Wind Energy (rLung) and the Summer Season in Tibetan Medicine

Wind Energy (rLung) and the Summer Season in Tibetan Medicine

Julija Sprisevska

In Tibetan medicine, the rhythm of the seasons deeply influences the balance of the three nyes pa — rLung (Wind), Tripa (Bile), and Beken (Phlegm). Each season brings its own environmental and bodily challenges, and summer is no exception. Understanding how rLung (Wind) behaves during this time helps us maintain health and prevent seasonal imbalances.


The Nature of Wind and Summer’s Influence

Wind is associated with movement, lightness, dryness, and subtlety. In early summer, these same qualities are reflected in the environment — the days are long, the nights are short, and the air is warm but often light and dry. This similarity of qualities causes accumulation of Wind in the body, especially if a person’s diet and lifestyle also lean toward light, rough, or cold tendencies.

Importantly, in early summer, Wind accumulates but does not yet flare into disorder because the warmth of the season keeps it in check. Problems often emerge later, during the monsoon or cooler rainy periods, when the added influence of wind, rain, and cold disturbs the accumulated Wind and brings symptoms to the surface.

 

From Accumulation to Disturbance

A common pattern is that people in summer may eat too much raw, cold, or rough food — salads, iced drinks, and uncooked vegetables/ fruits. While refreshing at first, this builds Wind inside the body. The disturbance may not be felt until the rainy times, when the combination of dampness and cooling weather makes the accumulated Wind energy unstable.

Symptoms of aggravated Wind can include:

  • Restlessness or anxiety

  • Insomnia or light sleep

  • Digestive irregularity

  • Joint or muscle pain

  • Sensitivity to wind or drafts

 

Physical Strength and Seasonal Weakness

The Four Tantras note that physical strength is at its lowest during summer and monsoon, moderate in spring and autumn, and at its peak in winter. The intense summer heat depletes vitality, dries bodily fluids, and can weaken digestion (medrod), especially if one sweats a lot and consumes cold food or drinks.

In Europe’s dry, hot summers, this loss of minerals and digestive warmth is common. In monsoon climates, external heat is paired with internal cold, which can also undermine digestion. Both patterns can set the stage for chronic Beken (Phlegm) and digestive disorders later.

 

Dietary Guidance for Summer

To balance the heat and dryness of summer while protecting digestion (medrod), Tibetan medicine recommends foods with sweet taste and light, oily, and mildly cooling qualities.

Recommended foods and drinks:

  • Cooked vegetables and grains (rice, pasta, bread)

  • Fresh fruits in moderation

  • Goat or beef in small amounts for strength

  • Dry fruits and good vegetable oils for nourishment (olive, sesame, avocado, etc.)

  • Cold soups based on bone broths – gently cooling yet nourishing for body strength

  • Honey to support immunity and soothe digestion

  • Mild spices such as nutmeg to gently warm and balance Wind without overheating

  • Room-temperature or slightly cool boiled water

  • Boiled water with a slice of lemon

  • Mild herbal teas

Avoid or limit:

  • Excess alcohol

  • Very cold drinks, ice cream, and frozen foods (they weaken digestion)

  • Strongly spicy, salty, or sour foods

  • Preserved, canned, or overly processed foods

  • Excessive dairy and heavy meats

  • Eating large amounts of raw or rough foods (especially late in the day)

 

Lifestyle Practices

To prevent Wind imbalance in summer:

  • Rest in cool, shaded, and fragrant places

  • Wear light cotton clothing (avoid synthetics)

  • Avoid excessive sunbathing and strenuous exercise in the heat

  • Take cool showers

  • Spend time near trees or flowing water for a calming effect

  • In rainy periods, keep warm and dry, and avoid damp, windy places


Daknang Recommendations for Balancing Wind

For gentle support of Wind during the summer season and to prevent its disturbance in the rainy months ahead, Daknang offers traditional Tibetan herbal extracts:

Balancing Wind Before It Disturbs

Summer is a season of awakening and circulation — the heat of spring melts and mobilizes the body’s stored fluids and blood, much like how the earth and oceans release moisture to form summer clouds. This is a time when the body’s systems “wake up” from winter. If we maintain digestive warmth, eat nourishing but not heavy foods, and avoid excess roughness and cold, we can enter the late summer and autumn seasons without the burden of accumulated rLung (Wind).

 

In essence: Summer invites us to enjoy lightness and movement, but we must balance it with nourishment, gentle cooling, and digestive protection. By caring for Wind now, we prevent the wind from turning stormy later in the year.

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