One of my female students, a piano teacher, played incredibly beautiful melodies. Yet she rarely looked up, afraid others would see her face covered in red bumps, which made her very insecure.
One day after class, she finally gathered the courage to approach me, saying, "Teacher, I often listen to your programs. Comparing my symptoms to what you describe, I feel my issue is related to dampness in the body." I asked, "How did you come to that conclusion?"
She described her symptoms: frequent eczema outbreaks, a yellow tongue coating with teeth marks, facial acne, yellow palms, sticky stools that cling to the toilet bowl, heavy legs and feet, and recurring puffiness around her eyes or limbs.
Hearing this, I confirmed it was indeed dampness. She looked puzzled and asked, "What causes this dampness in my body?"
I explained three main reasons:
1. Consuming too many sweet, greasy foods, overeating, or drinking alcohol.
2. Living in damp environments like basements, southern regions, or during the hottest days of summer (Futi days) – all peak periods for dampness accumulation.
3. The summer solstice (Dazhong) and autumn equinox (Dachong) are also critical times for dampness susceptibility.
She sighed helplessly, "But I already eat very lightly, avoid snacks, don't drink alcohol, and my living space isn't damp. Why is this still happening?"
I replied, "Then it's most likely the third reason—taking showers late at night."
Her eyes widened instantly: "Goodness, I shower every night! How could that cause dampness?"
Showering itself doesn't cause dampness, but showering late at night does. That's when the body's defenses are weakest—yang energy retreats to the internal organs, leaving the skin vulnerable. Showering then allows dampness to easily enter the body.
She suddenly understood. "Oh, I see! So when is the best time to shower?" I suggested the morning, as that's when yang energy rises to the body's surface and we're in our best condition. Showering then poses no problem and leaves you feeling refreshed and energized.
She remained troubled. After working all day, how could she bear to go to bed dirty without showering?But two months later, she came back thrilled: "Teacher, you're amazing! I realized I didn't need to rush to bathe at night—the limit is just 9 PM. As long as I bathe before then, it's fine. So now I can shower first when I get home, then tackle chores." She finally felt at ease. "Great! I usually dawdle until after 10 PM before bathing and sleeping. Next time I'll bathe earlier."After bathing, the acne on her face had almost cleared up. "So happy! Thank you." I was happy for her too, then told her: "You've already seen benefits from mastering the first step—not bathing too late. If you learn the second step, you'll become even more beautiful and healthy." You must prepare a long-handled bath brush. 1.During your shower, start by rinsing the Dazhui acupoint at the base of your neck with warm water. This boosts yang energy, strengthens your body's defenses against cold and dampness, and allows the warm water to flow down your back. While doing this, massage your armpits to stimulate lymphatic circulation. 2. Avoid washing your hair at night whenever possible. Try to wash it in the morning instead, because the head is the convergence point of all yang energy and is most vulnerable to cold and dampness.
3. Apply a small amount of body wash to the brush and massage both shoulders, left then right, until they feel warm and slightly red.
3. Next, brush the spine up and down twenty times. Then brush the back, left then right, twenty times each. Follow with the lower abdomen, brushing against the grain twenty times, then with the grain twenty times.Then brush the inner thighs thirty times each, left then right. Finally, brush the back of the knees and calves twenty times each, left then right.
Four: Rinse thoroughly and dry completely, especially the head. Many people go to bed with damp hair after showering—a very bad habit that can damage yang energy over time and cause headaches.
5: Immediately put on pajamas and stay warm. Rub the Dazhui acupoint before leaving the bathroom to complete the routine.
Bathing frequency also matters: bathe more often in spring and summer when sweating increases—every one or two days. Daily bathing isn’t ideal in autumn and winter; once or twice weekly suffices.
Following this routine will make you increasingly radiant.