Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival: A Time to Embrace Seasonal Wellness

Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar which this year falls on Monday 6th October 2025. This festival was such a special event for me as a child growing up in Hong Kong. We would all gather in the evening with our lanterns to gaze at the full moon and try to spot the rabbit shaped silhouette in its shadows, all whilst eating traditional Moon Cakes (mixed reviews from me as a child, I loved the sweet bean filling but wasn’t too keen on the hidden whole hard boiled egg yolk inside!)

Now as a Chinese Medicine practitioner I celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival as a time of seasonal transition and an opportunity to embrace seasonal wellness.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) this is the season of moving from Late Summer (the Earth element) into Autumn (the Metal element), and the strong winds this weekend have certainly given us a taste of things to come! The Metal element governs the Lungs and Large Intestine, so this is the season to protect our lungs and breathing, and support our digestion ready for the demanding winter months ahead.

Below I show you some ways to support your body through this season.

Supporting your body this Autumn

Acupuncture - seasonal acupuncture treatment focuses on using points to support digestion and strengthen lung function. The focus is both on keeping the body systems moistened and nourished, while also counteracting over production of mucous. In addition, by calming the nervous system we can prepare the body for the physical and emotional challenges of the winter ahead. Acupuncture is unique in that it blends ancient thinking with modern evidence based treatment, with spectacular results!

Diet - The dry and cool air of autumn can deplete fluids in the body and therefore Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests eating ‘moistening’ foods such as pear and apple, preferably stewed and sweetened with a little honey. The fruit harvests this year have been huge after our long hot summer so there is plenty of fruit to prepare and freeze to eat through the autumn!

Address Seasonal Emotions - Autumn is associated with grief and letting go (the energetic emotions of the Lungs in TCM). Acupuncture, Breath Work and gentle movement such as Yoga and Qi Gong can support the Lungs to encourage processing emotions. The celebration of the Mid Autumn festival also promotes emotional wellbeing as it incorporates congregating with your family and your community, practising gratitude for the harvest and recognition of the importance of community and rest.

By Honouring Tradition we can Support Our Wellness

By celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival we affirm our connection to the change of seasons and the natural cycle of the earth and of our body systems. The brilliance of the full moon tonight reminds us of the health benefits we can achieve by living in harmony with these natural cycles.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival and to hope that the full moon brings you health and happiness for the remainder of the year.