Aligning Body with Season: Late Summer Cares for Your Stomach and Spleen Qi
What is Late Summer?
Traditional East Asian Medicine identifies Late Summer as the period from the 3rd week of August to the Fall Equinox.
This small but mighty season resonates with Spleen and Stomach, Qi & organs, and reflects:
The harvest
The transition to Fall
The reminder that Earth is our center
Late Summer is the perfect time to support digestion, muscles, the thinking mind, and overall Qi (Life Force Energy).
The Role of the Stomach & Spleen
The Stomach and Spleen are responsible for:
“Rotting and ripening” food
Transforming Dampness
Holding us together structurally
Emotionally connecting us with worry, pensiveness, and contemplation
What Does It Mean to Attune to a Season?
Attuning means adjusting food, clothing, practices, and daily activities to align with the physical and energetic climate of the season.
When we attune, our body, mind, and spirit function optimally.
✨ Seasonal attunement boosts your Qi, leaving you feeling grounded, whole, and ready to engage with life as it is.
In Late Summer, you can attune by:
Eating foods that nourish Spleen Qi (see list below)
Easing worry with intentional practices and health practitioners that relax you
Changing what you eat to match the season (e.g., root veggies in Late Summer, warm foods in Fall/Winter)
Movement practices that flow Qi through Stomach & Spleen meridians
Check in and ask: “What do I want for my health right now?”
Do what supports you to align with the here and now
🌀 Checking in seasonally with your health goals helps to notice what you’ve achieved, and what you want as you continue on.
Foods to Nourish Qi & Yang
Grains: cooked whole grains, rice, congee, oats, roasted barley, sweet rice, spelt, millet
Vegetables: pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, rutabaga, corn, parsnips, yams, peas, onions, leeks, garlic, turnip, mushrooms (oyster & shiitake)
Fruit: stewed fruit, figs, small amounts of cherries and dates
Beans: chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, fava beans
Nuts/seeds: walnuts
Fish: mackerel, tuna, anchovy, perch, eel, catfish, halibut
Meat: small amounts of chicken, beef, beef liver or kidney, turkey, lamb, Chinese black chicken, quail, goose, rabbit, frog
Dairy: minimal to none (prefer goat dairy)
Herbs: black pepper, fresh ginger, cinnamon, garlic, nutmeg, fennel
Beverages: lukewarm or warm drinks
Other: small amounts of barley malt, sugar cane, molasses, rice syrup
Remember: YOU are the greatest knower of you, your intuition is invited to the table.
Cooking Tips for Spleen Qi Abundance
Slow cooking (crock pot or instant pot) = gentle nourishment for Spleen Qi
Light, low-heat cooking preserves nutrients and makes food easier to digest
Keep stews and soups simple for easy assimilation
Life Habits for Spleen Qi
Because the Spleen is connected to worry and overthinking, practices that give your mind a break are deeply supportive.
Some contemplative practices include:
Staring at a spot on the wall
Watching clouds float by
Taking a stroll in green spaces (trees, grass, leaves)
Listening to expansive music
Trying something new that suspends habitual thinking
📖 For inspiration: Contemplative Practices Resource
Reflection
What is your favourite way to suspend thinking, even for a moment?
What is one thing you can do to align with the season?
A Seasonal Blessing
May each of you be nourished this Late Summer.
May you tend to your Spleen and Stomach in some way.
May you be free from inner and outer danger.
May anyone on Earth who is hungry, starved or malnourished be fed, cared for and protected.
There is enough for all to be fed, we have enough here on Earth.
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About the Author
Lamia Gibson, R. Ac is an Acupuncturist, Shiatsu Therapist, and Traditional Chinese Medicine food nerd.
I work with people seeking relief from stress, trauma, and grief.
📍 Book with me: book online or call
💻 Learn more: lamiagibson.ca
