Balance Blog

All Things Health, Wellness, and Chinese Medicine

Summer Damp-Heat: What It Is, How It Feels, and How to Beat It (TCM-Style!)

Struggling with summer sluggishness in Charleston’s heat? Learn how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) helps clear damp-heat- a common pattern in hot, humid weather that can cause bloating, brain fog, skin flare-ups, and more. We break down the signs of damp-heat and share natural ways to treat it with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, essential oils, and at-home acupressure. Discover how to stay cool, clear, and energized all summer long!

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TCM Food Therapy for Summer Wellness

Summer is just around the corner! Beach days, barbecues, and pool hangs are calling our name. The energy of the season is all about joy, connection, expansiveness, and fun. To enjoy the season to its fullest, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) teaches us how to live in harmony with the season and the feisty element of Fire. Food therapy plays a major role in how we can maintain good health year round!

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Why Fall is the Perfect Time to Tidy Up

The Metal Element is all about a lesson in "letting go." Leaves fall from trees, autumn harvest begins, and the days are shorter and cooler. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, there might also be a benefit it beginning to tidy, declutter, and let go of that what you no longer need. South Carolina-based Acupuncturist Lauren Becker, L.Ac. shares perspective on why you might think about using this time to "Marie Kondo" your house.

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Five Elements, Summer, Theory, Seasonal Wellness Lauren Becker Five Elements, Summer, Theory, Seasonal Wellness Lauren Becker

Late Summer, the Earth Element + Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, we take seasonal changes as opportunities to better our health and prevent disease. Late Summer is the time to reinforce the vitality of the earth element.. Adjusting our qi with the flow of the seasons will help us cultivate balance, resiliency, and vibrant health throughout the year.

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TCM Tips for a Healthy Summer

Things are warming up and we've got your TCM tips to help you enjoy a happy and healthy summer! The transition from Spring to Summer is represented by the wood element moving into the FIRE element. The new growth and budding energy of spring is now exploding into summer vibrance and abundance. Whether you thrive in the heat or want to melt away, self-care is essential this time of year.

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Why Fall is the Perfect Time to Tidy Up (and other lessons from the metal element)

We’re all familiar with spring cleaning, but fall is a perfect time to de-clutter and tidy up! Understanding the five elements allows us to bring harmony in our home and in ourselves. The fall welcomes in the metal element phase. After the growth of spring (wood) and the abundance of summer (fire), fall, the season of the metal element, is a time to decrease.

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