April 4th, 2012. "Clear and Bright", the 5th small Spring season arrives

      In 2012, the season of "Clear and Bright" arrives on April 4th. Celestial longitude: 15 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.
    
      Here are some additional information:
      
     The name "clear and bright" is a description of the energy appearance of the universe in this season, as the "sky is clear" and the "earth is bright".To Human body, “Heaven is Clear” refers to the upper section of the body, or “upper Jiao” which includes Lungs and heart. “Earth is Bright” refers to the middle section of the body, or “middle Jiao” which includes stomach and spleen. So it tells us that during this season we need keep the lungs and heart “clear”, and the stomach and spleen “bright” to fit into the season. Here the word “bright” in Chinese it also indicates “balance”.
      
      In this “Balanced” season, to eat in balance is another key. There are many ways to be “balanced” in eating; here we will just talk about the different tastes. According to TCM theory, most food can be categorized into 5 major tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy (hot), and salty. These 5 tastes are also connected with the 5 elements and 5 major organ systems in human. In general:

Taste:	Hot Spicy (tree)	Salty (fire)	Sweet (earth)	Sour (metal)	Bitter   (water)
Organ system:	Liver-Gall bladder	Heart-Small intestines	Stomach-Spleen	Lungs-Large intestines	Kidneys-Bladder
Nature:	Dispersing	Softening	Slacking	Contracting	Solidifying
Imbalance can cause:	Skin gets thick and wrinkled, peeling lips	Dry skin, skin hair loss	Bone pain, hair loss, loosened tooth	Cramp, dry skin, nail degeneration	Blood stagnation, chest pain, breathing hardness, bad face color

These tastes do not necessarily “add” or “reduce” anything from the system, they work more in an energetic balancing way. It is recommended to have all these 5 tastes in your daily diet, this way you really don’t need to worry about them as they will balance each other’s force and provide positive effects in your system. But depends on the individual’s condition, geographic location and time of the year, the balance of the 5 tastes need to be adjusted in order to fit into the condition better.
    
    As the weather starts to get better, people start to do more outdoor activities. Indeed this is right time to go out and enjoy what the nature is offering. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Avoid wind and cold. The increase of rain add more humidity to the air, and since the temperature is not high enough yet, without proper rest or protection, those who are low in energy level may still catch cold or get joints pain and arthritis symptoms.
2. Be aware of allergy symptoms. This is the high pollen season. Enjoying the blooming is nice, but some flowers do release some harmful material. So be aware of how you react to different area and weather, and avoid them. 
3. Pay attention to the weather changes. Spring weather is like baby’s face, it is unstable and it changes quickly. Before going out, check the weather and bring extra clothes or umbrella just in case. If you do get caught in the rain, take a hot shower and drink hot water as soon as possible.