The Spring Equinox marks the midpoint of the 90-day spring season and also the equal division of day and night.

As the Spring Equinox arrives, yang energy gradually rises until it equals yin energy.

Correspondingly, the most important principle of health preservation at this stage is also to maintain the yin-yang balance of the body, with particular emphasis on “harmony and tranquility”—valuing harmony above all and striving for equilibrium.

How can we achieve balance?

During the Spring Equinox, health preservation emphasizes maintaining the habit of “going to bed late and rising early.”

However, rising early does not necessarily mean getting up exceptionally early; ancient medical practitioners held that one should rise no earlier than the time when the rooster crows—in other words, before 5:00 a.m.

After rising early, one can go outdoors for a run or practice Tai Chi and the Eight Brocades, which help to promote the smooth flow of qi and blood throughout the body, uplift the mood, and bring aesthetic pleasure—only then can one align with the season’s inherent vitality of “spring’s flourishing.”

For the general population, going to bed at 11 p.m. already qualifies as late bedtime; therefore, there’s no need to deliberately stay up late.

At noon, to alleviate springtime drowsiness, it’s advisable to take a short nap—no more than 30 minutes.

In short, quality sleep represents yin, while moderate exercise represents yang; when the yin and yang of the body complement each other in this way, yin-yang harmony is achieved.

“Heaven nourishes people with the five qi, and Earth nourishes people with the five flavors.” Both food and medicine possess the four natures—cold, hot, warm, and cool—and the five flavors—sour, bitter, sweet (including bland), pungent, and salty.

The Spring Equinox marks the middle of spring, a time when liver qi is strong and kidney qi is relatively weak; therefore, dietary choices should favor pungent flavors over sour ones to support the kidneys and nourish the liver.

At this time, you may consume more honey, chives, spinach, fermented soybeans, scallions, cilantro, garlic sprouts, bean sprouts, soybeans, green plums, cherries, toon buds, and other such foods.

Acidic foods such as mutton, dog meat, marine fish, shrimp, and crab should be consumed as sparingly as possible.

At the same time, because excessive liver qi tends to overact on the spleen’s earth element, it is important in diet to tonify and strengthen the spleen and stomach while also eliminating dampness.

Therefore, during the Spring Equinox, it is advisable to incorporate more sweet-tasting foods into your diet, such as coix seeds, Chinese yam, and papaya, as these help nourish the spleen and stomach.

It is important to remind everyone that spring is not the ideal time for tonifying remedies; whether it be rich, meaty dishes or tonics such as ginseng and medicinal pastes, they can all suppress the upward movement of yang energy and are therefore not conducive to liver health.

During the Spring Equinox, lingering spring cold still makes itself felt, and at this time the yang energy of heaven and earth is still insufficient, while the body’s own yang energy has not yet fully strengthened. As a result, exposure to cold can easily lead to symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

Therefore, individuals with weak constitutions should pay particular attention to adjusting their clothing and bedding, avoiding both extreme cold and excessive heat.

When dressing, wear thicker layers on the lower body and lighter ones on the upper, paying special attention to keeping the lower limbs and feet warm. Ideally, you should break a light sweat to help dispel the latent cold pathogen of winter.

As the saying goes, “With all herbs sprouting anew, old ailments begin to flare up.” During the Spring Equinox, many common conditions tend to recur or worsen, such as hypertension, asthma, and allergic rhinitis.

To prevent these diseases and boost immunity, one should spend more time exercising outdoors, with gentle activities such as walking, jogging, and practicing Tai Chi being the preferred choices.

However, sunrise in early spring occurs relatively late, and the morning air is often low in oxygen, making it unsuitable for morning exercise.

Therefore, exercise can be scheduled between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

In daily life, it’s important to learn to regulate your emotions, to curb resentment and anger, to cultivate an optimistic and cheerful disposition, and to pursue a variety of hobbies and interests.

When you’re not exercising, take a few moments to close your eyes and rest, regulate your breathing, and relax; you can also tend to flowers and plants, keep fish or birds, and otherwise cultivate your temperament and dispel springtime drowsiness—thus supporting the principle of “nourishing yang in spring and summer.”

Ingredients: 6 rose blossoms, 6 rose petals, and 12 jasmine flowers; steep in boiling water.

Benefits: Soothes the liver and regulates qi, promotes blood circulation and unblocks the meridians, and helps alleviate sleep disturbances caused by liver fire.

During the Spring Equinox, take time to savor tea at leisure. Before you sip, first admire the flowers’ shapes and colors in the water and inhale their delicate fragrance—this practice is wonderfully effective in soothing and dispersing liver qi.

Spring is a peak season for allergies, respiratory illnesses, and infectious diseases, making a thorough spring cleaning all the more essential.

When doing a thorough housecleaning, try to choose a day with good weather and clean air. Before you start, open the windows to ventilate the room, and opt for wet mopping instead of dry sweeping to minimize dust circulation indoors.

In particular, be sure to thoroughly clean hygiene blind spots such as under the bed, under the sofa, and inside the wardrobe; it’s also best to air out bedding outdoors, and carpets and curtains should be washed every time the seasons change.

People usually only remember the existence of ultraviolet rays during the height of summer. In fact, UV radiation begins to damage the skin as early as spring.

Especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the intensity of ultraviolet radiation is much higher than you might expect.

Ultraviolet radiation readily promotes the formation of freckles and the deposition of melanin, making sun protection essential.