Welcome to  清明 Qingming “Clear and Bright” - the 2-week period after the spring equinox when the luminosity of the longer days brings sunshine, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose to our lives. Clear and Bright begins on April 4th and finishes right before Easter…

This year, instead of talking about the months again, we will be looking at the 節氣 Jieqi, or “Seasonal Nodes.” These are 2-week periods throughout the year that describe the climate and agricultural activity of that period. The Jieqi are further divided into 5-day periods…

Welcome to the Spring Equinox 2025! Resting at the pivot point between the Rabbit and the Dragon lunar months, this two-week period of the equinox (春分, “Chunfen”) symbolizes the transition and transformation between these two Zodiac animals, and it represents a moment of perfect harmonious balance in the environment as day and night are equal. This is one of the two times of the year…

We have arrived at the time of the Spring Equinox, when the scales begin to tilt away from the long, cold trudge through the winter season, and towards a warmer, brighter vision of summer. This is the time of year governed by the Rabbit in the zodiac cycle. Coming off the back of the Tiger month, which saw us going through the dramatic throes of early spring—with ice and snow, sunshine and wind…

The Tiger is a deeply symbolic animal, and two particular aspects come to mind when thinking of the Tiger as a symbol of the New Year and the start of Spring…

On an individual level, the Yin Wood Snake encourages us to investigate what changes we would like to see in the world, and furthermore to honestly ask ourselves how our own behavior and relationships reflect this desire for change in the world. There is work for all of us to do here, and if we want to see the world shift at large…

In the context of the year, the Ox symbolizes the effort needed to pull ourselves out of winter’s darkness and into the promise of spring. After facing the year’s darkest aspects and our own shadows, the Ox embodies the commitment to self-improvement and gradual growth.

Today, we’re talking about a different topic, one that is so close to our hearts (literally). This is the notion of Yangsheng, or “nourishing life” and that is our essential mandate as practitioners of Classical Chinese medicine…