Wuyun Liuqi Update: Final Qi of 2025 Health and Climate

Welcome to the final Qi Period of the Wood Snake Year, beginning Saturday November 22nd, 2025 and running through January 20th 2026. This period is the culmination of the entire latter half of the Wood Snake Year, highlighting the health and climate vulnerabilities that have been present since late summer.

Climate and Health overview for the entire year can be found in the Wood Snake Wuyun Liuqi Blog. Here is an overview of where we are at:

Unseasonal Heat characterizes Winter in the Wood Snake Year

6th (Final) Qi Period: November 22nd - January 20th 2026

Host Climate: Taiyang Cold | Guest Climate: Shaoyang Heat

Overview: The season of Winter, which is usually characterized by Cold climate, is this year “visited” by unseasonal heat. In all material manifestations, this creates a pattern of unseasonal warmth keeping things moving and active instead of going interior and dormant for the Winter - the natural activity of this season.

Effect on Climate: Fire Qi is strong, creating conditions of unseasonal warmth, which delays hibernation or even brings creatures out of hibernation early, with disastrous results. Water does not freeze as usual, the ground remains soft and spring buds begin to sprout prematurely, or plants have a second flush, blooming late in the season. This is visible in Portland, Oregon, where many late winter/spring plants are prematurely blooming in early November.

Health Effects: People feel relaxed and comfortable with the unseasonably warm weather. However, these conditions are likely to give rise to epidemic “warm” diseases. Ministerial Fire move strongly and people feel energized, but without slowing down for the winter, there is a risk of “burning out” the yang qi, damaging of the Shaoyin Kidney-Heart network and leading to weakened immune systems and exhaustion. In Neijing Suwen Chapter 2, imbalance in the dynamics of Winter are said to cause weakness and reversal symptoms in the Spring. So disease may not manifest right away

So, What Can We Do?

The Regulation of Ministerial Fire is Paramount - the Neijing cautions very strongly against overlooking the importance of Ministerial Fire in the latter half of the year. While it is unseasonably warm and Shaoyang energy may appear stronger, there is a risk of Yang Qi being exhausted, leading to depletion of Kidney Yin and Essence, which is the true source of warmth in the body. There is also the risk of Ministerial Fire becoming constrained and stagnant due to the unseasonal arising of heat when the body should be conserving energy on the interior. In both cases, it is important not to supplement or drain fire strongly, as both might lead to degenerating health conditions. If there is the sensation of cold (ie. stagnation of ministerial fire), exercising vigorously or using an herbal strategy to “unblock” stuck qi might provide temporary relief, but goes contrary to the seasonal dynamic and risks exhausting the body’s resources. Excessive sweating should also be avoided as this will also damage yin at a time of year when we want to be preserving our body’s resources. Slow, gentle corrections are best.

What We Need: We want to conserve Yang Qi in the winter, so it can enter deeply into the body and nourish Yin. This is akin to the trees dropping their leaves in fall with visible, outward growth stopping - while at the same time plants experience a period of root growth and development known as “root flush”. If resources are not reverted to the interior to supplement Yin, this leads to future illness developing. You can imagine a tree growing all winter long while its roots don’t receive the energy to expand. This might seem wonderful… until the tree collapses because it lacks a solid root system to anchor and nourish this external growth.

With this image in mind, we want to create similar conditions of internal nourishment in the human body during the winter period. In antiquity, this happened naturally as people would sleep more in darker months, and eat more rich foods like dark leafy greens and animal protein, as these are what is most available in the winter and dietarily supplementation our body’s Yin. In the modern world, diet and lifestyle do not reflect seasonal changes, and there is the added complexity of years such as 2025, when normal seasonal climate may be disrupted, making it all the more challenging to adapt our bodies to the natural rhythm and energetic dynamic of the Winter season. Using the wisdom of the Wuyun Liuqi, however, we can understand and work with climate abnormalities, and understand how we can continue to promote seasonal wellness in the modern world.

How to Promote Health in Winter 2025-26:

To prevent depletion of yin, eating organ meat, beets & root vegetables, dark leafy greens, mineral-rich foods is a way to use diet to support the body. Resting and avoiding excessive activity can help us remain in a state of winter rest despite the activity of the outer world. As the “storage” function of the winter season is energetically disrupted, we must conserve our energy and intentionally enter into periods of rest and relaxation.

While it is good to relax, in winter we also want to avoid excess sweating, which can even be the result of taking a hot shower. Giving yourself a momentary cold rinse at the end of a shower can help, by closing the pores of the body and preventing Yang Qi from leaking out. We should also focus on warming the feet and lower body throughout the winter, as this helps maintain body warmth and circulation without causing overheating. Having a hot water bottle at the foot of your bed while you sleep can promote deeper rest and draw energy down and inward, aligning with the dynamic of the Winter Season. This is helpful even on warm days, when it might feel comfortable to wear lighter clothes or sleep in fewer layers. Drawing warmth downward prevents it from effusing to the surface and becoming blocked (leading to irritation, racing thoughts, physical discomfort) or getting depleted (leading to insomnia while feeling exhausted, cold sensations in the body, weakened immunity).

So, during the winter of 2025 when weather may be unseasonably warm, we want to continue with the gesture of winter of gently drawing warmth (Yang Qi) down and into the body, doing so even if we feel comfortable, and avoiding excessive exercise, sweating and activity, despite feeling energized. If you are looking for permission to take it easy, this is it. Take rest days, let activities and chores that aren’t essential wait until the spring thaw and prioritize rest, coziness and nourishing, warm food this winter season to keep your immune system in top shape and limit long-term health effects.