Your Summer Health Guide - Our Top Tips

Summer is the most Yang season - hot, active, outward, expansive. The Fire element governs the Heart, which houses the Shen (spirit) and circulates blood. This is a time to nourish joy and keep the Heart balanced while protecting the body from excess heat and dryness.

1. Nourish the Heart and Shen (Spirit)

• Prioritize emotional balance, too much excitement or overstimulation can exhaust the Heart.

• Practice calming habits like meditation, deep breathing, or quiet reflection.

• Maintain a healthy sleep schedule, late nights can disturb Shen.

2. Eat Light, Cooling, and Moistening Foods

Favor:

• Cooling nature foods: watermelon, cucumber, mint, mung beans, chrysanthemum, lettuce, zucchini, bitter melon.

• Sour flavors: help astringe fluids and prevent excessive sweating — include lemon, lime, vinegar, and hawthorn.

• Moistening foods: pear, loquat, mulberries, tofu, seaweed.

Limit:

• Greasy, spicy, and very hot foods - they add internal heat.

• Ice-cold drinks (can shock digestion) - opt for cool, not cold.

• Sample tea: Chrysanthemum + Goji berry + Mint — clears heat, supports eyes and liver, mildly sweet and calming.

3. Protect Your Qi from Heat and Overexertion

• Avoid peak sun hours (11 am–3 pm).

• Rest during the hottest part of the day, follow a more Mediterranean rhythm.

• Keep moderate physical activity, overexertion depletes Heart Qi and Body Fluids.

• Take advantage of early mornings and evenings for exercise or walks in nature.

4. Use Herbs and Teas to Clear Heat and Support Fluids

• Mung bean soup (clears summer heat and toxins)

• Lotus leaf tea (lightens body and aids digestion)

• Bitter herbs like dandelion, andrographis, or Huang Lian (for strong heat signs, use with caution and guidance)

5. Balance Fluids and Prevent Summer Damp-Heat

• In humid climates, heat combines with dampness, causing sluggish digestion, fatigue, heaviness, or loose stools.

• Eat fewer greasy/fried foods.

• Use aromatic herbs/spices to transform dampness: ginger, peppermint, perilla, cardamom, citrus peel.

6. Sync with Nature’s Rhythm

• Wake earlier (around sunrise) and be active in the morning.

• Allow time for rest during midday heat.

• Sleep slightly later than in winter, but avoid overexertion or emotional highs in the evening.

TCM Tip:

“Sweat is the fluid of the Heart” - sweating excessively can weaken the Heart and deplete Yin and Qi. Rehydrate mindfully with warm or room-temp fluids and foods that nourish fluids.

Sleeping with the Seasons: How to Sleep Well in Summer According to Chinese Medicine

As the sun climbs higher and the days stretch longer, many of us find ourselves tossing and turning at night, struggling to fall or stay asleep. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, this is no surprise. Summer is the season of Fire, one of the five elements in TCM, and it governs the Heart, which in turn houses the Shen, our spirit or consciousness.

Understanding how summer affects your body, energy, and mind can help you align your sleep habits with nature's rhythms, leading to deeper rest and greater overall harmony.

The Fire Element and Summer Energy

In TCM, each season corresponds to an element, organ, and emotional state. Summer’s Fire energy is expansive, active, and yang in nature. It's a time of growth, movement, and outward expression. The Heart, which rules over blood circulation and mental clarity, is especially vulnerable in this season.

When Fire becomes excessive, due to overexposure to heat, overstimulation, or emotional stress, it can disturb the Shen, leading to symptoms such as:

• Insomnia or restlessness

• Vivid or disturbing dreams

• Anxiety or irritability

• Night sweats or excessive heat at night

Summer Sleep Tips from Chinese Medicine

1. Sleep Later, Wake Earlier, but Not Too Late

Summer invites a more relaxed schedule. TCM texts suggest going to bed slightly later and waking earlier than in winter. Aim to rest by 11 PM to avoid taxing the Heart and Liver. Early morning walks (especially at dawn) can harmonize your internal clock with nature’s rhythm.

2. Nourish the Heart and Calm the Shen

Calm your spirit with Heart-nourishing foods and herbs:

• Cooling teas: Chrysanthemum, lotus seed, and passionflower

• Heart-tonifying foods: Red dates, goji berries, watermelon, bitter melon

• Avoid excessive stimulants like caffeine and spicy foods, especially at night.

3. Avoid Overexertion and Excess Heat

While summer encourages activity, overdoing it, especially under the sun, can burn out your Qi. Choose gentle evening exercises like tai chi, qi gong, or yin yoga to wind down.

4. Create a Yin-Inspired Sleep Space

Balance the abundant Yang of summer by making your bedroom a Yin sanctuary:

• Use cool, light-colored bedding

• Keep the room dark and well-ventilated

• Try aromatherapy with calming oils like sandalwood or lavender

5. Embrace a Siesta Mindset

TCM encourages a short midday rest during the peak yang hours (11 AM–1 PM). A 20- minute nap can restore Heart energy and reduce nighttime restlessness.

A Final Word: Harmonising with the Seasons

Seasonal living is a cornerstone of Chinese medicine. By adjusting your habits in tune with summer’s Fire element, you can preserve your energy, support your Shen, and enjoy more restorative, peaceful sleep, even on the hottest nights.

Listen to your body. Respect the rhythms of nature. And remember: in TCM, health is not about rigid routines, but graceful adaptation.

Sleeping with the Seasons: How to Sleep Well in Summer According to Chinese Medicine

As the sun climbs higher and the days stretch longer, many of us find ourselves tossing and turning at night, struggling to fall or stay asleep. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, this is no surprise. Summer is the season of Fire, one of the five elements in TCM, and it governs the Heart, which in turn houses the Shen - our spirit or consciousness.

Understanding how summer affects your body, energy, and mind can help you align your sleep habits with nature's rhythms, leading to deeper rest and greater overall harmony.

The Fire Element and Summer Energy

In TCM, each season corresponds to an element, organ, and emotional state. Summer’s Fire energy is expansive, active, and yang in nature. It's a time of growth, movement, and outward expression. The Heart, which rules over blood circulation and mental clarity, is especially vulnerable in this season.

When Fire becomes excessive, due to overexposure to heat, overstimulation, or emotional stress—it can disturb the Shen, leading to symptoms such as:

• Insomnia or restlessness

• Vivid or disturbing dreams

• Anxiety or irritability

• Night sweats or excessive heat at night

Summer Sleep Tips from Chinese Medicine

1. Sleep Later, Wake Earlier, but Not Too Late

Summer invites a more relaxed schedule. TCM texts suggest going to bed slightly later and waking earlier than in winter. Aim to rest by 11 PM to avoid taxing the Heart and Liver. Early morning walks (especially at dawn) can harmonize your internal clock with nature’s rhythm.

2. Nourish the Heart and Calm the Shen

Calm your spirit with Heart-nourishing foods and herbs:

• Cooling teas: Chrysanthemum, lotus seed, and passionflower

• Heart-tonifying foods: Red dates, goji berries, watermelon, bitter melon

• Avoid excessive stimulants like caffeine and spicy foods, especially at night.

3. Avoid Overexertion and Excess Heat

While summer encourages activity, overdoing it, especially under the sun, can burn out your Qi. Choose gentle evening exercises like tai chi, qi gong, or yin yoga to wind down.

4. Create a Yin-Inspired Sleep Space

Balance the abundant Yang of summer by making your bedroom a Yin sanctuary:

• Use cool, light-colored bedding

• Keep the room dark and well-ventilated

• Try aromatherapy with calming oils like sandalwood or lavender

5. Embrace a Siesta Mindset

TCM encourages a short midday rest during the peak yang hours (11 AM–1 PM). A 20-minute nap can restore Heart energy and reduce nighttime restlessness.

A Final Word: Harmonising with the Seasons

Seasonal living is a cornerstone of Chinese medicine. By adjusting your habits in tune with summer’s Fire element, you can preserve your energy, support your Shen, and enjoy more restorative, peaceful sleep, even on the hottest nights.

Listen to your body. Respect the rhythms of nature. And remember: in TCM, health is not about rigid routines, but graceful adaptation.

Cosmetic Acupuncture for Spring (Getting your Skin Summer Ready)

SKIN HEALTH

Our skin has never been under such pressure as it combats the daily stresses of a modern day life, especially at seasonal transitions. When we talk about skin health and ageing naturally, a 360° approach is vital.

Cosmetic Acupuncture or Facial Rejuvenation is an extension of traditional acupuncture. It naturally helps make the skin look younger, smoother, and all-around healthier. And unlike more invasive procedures, facial acupuncture addresses not only signs of aging, but also the skin’s overall health.

In Chinese Medicine we believe that external skin quality is driven by our internal health. That means you can apply the best and most expensive skincare on your face but if you are stressed, not sleeping, eating badly or have a hormonal imbalance - what you apply to your skin will simply not be effective. The focus is to create long-term changes in the health of the skin and body, not short-term quick fixes. By this, we mean better collagen stimulation, a brightened skin tone, reduced jaw tension, and a softer appearance overall on top of health benefits like reduced anxiety and tension.

HOW IT WORKS

Chinese Medicine focuses on the processes of the human body as an energy system, whereby skin health and well being relies on the smooth and dynamic flow of energy or Qi through the body. Once internal causes that affect skin ageing are assessed, a prescription of body acupuncture will complement your holistic cosmetic treatment, allowing you to experience a full flow of energy that will support the facial acupuncture.

Facial cosmetic acupuncture focuses on rejuvenating, re-energising and addressing all signs of skin concerns by stimulating, repairing and renewing skin mechanisms from within the dermis.

The treatment involves superficially inserting tiny and painless needles on the face. As the needles puncture the skin, they create wounds within its threshold, which are called positive microtraumas. This process accelerates a cascade of crucial healing triggers, which facilitates increased micro-circulation and oxygen supply to the skin as well as encouraging the skin’s own repair mode. The rejuvenating treatment promotes detoxification and encourages production of newer and stronger collagen and elastin fibres resulting in improved firmness, elasticity, reduced fine lines, regeneration, healthier complexion and texture.  

But unlike Botox or dermal fillers, facial acupuncture isn’t a quick fix of any kind. The majority of people see improvements after just a few sessions of facial acupuncture, but we recommend 6 to 12 treatments once or twice a week to see optimum and long lasting results. After that, you can go into what we call a “maintenance stage,” where you get the treatment every four to eight weeks. 

RESULTS

Our natural 360° approach to your skin health will deliver lasting anti-ageing results:

✓ Lifting, firming & toning

✓ Fine line & wrinkle smoothing

✓ Revitalising & contouring

✓ Lift scarring

✓ Get that glow back

SPRING REJUVENATION

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring is the season of renewal and growth, governed by the Wood element, which is closely linked to the Liver. This is the ideal time to detoxify, refresh, and awaken the skin after the stagnation of winter. Acupuncture during this period helps to stimulate circulation, clear toxins, and bring vibrancy back to the complexion. As we move into summer, the season of the Fire element, associated with the Heart, our focus shifts to hydration, cooling, and protecting the skin from excess heat and inflammation. By harmonising the body’s energy flow in spring, we lay the foundation for a radiant, balanced complexion that thrives through the warmer months, allowing the skin to reflect the vitality and lightness of the season.

THE ESCAPADA SKIN HEALTH PROGRAMME

This advanced signature cosmetic rejuvenation approach is an inspirational treatment that integrates Chinese medical wisdom with western scientific interventions. Our signature programme combines the latest specialised techniques of TCM beauty and western advancements.

Techniques include cosmetic acupuncture, medical micro-needling and facial rejuvenation techniques such as guasha, jade rolling and cupping.
The application of peptide infused masks and skincare botanicals, rich in natural active ingredients, further rebalance and nourish skin health. All of this combined with constitutional acupuncture and lifestyle guidance  for internal health, truly makes this a complete 360° body programme.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

What Does Self-Care Really Mean?

• Why self-care so important?

Modern-day living has become a juggling act. When we have a lot of pressures, from workload to personal stresses, we mistake the feeling of being under stress for having energy. You run from early morning until late at night, turning yourself into an energiser bunny! In the microcosm of the world that is our body, it is not uncommon for us to exhaust our energetic and nutritional resources. Between holding down a job, maintaining relationships, and caring for a family, we can often negate the energy we earn from sleep, good food and good company. Our daily needs repeatedly outpace our daily intake of energy and the concept of a healthy lifestyle and self-care, or the meaning of, can go out the window. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been a lifestyle medicine for thousands of years. This means that it is composed of 80% lifestyle/self-care and 20% treatment. In this sense, lifestyle means the way you live every day, how you get up in the morning, what you eat and drink, how you move, what you think and believe in and much more. If there is illness, the illness is treated; if there is no illness, the body is strengthened. Prevention is therefore the main focus rather than waiting for dis-ease to occur. Health is not just the absence of disease, but a feeling of wholeness, resilience and vitality.  In Chinese medicine, self-care is called Yang Sheng which directly translates as ‘nourish life’. Yang Sheng is the self-care part of Chinese medicine which means your self-care practices give you an amazing self-healing system/toolbox, it serves as your daily health maintenance. There is an ancient Chinese proverb: ‘

a drop of prevention is better than a bucketload of cure’.

Nurturing our bodies and our health a little every day is key to a year-round health and well-being system.

• What does self-care really mean?

There is a misconception that self-care just means warm baths and massages. Self-care encompasses anything that you do for yourself to support your physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being, it acts as daily health maintenance. A western approach can often be focused on treating disease when it arises, but in China, the mentality is that if you fall sick it is a failure of your Yang Sheng, your daily health maintenance. Basically, your self-care practices should aim to rebalance and resolve all the little niggles that later on can become a health problem/disease. 

We can, at times, follow others’ lead in terms of their self-care rituals but meaningful self-care routines mean taking a moment and tuning into yourself and figuring out what serves you and your health the best, taking into account where your life is at that point. To a busy working mom having a coffee in a cafe by herself might mean self-care but for another, it might be attending her Monday night yoga class to start the week in the best way. 

We all have different needs so take a moment and figure out yours. This approach offers you your own timeless and evolving daily preventative health toolbox, it can be very empowering. Yang Sheng is a concept from ancient China from 5,000 years ago and remains just as relevant today - they really do have it all figured out. 

• How can you best incorporate self-care into your life?

Start small and work your way up. People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Therefore we always invite our clients to choose 4 things (or even less) that they would like to incorporate into their life. It is not limited to 4 but it is important to keep it manageable and small, and build your way up. One self-care practice might simply be to get up 10 minutes earlier and do a 5-minute meditation or practice gratitude. Once these 4 things become part of your habit, lifestyle or mindset (like brushing your teeth, you wouldn’t dream of not brushing your teeth) - repeat this exercise again. This might be in a month or 6 months’ time. The important aspect is, that you are able to maintain these changes and set yourself up for continued success. 

A common trap we can fall into with a modern mindset of doing too much, when it comes to self-care less is more but practicing it mindfully and continuing is the key. 

• What are the positive impacts that these self-care steps can have on your life?

The positive impacts are endless, from your energy, sleep, digestion, hormonal health, emotional well-being and the list goes on. It can sometimes be hard to see the true benefit because you are preventing imbalances every day that would have happened if not for your self-care practices. For example, a simple 1-minute gua sha routine to release tension in the face and jaw can help to prevent headaches, migraines, dental issues and TMJ problems, etc. Like I said at the beginning it is so important for each individual to reflect and decide what self-care practices suit them best and their life, at that particular time. If someone is going through a really stressful time at work or in their personal life, a 5-minute meditation practice can help you manage your stress and in turn make better decisions, improve relationships. These knock-on effects are worth their weight in gold. Self-care can sometimes be viewed as ‘selfish’ but actually, the effect of you practicing good self-care practices ripples out to your family, children, colleagues - you can’t get more positive than that. 

Pantry Remedies for the Festive Season Indulgence

"Food as medicine and kitchen remedies are a huge part of Chinese culture. They are an effective way to health simple, and sometimes complex, issues using ingredients commonly found in the kitchen. In the spirit of the holiday season, many of us will party hard - some too hard - then suffer the consequences the next day! Here are a couple of our favourite rescue remedies to prevent or treat your hangover after a night of merry-making"

In TCM overconsumption of alcohol causes an excess of heat in the body and damage to certain organs, resulting in symptoms such as headaches or nausea. To prevent or relieve a hangover, TCM remedies generally act to reduce and clear the excess heat in the body. Here are our favourite TCM recipes to beat that hangover, some of them are pretty simple and will include items from your pantry (which we love!) - others are a little more peculiar but everything can be found in a health store or ordered online!

PANTRY RECIPES:

• Pear Juice: To help you avoid your hangover, try drinking a glass or two of concentrated pear juice before indulging in alcohol. This centuries-old remedy is said to have strong anti-inflammatory properties that stimulate the liver, making it a great way to detox your body.

• Sweet Black Tea: After the festivities and before you turn in for the night, drink an extra strong cup of black tea with one heaped spoonful of brown sugar. The acidity of black tea and the sweet, warming properties of brown sugar stimulate Liver and Stomach function to help release alcohol from your system. If caffeine keeps you awake, drink fresh ginger tea with lemon and brown sugar instead. This will have a similar detox effect.

• Ginger & Honey Tea: To help reduce general dehydration the morning after cut 10 slices of ginger and mix them with 3 cups of water in a pan. Bring the water to a soft boil and strain an orange, half a lemon, and add half a cup of honey to the mix to make the ultimate hot tonic for your upset stomach and keep you hydrated. Pour into a cup (Strained) and enjoy!

• Chinese Herbal Formula: The herbal formula "Bao He Wan“ is amazing if you have an upset stomach. These herbal miracle workers aren’t just for hangover induced nausea; you can take them anytime your stomach feels upset! Ask your acupuncturist for a prescription or find a Chinese pharmacy near you who will be able to help.

• Green Tea for Hangover Headaches: We all know that feeling the morning after a boozy night out. This headache tends to be throbbing in nature and located around your temples. In TCM, alcohol is heating in nature and therefore the liver - the organ that is responsible for detoxifying the body - needs some cooling down. Although it sounds simple, Green tea is great for that kind of headache! Have yourself a cup of VERY strong green tea (2-3 bags per cup) to detox and relieve that tension in your temples!

• Top Tip - Need to sober up fast? Try a radish in sugar and vinegar. Mix a piece of white radish finely sliced in dark rice vinegar and sugar (alternatively apple vinegar). It might taste horrid, but this drink can help neutralise the alcohol in the body and allow one to sober up faster.

ACUPRESSURE POINTS:

People say that "touch" is a great relief when you are hungover - which is why we love self massage in TCM as one of our favourite "morning after" hangover cures especially if you're feeling green. Just make sure your hands are nice and warm before you start!

• Zusanli (ST-36) for Nausea: If you're feeling a little green the morning after, acupressure point "Zusanli" also called stomach-36 is your best friend. Located four fingers (3inches) below the kneecap on the outside of your leg between the two bones of your lower leg (approve 1inch toward the outer edge). You can also find it by putting your hand on the outer side of your leg over your knee with your fingers facing down. The pressure on this point triggers a "sharp" pain. To make it work, apply pressure and massage the point in circular movements with the tip of the thumb. Massage for 2-3 minutes and repeat on the other leg.

• Large Intestine 4 (Li-4) for Hangover Headaches: Suffering from a temple thumping hangover headache? There is a pressure point on your hand, in the fleshy area between your finger and thumb, known as LI 4 which can help!. In TCM it’s the gate to the large intestine, and applying pressure to it can help with headaches, as well as with constipation, which sometimes accompanies a hangover. To locate it rest your left hand on a table, making an L-shape with your pointer finger and thumb. With your opposite thumb, apply pressure and massage between the web of your thumb and pointer finger, in small circular motions. The trigger point is up where you feel your index finger bone. Applying pressure for 10-20 seconds at a time, on each hand.

  **Never stimulate in pregnancy

• Bladder 2 - Headache point

Grab your gua sha tool for some headache relieving bliss - see photo. Even better pop in the fridge for some extra cooling relief

• Gallbladder 43 to Stop Those Negative Thoughts: Sometimes after a night of drinking you wake up with self-doubt, negative self-take and even paranoia - it's perfectly normal but to stop these feelings of "wrong-doing" and help ease that mind chatter you can use acupressure. Our Gallbladder 43 point found on both feet, is located between the fourth and fifth toes a few fingers up from the fifth toe at the tendon when you flex your pinky toe. When you've found the spot, apply pressure for 30 seconds on each side in circular movements. Be firm but don't press so hard that it hurts!

LOTS MORE HEALTH BOOSTING ARTICLES

Cosmetic Acupuncture for post Summer skin repair

SKIN HEALTH

Our skin has never been under such pressure as it combats the daily stresses of a modern day life, especially at seasonal transitions. When we talk about skin health and ageing naturally, a 360° approach is vital.

Cosmetic Acupuncture or Facial Rejuvenation is an extension of traditional acupuncture. It naturally helps make the skin look younger, smoother, and all-around healthier. And unlike more invasive procedures, facial acupuncture addresses not only signs of aging, but also the skin’s overall health.

In Chinese Medicine we believe that external skin quality is driven by our internal health. That means you can apply the best and most expensive skincare on your face but if you are stressed, not sleeping, eating badly or have a hormonal imbalance - what you apply to your skin will simply not be effective. The focus is to create long-term changes in the health of the skin and body, not short-term quick fixes. By this, we mean better collagen stimulation, a brightened skin tone, reduced jaw tension, and a softer appearance overall on top of health benefits like reduced anxiety and tension.

HOW IT WORKS

Chinese Medicine focuses on the processes of the human body as an energy system, whereby skin health and well being relies on the smooth and dynamic flow of energy or Qi through the body. Once internal causes that affect skin ageing are assessed, a prescription of body acupuncture will complement your holistic cosmetic treatment, allowing you to experience a full flow of energy that will support the facial acupuncture.

Facial cosmetic acupuncture focuses on rejuvenating, re-energising and addressing all signs of skin concerns by stimulating, repairing and renewing skin mechanisms from within the dermis.

The treatment involves superficially inserting tiny and painless needles on the face. As the needles puncture the skin, they create wounds within its threshold, which are called positive microtraumas. This process accelerates a cascade of crucial healing triggers, which facilitates increased micro-circulation and oxygen supply to the skin as well as encouraging the skin’s own repair mode. The rejuvenating treatment promotes detoxification and encourages production of newer and stronger collagen and elastin fibres resulting in improved firmness, elasticity, reduced fine lines, regeneration, healthier complexion and texture.  

But unlike Botox or dermal fillers, facial acupuncture isn’t a quick fix of any kind. The majority of people see improvements after just a few sessions of facial acupuncture, but we recommend 6 to 12 treatments once or twice a week to see optimum and long lasting results. After that, you can go into what we call a “maintenance stage,” where you get the treatment every four to eight weeks. 

RESULTS

Our natural 360° approach to your skin health will deliver lasting anti-ageing results:

✓ Lifting, firming & toning

✓ Fine line & wrinkle smoothing

✓ Revitalising & contouring

✓ Lift scarring

✓ Get that glow back

THE ESCAPADA SKIN HEALTH PROGRAMME

This advanced signature cosmetic rejuvenation approach is an inspirational treatment that integrates Chinese medical wisdom with western scientific interventions. Our signature programme combines the latest specialised techniques of TCM beauty and western advancements.

Techniques include cosmetic acupuncture, medical micro-needling and facial rejuvenation techniques such as guasha, jade rolling and cupping.
The application of peptide infused masks and skincare botanicals, rich in natural active ingredients, further rebalance and nourish skin health. All of this combined with constitutional acupuncture and lifestyle guidance  for internal health, truly makes this a complete 360° body programme.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

What Does Self-Care Really Mean?

• Why self-care so important?

Modern-day living has become a juggling act. When we have a lot of pressures, from workload to personal stresses, we mistake the feeling of being under stress for having energy. You run from early morning until late at night, turning yourself into an energiser bunny! In the microcosm of the world that is our body, it is not uncommon for us to exhaust our energetic and nutritional resources. Between holding down a job, maintaining relationships, and caring for a family, we can often negate the energy we earn from sleep, good food and good company. Our daily needs repeatedly outpace our daily intake of energy and the concept of a healthy lifestyle and self-care, or the meaning of, can go out the window. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been a lifestyle medicine for thousands of years. This means that it is composed of 80% lifestyle/self-care and 20% treatment. In this sense, lifestyle means the way you live every day, how you get up in the morning, what you eat and drink, how you move, what you think and believe in and much more. If there is illness, the illness is treated; if there is no illness, the body is strengthened. Prevention is therefore the main focus rather than waiting for dis-ease to occur. Health is not just the absence of disease, but a feeling of wholeness, resilience and vitality.  In Chinese medicine, self-care is called Yang Sheng which directly translates as ‘nourish life’. Yang Sheng is the self-care part of Chinese medicine which means your self-care practices give you an amazing self-healing system/toolbox, it serves as your daily health maintenance. There is an ancient Chinese proverb: ‘

a drop of prevention is better than a bucketload of cure’.

Nurturing our bodies and our health a little every day is key to a year-round health and well-being system.

• What does self-care really mean?

There is a misconception that self-care just means warm baths and massages. Self-care encompasses anything that you do for yourself to support your physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being, it acts as daily health maintenance. A western approach can often be focused on treating disease when it arises, but in China, the mentality is that if you fall sick it is a failure of your Yang Sheng, your daily health maintenance. Basically, your self-care practices should aim to rebalance and resolve all the little niggles that later on can become a health problem/disease. 

We can, at times, follow others’ lead in terms of their self-care rituals but meaningful self-care routines mean taking a moment and tuning into yourself and figuring out what serves you and your health the best, taking into account where your life is at that point. To a busy working mom having a coffee in a cafe by herself might mean self-care but for another, it might be attending her Monday night yoga class to start the week in the best way. 

We all have different needs so take a moment and figure out yours. This approach offers you your own timeless and evolving daily preventative health toolbox, it can be very empowering. Yang Sheng is a concept from ancient China from 5,000 years ago and remains just as relevant today - they really do have it all figured out. 

• How can you best incorporate self-care into your life?

Start small and work your way up. People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed. Similarly, when someone is failing, the tendency is to get on a downward spiral that can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Therefore we always invite our clients to choose 4 things (or even less) that they would like to incorporate into their life. It is not limited to 4 but it is important to keep it manageable and small, and build your way up. One self-care practice might simply be to get up 10 minutes earlier and do a 5-minute meditation or practice gratitude. Once these 4 things become part of your habit, lifestyle or mindset (like brushing your teeth, you wouldn’t dream of not brushing your teeth) - repeat this exercise again. This might be in a month or 6 months’ time. The important aspect is, that you are able to maintain these changes and set yourself up for continued success. 

A common trap we can fall into with a modern mindset of doing too much, when it comes to self-care less is more but practicing it mindfully and continuing is the key. 

• What are the positive impacts that these self-care steps can have on your life?

The positive impacts are endless, from your energy, sleep, digestion, hormonal health, emotional well-being and the list goes on. It can sometimes be hard to see the true benefit because you are preventing imbalances every day that would have happened if not for your self-care practices. For example, a simple 1-minute gua sha routine to release tension in the face and jaw can help to prevent headaches, migraines, dental issues and TMJ problems, etc. Like I said at the beginning it is so important for each individual to reflect and decide what self-care practices suit them best and their life, at that particular time. If someone is going through a really stressful time at work or in their personal life, a 5-minute meditation practice can help you manage your stress and in turn make better decisions, improve relationships. These knock-on effects are worth their weight in gold. Self-care can sometimes be viewed as ‘selfish’ but actually, the effect of you practicing good self-care practices ripples out to your family, children, colleagues - you can’t get more positive than that.