Flagstaff, AZ USA
Speaker: Qigong Master Mikel Steenrod, Water Mountain Virtual
Fall Equinox 2025:
Sept 22 (Northern Hemisphere), Sept 23 (Japan).
Exact effects differ by geographic region (e.g., Flagstaff vs. Massachusetts).
Transition:
From stable yang of summer → yin of winter.
Involves a final peak of yang before decline.
Timing of Change:
Yang rise may begin ~two weeks before or after the equinox, depending on location.
Local conditions (sun, geography, Qi pooling) shape the experience.
Yang vs. Heat:
Not identical — you can have yang without heat and vice versa.
Classics sometimes confuse the two.
Pooling Effect:
Yang draws yang; in some areas, yang concentrates more strongly.
Increased outward energy and drive to be active.
Possible negative effects if imbalanced:
Aggression, short temper, shorter fuse.
Peaks of energy followed by sudden fatigue.
Muscle aches and spasms.
Cooler evening/morning climates help balance excess yang.
Hotter regions (e.g., Phoenix) combine yang with heat, creating a tinderbox effect — more aggression, erratic behavior.
Humans evolved to do more when there is more yang (more resources, more activity).
Fall is historically the season of greatest plenty:
Harvesting crops.
Hunting and gathering fruits, grains, and meat to store for winter.
Built-in human response is to take advantage of this seasonal abundance.
Final Push:
Use the extra yang for physical activity and completing tasks.
Stay engaged rather than letting practice or effort fall away.
Balance:
“Bleed off” excess yang through activity.
Gather yin during cool evening periods to offset yang.
Aim for yin–yang balance rather than overexertion.
The Fall Equinox is a time of transition and heightened energy.
Use the yang peak as a “final push” — to act, harvest, and complete — while balancing with yin.
Embrace the season as a time of abundance and preparation for winter.
By Hal Winthrop
Every fall, right around the Equinox, I notice the same thing on the training floor. People have a burst of energy—an urge to do more, stay longer, push harder. And just as quickly, some of them burn out, turning short-tempered or tired.
When Qigong Master Mikel Steenrod delivered his talk “The Final Push” this season, he put a name to this cycle: the last surge of yang before winter. What struck me most is how closely his description lined up with what the old Taoist doctors wrote down in the Huangdi Neijing, China’s foundational medical text from over two millennia ago.
This article will map out that connection. We’ll see how modern Qi Gong guidance matches the patterns described in the classics, why it still matters for martial artists and everyday practitioners, and how you can use it to guide your own training.
From the talk: Steenrod describes the Equinox as a turning point where yang—summer’s stable, productive energy—actually surges one last time before collapsing into winter’s yin.
From the classics: The Neijing (Su Wen, Chapter 2) says it plainly: “Yang at its extreme gives birth to yin.” The image is cyclical, like a wave cresting before it falls.
Takeaway for practice: Recognize that surge for what it is—your body may feel more outward, more driven. But it’s also the beginning of decline, so you should balance intensity with recovery.
From the talk: Flagstaff, Massachusetts, and Tokyo don’t experience the same rise. Phoenix, with its heat, adds a tinderbox effect, making irritability and aggression more likely.
From the classics: The Neijing (Chapter 12) recognizes regional qi. Mountain climates, coastal climates, and hot regions all bring their own physiological challenges.
Takeaway for practice: Where you live changes how the season feels. That means your training rhythm shouldn’t blindly copy what you read in a book. Match your routine to your environment.
From the talk: Steenrod reminds us not to confuse yang with temperature. Yang is motion and activity; heat is just one possible quality.
From the classics: The Neijing distinguishes between yang (movement, activity) and fire (a pathological state when in excess). Confusing the two has led to misdiagnosis for centuries.
Takeaway for practice: Don’t assume a hot day means more yang or that cool weather means more yin. Look instead at your body’s drive, mood, and energy patterns.
From the talk: Humans evolved to use the fall’s abundance. Harvesting crops, hunting game, and storing food all synced with the yang surge.
From the classics: “In autumn, all things ripen; restrain the will, gather the spirit.” (Su Wen, Chapter 2). Both perspectives emphasize gathering, storing, and preparing.
Takeaway for practice: This is a season to finish projects, take advantage of the natural “harvest” of your training gains, and set your body in order before winter.
From the talk: Steenrod stresses that the “final push” isn’t about frenzy. It’s about discipline, steady effort, and showing up, not grinding yourself down.
From the classics: The Neijing cautions: “If one opposes the qi of the season, injury will come to the organs.” Overexertion at seasonal transitions was seen as a cause of future illness.
Takeaway for practice: Train with consistency, not desperation. Use the yang peak to anchor habits, not to exhaust yourself.
So what do we learn, stacking these side by side? That modern Qi Gong teaching, framed in the language of geography and physiology, is saying what the old texts said in metaphor and seasonal instruction: align with the cycle, use what nature gives, and don’t fight the tide.
For martial artists, that means treating September as both an opportunity and a caution sign. For wellness seekers, it means balancing activity with yin-building practices—sleep, quiet meditation, restorative movement.
The Taoist classics aren’t relics; they’re a map of the body’s seasonal wisdom. And the “final push” talk is simply the modern reminder that if you want to thrive in the winter, you have to move with autumn’s rhythm.
Huangdi Neijing Su Wen (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic: Basic Questions), Chapters 2 and 12.
Kaptchuk, T. J. (2000). The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine.
Unschuld, P. U. (2011). Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text.
It refers to the final surge of yang energy that occurs around the Fall Equinox. Practitioners are encouraged to use this time to maintain steady effort and discipline without overexertion, aligning with seasonal cycles.
Yang describes movement, activity, and outward drive, while heat is a physical quality. They often overlap but are not the same. Classical Taoist texts like the Huangdi Neijing make this distinction clear.
The rise and decline of yang energy vary by region. Cooler climates may soften the yang surge, while hot regions like Phoenix may intensify irritability or fatigue. Both modern observation and classical texts note this difference.
The Huangdi Neijing advises that autumn is a time to gather, store, and prepare for winter. It warns against overexertion during seasonal transitions and encourages aligning human activity with natural cycles.
