春chūn夏xià養yǎng陽yáng,，秋qiū冬dōng養yǎng陰yīn

What does 春夏養陽，秋冬養陰 (chūn xià yǎng yáng, qiū dōng yǎng yīn) mean?

春夏養陽，秋冬養陰 (chūn xià yǎng yáng, qiū dōng yǎng yīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Nourish yang in spring and summer, nourish yin in autumn and winter." In use it means: Health cultivation should follow the seasons. During warm, expansive months, support the body's outward-moving yang energy through activity and light eating. During cool, contracting months, nourish the inward, restorative yin energy through rest and warming foods. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.

Literally: "Nourish yang in spring and summer, nourish yin in autumn and winter."

The reading

The seasons are not mere backdrop but active partners in health. Spring and summer call for outward movement, sunlight, and circulation. Autumn and winter ask for inward turning, warmth-keeping, and restoration. Living against the seasonal grain depletes the body the way planting against the weather depletes the soil. Those who follow the rhythm spend less time fighting illness.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element火 Fire
• Zodiac tie雞 Year of the Rooster

Source Huangdi Neijing Suwen, Chapter 2 (Sisheng Diaoshen Dalun), pre-Han dynasty

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.