Why Autumn Is the Best Season to Cleanse the Lungs?

Taoan Admin
Sep 4
3 min read

Inspired by a Tea Healing Story

Many people experience this kind of discomfort in daily life:

No major illness, yet fatigue comes easily.
A constant feeling of “something stuck” in the throat—hard to cough out, hard to swallow down.
Clearing the throat becomes a habit; breathing feels shallow and not fully satisfying.
A trace of nasal sound or hoarseness, but medical tests show nothing wrong.

From a Western medical perspective, these states are not yet considered “disease.” Tests and scans often show normal results.But from the viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Daoist healing, these are clear signals of a phlegm-damp constitution, meaning “waste” in the lungs has been quietly accumulating for years.

A Student’s Journey: From Nasal Voice to Deep Breathing

One long-term Tao’an tea healing student shared her experience.During the hot and humid Zhongfu period of summer, her voice suddenly carried a nasal tone. Friends thought she had caught a cold. Yet she knew her body well—she had no fever, no sore throat, and her energy was actually vibrant.

She continued her daily tea healing practice, supported by moxibustion. By the time Li Qiu (Start of Autumn) arrived, her body entered a new phase: light coughing.It wasn’t the painful kind of cough one associates with illness. Instead, it was gentle—accompanied by the gradual release of thin phlegm. Day by day, her cough deepened, and she described feeling as if her chest was opening up, her breath reaching deeper with ease.

She even noticed that when she gently tapped her chest, phlegm was released more smoothly. The relief was so distinct that she described it as a refreshing “lung cleansing,” leaving her whole body light and renewed.

TCM’s Perspective: This Is “Detoxification,” Not Illness

From a TCM lens:

Heavy dampness in late summer (Zhongfu) → The spleen and lungs send an early signal, here expressed as nasal voice.
Autumn corresponds to Metal, the element of the lungs → When lung qi becomes dominant, old dampness and phlegm naturally surface.
Coughing and phlegm → Not an invasion of disease, but rather the body’s own process of clearing and renewal.

Daoist medicine goes even deeper: this is a sign of jing, qi, and shen (essence, energy, and spirit) refreshing themselves.Through the act of coughing and clearing phlegm, the meridians and orifices are opened, qi flows freely, and the “three souls and seven spirits” begin to return to alignment. The body and spirit both enter a more integrated state.

Why Autumn Is the Perfect Window

In the Five Elements, autumn belongs to Metal, resonating with the lungs.

As the weather cools, lung qi contracts inward, naturally pushing out old waste.
Seasonal transitions activate the body’s innate repair and detox mechanisms.
When tea healing and diet follow the rhythm of the seasons, the effects are amplified—half the effort, double the results.

This is why many people find themselves coughing lightly or releasing phlegm in autumn. It is not a setback, but rather the body’s way of healing and recalibrating.

Tao’an’s Autumn Tea Healing Formula

To support this natural process, Tao’an has developed a unique seasonal autumn blend:

A foundation of Wuyi Rock Tea, to warm yang, strengthen the spleen, and transform dampness.
Combined with carefully chosen herbs that moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, and calm the spirit.

It is more than just a cup of tea—it is a seasonal healing ritual, aligning body and spirit with the wisdom of nature.As old phlegm clears and breath deepens, vitality (jing, qi, shen) is renewed from within.

In Closing

Many modern discomforts are not “diseases” yet, but rather the result of lung waste quietly building up over time.Autumn is not a season of weakness—it is the season to release old burdens and welcome new vitality.

If you often feel shallow breathing, throat congestion, or lingering fatigue, consider this a signal: your lungs are asking for renewal.By attuning to the season with tea healing and mindful nourishment, you give both body and soul the chance to refresh—gently, naturally, and profoundly.