Conservation
Written by Brooke Taylor, contributions from Hallee Becher
In TCM, sweat is considered the "fluid of the heart," and excessive sweating — especially during intense workouts — can deplete the body’s yin and vital fluids. If you crave the mental clarity and emotional reset that comes from a strong sweat session, you don’t have to give it up. Instead, exercise earlier in the day when yang energy is naturally rising, keep workouts intense but slightly shorter, and focus on recovery. While longer workouts might leave you feeling accomplished, overextending your exercise time can deplete your qi, leaving you drained and less resilient for the rest of the day. Focus on replenishing fluids with herbal teas like chrysanthemum or goji berry, and nourish your yin with foods like pears, spinach, and black sesame. Balancing hard workouts with slower practices like tai chi or restorative stretching a few times a week can protect your reserves, keeping you strong, grounded, and resilient through the season.
If we’re already in a state of anxiety and stress and find exerting ourselves is the only way to release that tension and enjoy a dopamine fix, then we are simply perpetuating this cycle of cortisol being high (creating anxiety), then releasing dopamine to combat cortisol (through over-extending ourselves), then cortisol inches right back up.
So the thing you think is making you feel sane is a temporary fix.
The real fix is walking, low-intensity movement, and resistance training, you can still sweat, but not to the point of depletion.
How to regulate?
Acupuncture lowers cortisol by regulating the nervous system.
Gua Sha is great for dispersing heat and relieving stagnation.
Reserve your initial sessions below
