🌿 Folk Prescriptions

July 7th is Minor Heat. "When the constellation points to Xīn, it is Minor Heat. At this time, the weather is already hot, but has not yet reached its peak, hence the name." The sun's ecliptic longitude is 105 degrees. The weather is already very hot, but not yet at its hottest, so it is called Minor Heat. By Minor Heat, early summer has arrived, everywhere is lush green shade, many regions’ average temperatures are close to 30°C, with occasional heatwaves. Heavy rains frequently occur during the Minor Heat solar term across most parts of China. Due to concentrated rainfall during this period, flood prevention and drainage are especially important. There is a farming proverb: “Great Heat, Minor Heat, even rats drown.” Another says: “Minor Heat south wind, Great Heat drought,” and “Minor Heat thunderstorm, Great Heat dike breach,” summarizing practical experience. If there is a south wind on Minor Heat, there will surely be no rain during Great Heat—meaning Minor Heat should never have a south wind, otherwise a major drought will follow. If thunder occurs on Minor Heat, there will certainly be heavy floods breaking the embankments.
In southern coastal areas of China, including Taiwan, Minor Heat coincides with typhoon season. The "Taiwan Fu Zhi" records: “Strong and fierce winds are called hurricanes, even stronger ones are called typhoons… Typhoons usually last continuously day and night, or several days. They occur in May, June, July, and August.”
During Minor Heat, fireflies begin to become active. Reed beds and grasslands are their breeding grounds. Wherever there is green grass and dew, one can see flickering white lights at night—like stars twinkling, moving gently in the breeze, accompanying people through long summer nights. Meanwhile, most regions across China are busy managing summer and autumn crops. Because it is a busy season, we must not neglect physical care.
In Laozi’s "Tao Te Ching": “Thus, Dao is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and humanity is also great. Among the realms, there are four greats, and humanity occupies one.” Xunzi further stated: “Water and fire have qi but no life; grass and trees have life but no knowledge; birds and beasts have knowledge but no righteousness; humans have life, knowledge, and righteousness, thus they are the most precious under heaven.” The "Su Wen · Bao Ming Quan Xing Lun" also says: “Heaven covers and Earth bears, all things are fully provided, nothing is more precious than humanity.” The Daoist classic "Tai Ping Jing" repeatedly emphasizes the importance of valuing life and nurturing the body, favoring life and disliking death. It states: “Humans live between Heaven and Earth, each receiving one life, not reborn.” Therefore, life must be cherished. “The best thing a human can do is always enjoy life.” This leads to the concept of self-love and self-care in health preservation: “To avoid disaster and danger, and achieve longevity, one must know how to love, care for, and cherish oneself, thus nourishing oneself and thereby avoiding harm.” This illustrates that only through self-care and active exercise can one attain a long life.
At Minor Heat, the climate is hot, easily causing restlessness, irritability, and fatigue. During self-care and exercise, we should follow the principle of the five zang organs governing seasons—since summer governs the heart—we must protect heart yang, maintain calmness, and ensure robust heart function, conforming to the principle of “nourishing yang in spring and summer.” The "Ling Shu · Bai Bing Shi Sheng" says: “Excessive joy or anger harms internal organs.” This is because emotional activities are closely related to internal organs, following certain patterns. Different emotional stimuli damage different organs, causing various pathological changes. Traditional Chinese medicine advocates the principle of “calmness”—never allowing extreme emotions. For example, excessive joy harms the heart, leading to palpitations, mental agitation, scattered thoughts, inability to concentrate, and even mental disorders. The heart is the master of the five zang and six fu organs; all vital activities are manifestations of the five zang organs’ functions, with the heart as the central controller. As the saying goes, “When the heart moves, all five zang and six fu organs tremble.” Yet, when the spirit is damaged, other organs are inevitably affected. Joy is the emotion of the heart. This “joy” should be moderate, relieving tension and bringing emotional comfort and smooth circulation of qi and blood. Hence, emphasizing “calmness” in summer health preservation is precisely why.