← Wellness Solar Terms
Autumn Equinox 秋分 · Qiū Fēn · ~Sep 23
✓ Reviewed by Liu Meihua, Licensed TCM Pharmacist🕐 Updated Oct 2026📄 1 classic source
AT A GLANCE
Day and night equal again — the second balance point, and deep autumn from here.
How the food tradition reads it
Black sesame season — the classic “moisten the dryness” food, in porridge or paste.
Tonight’s bowl
Black sesame paste — toasted seeds 30 g ground with a little rice flour and water, simmered to a paste with rock sugar.
The practice of the term
Balance the schedule like the day: steady sleep, steady meals.
What to watch for this term
- Stomach season — the gut feels the chill first
- Autumn dryness continues its slow burn
Who feels this term most
Yang Deficiency — Warm the middle at every meal — no more cold anything
Yin Deficiency — Dryness is halfway through you — sesame, honey, slow soups
Watching a pattern is not a diagnosis — flare-ups and chronic conditions belong with a professional.
The season’s anchor
“The three months of autumn are called the leveling… sleep early, rise with the chickens.” — Suwen, On Nurturing Life by the Four Seasons
