The Fifth Season “Late Summer”
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a fifth season nestled between summer and fall, late summer, a brief but powerful transition that invites us to come back to center.
While summer is expansive and outward, late summer brings a softening. The days are still warm, but there’s a subtle shift inward, a slowing down. It’s a time to nourish our capacity to digest, not just food, but emotions, experiences, and the transitions life brings.
The Earth Element: Spleen and Stomach
This season is governed by the Earth element, which corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach, the organs responsible for transforming food into energy and supporting the body’s capacity to build blood, regulate cycles, and maintain stability.
In TCM, when Earth is strong, we feel centered, nourished, and steady. When it's depleted, we may experience:
Fatigue
Digestive issues and bloating
Overthinking or excess worrying
Irregular cycles and spotting between periods
Feeling ungrounded or scattered
How to Support Yourself in Late Summer
Eat with the season: Favor warm, cooked, and mildly sweet foods in the colors of the Earth element—yellows and oranges. Think roasted squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, golden beets, millet, congee, stews, soups, and cooked greens. Limit raw, cold, or icy foods that can weaken digestion.
Sip warm drinks: Herbal teas like ginger, chamomile, or chrysanthemum help soothe the gut and support the transition into autumn.
Root into routines: Gentle consistency is the key to supporting the Spleen. That includes regular nourishing meals, supportive sleep habits, and mindful movement.
Get regular acupuncture: In clinic, I often use this time to support digestion, regulate cycles, help with TTC preparation, or address postpartum fatigue. Acupuncture helps the body come back into rhythm especially during seasonal transitions.
A Season to Center
Late summer is a reminder that healing doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes, the deepest medicine is nourishing what holds you, coming back to the body, and tending to the ground beneath your feet.
Let this be your invitation to slow down, feed yourself well, and center into the season.
