Adjusting Sexual Activity According to Seasons
The seasons naturally cycle year after year in a continuous pattern, forming a fundamental law. Thanks to this rhythm, all things flourish in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, and store in winter.
As stated in The Inner Canon: "Yin-Yang and the four seasons are the beginning and end of all things, the root of life and death. To go against them brings disasters; to follow them ensures no serious illness—this is true wisdom."
Sexual activity, as a form of life activity and natural phenomenon, cannot escape this rule. How should sexual behavior be adjusted according to seasonal changes?
(1) Spring, the first season, marks renewal and vibrant life.
In this period of "heaven and earth growing together, all things flourishing," human thoughts and physical activities should align with natural changes, maintaining an expansive and free state of mind and body. Sexual activity should increase compared to winter, at minimum avoiding excessive restriction. Moderate increase supports metabolic processes in various tissues and organs, benefiting overall health.
(2) With summer arriving, flowers bloom and life thrives, yang energy rises.
People feel cheerful, and sexual desire increases accordingly. Sexual activity should follow natural desires, allowing yang energy to freely circulate outward without obstruction.
(3) Autumn brings desolation, plants wither, and cicadas cry in coldness.
People should calm their minds, restrain desires, reduce sexual activity, preventing excessive outward release of yang energy, thus conserving essence to prepare for winter's harsh cold.
(4) Winter arrives, ice covers snow, yang energy retreats, and all things hide.
Sexual activity should be restrained. Excessive indulgence causes excessive depletion of essence, weakening the body’s disease resistance, making one prone to illness, and jeopardizing a healthy start in spring. As The Inner Canon warns: "If one fails to conserve essence in winter, one will suffer from fever in spring"—highlighting the importance of restraining sex in winter. In this sense, regulating sexual activity in winter is key to seasonal balance—do not take it lightly.
Incidentally, if seasonal regulation of sexual activity is improper, it harms not only the corresponding organs—liver in spring, heart in summer, lung in autumn, kidney in winter—but also affects other organs and negatively impacts health in the following season.
This is crucial knowledge for anyone seeking health preservation.