghast and those that aren't, let's just say you're not supposed to plant things after a full moon). Knowing your seasons can continue to live in the broad strokes but if you are interested, the rabbit hole can go as deep as you like.

2nd Moon of Autumn

September 9th was the second moon in the fall seasonal cycle. The first moon is when the season’s movement begins and by the 2nd moon, humans start to feel the qualities we associate with the season. By the 3rd moon, the season feels in full swing.

Qi Node: Autumnal Equinox (Qiu Fen)

*September 22nd marks the even divide between daytime and nighttime where the cooler days and falling leaves mark the tangible presence of Autumn*

Things to Eat:

Pears and Apples
Winter Squash like Butternut and Pumpkin
Last of the veges from the garden
Sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips
Medium aged cheese like Brie and Roblochon
The best cuts of beef

Things to Do:

Eat lighter meals, maybe skip a dinner
Switch to darker brews of all your drinks
Start collecting your cool weather gear
Keep your neck covered when outside
Bake some pumpkin bread
Take a canning class in your area

Things to Cook:

STUFFED SQUASH WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND QUINOA

serves: 8 as a side, 4 as a main

notes: You can make your own balsamic glaze by reducing balsamic vinegar in a saucepan, but I find it easier (and usually economically advantageous) to buy a pre-made, high-quality glaze. If you have dried rosemary on hand, you could substitute it for the fresh by reducing the amount to 2 teaspoons. Last one: I used the fancy, truffled marcona almonds from Trader Joe's for the garnish here and it was spectacular.

Ingredients:
2 small-medium acorn squashes
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (from roughly 1 sprig)
½ cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
1 medium shallot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (from roughly 1 sprig)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
½ bunch broccoli rabe, tough ends of stems trimmed
3 tablespoons dried currants
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
3 tablespoons marcona almonds, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Directions:
Cut the acorn squashes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. Then, cut each of the seeded squash halves in half once more. You should have 8 evenly sized wedges once you’re done with both squashes.

Place the squash wedges facing up on the parchment-lined baking tray. Brush the squash flesh with about half of the olive oil. Season all of the squash with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the minced rosemary over top. Slide the tray into the oven and roast the squash for 35-40 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

While the squash is roasting, combine the rinsed quinoa, vegetable stock, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all of the stock is absorbed and the quinoa has puffed up. Set aside.

In a large pot with a well-fitting lid, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallots to the pot and stir. Cook until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the diced celery and carrot and stir. Cook until all of the vegetables are slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add the minced sage and garlic to the pot and stir. Chop the broccoli rabe into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pot.

Stir the vegetables to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add a ¼ cup of water to the pot and place the lid on top. Let the broccoli rabe steam in the pot for about 3-4 minutes. Then, remove the lid and stir in the cooked quinoa and dried currants. Remove the pot from the heat.

Place roasted squash wedges on a serving platter and carefully spoon the broccoli rabe and quinoa stuffing into the natural cavities of the squash. Drizzle all of the stuffed squash pieces with the balsamic glaze and garnish with the chopped marcona almonds. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit: The First Mess
www.thefirstmess.com

Travis Kern 7/12/18 Travis Kern 7/12/18

Hazy Days of Summer and the Coming Change

Travis Kern, L.Ac.

Here in the Pacific NW, it takes a while for the weather to reflect the season. In fact, it's common wisdom in Portland that if you schedule an event outdoors before the 4th of July and it rains, well, you should have known better. It rains a lot here. After the 4th though, you're golden. Work and play outside to your heart's content. It will be dry, warm, and the sun will be shining. It is extra interesting to me then that the last moon of summer is today, July 12th. For the next thirty days we will experience the final moon cycle for this season that seems to have just begun. What is going on?

Understanding
Chinese Cosmology

The way that the ancient Chinese understood the universe is incredibly complex. Like all developed ancient cultures, the sages of the past looked to the stars to understand what was happening on the earth, and they took cues from the cyclical movement of the cosmos. Over millennia, this observation developed into understanding and eventually into concrete systems to explain current events, guide healthy activity, and even predict what might happen in the future. The ancient Chinese were masters of patterns and applied what they found to all aspects of life.

Based on ancient observations and teachings, the Chinese divide the year into four seasons which each have 3 moons. A moon is counted at the new moon, when the sky is dark and no moon is visible, and progresses through the full moon until the next dark sky and its new moon. This gives us 12 moons per year (roughly, there are exceptions like with everything).

Each of these moons is also divided into two qi movements or "qi nodes" that give us further insight into the movement of the qi during that part of any season. That gives us a total of 24 qi nodes for the year. Keeping track of these different movements throughout the year can help us dive more deeply into matching our food and activites to what is happening in the broader context of the season and the stars.

How Does It Work?

To create some context for all this moon and qi node stuff, let's look at some broad strokes first:

Every season's first moon is when the nature of that season is just beginning to take hold so it always still feels like the season right before. Then every season's last moon is when the season feels like it is finally in full bloom. So it takes the course of the three moons for the qi of a season to build up enough to push out into our environments. Of course one way to decide what season you are in has to do with the temperature of the air and the amount of rain or snow a place gets, but we all know that the weather is not the same everywhere in the world. But the nature of season is constant in every part of the planet, even if there might still be snow on the ground in Chicago in April. That is, there are other factors that describe any given season beyond the temperature and the amount of sunshine. We know, for example. that Spring is the season for renewal and growth (the plants come back, the flowers bloom), the Summer is a time of activity and change (it's generally warm out, the days are longer to get more done), the Fall is a time of harvest and preparation (an abundance of crops, a time to prepare and preserve for the lean months coming), and of course the Winter is a time for going slow, preserving your energy, and contemplating. And of course cuddles. Never forget about the cuddles, though they work well in any season.

Each season has is own nature that shapes what we do, what the plants and animals do, and finding harmony with that cycle is one of the paths to good living.