The Power of Pears: Nourish Your Lungs and Relieve Autumn Dryness
The Power of Pear: Nature’s Secret to Health & Wellness
There’s an old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But when autumn arrives, there is another fruit we love to reach for: pears.
Why Pears Are So Wonderful in Autumn
Pears have traditionally been used in Chinese food therapy to help moisten the lungs and throat, making them especially popular during the dry autumn months.
You can enjoy them raw, juiced, steamed, stewed, or poached. Master Lin recommends enjoying one or two pears a day during this season as a simple way to nourish your body.
If you are experiencing a dry or irritated throat or coughing, cooked pears can be especially soothing. A traditional preparation is to steam a pear with a little rock sugar or brown sugar.
For people who experience nighttime coughing with clear sputum, cooked pears are traditionally preferred over raw pears.
Pears are also a naturally hydrating fruit, providing both water and important nutrients while helping you nourish your body as the seasons change.
Pears, the Lungs, and the Large Intestine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs and large intestine are paired together within the Metal Element.
This makes pears particularly interesting as an autumn food because they provide benefits beyond hydration.
Pears are a good source of dietary fiber, including insoluble fiber, which supports regular digestion and healthy bowel movements. They also contain pectin, a type of soluble fiber that can support digestive and cardiovascular health.
Their combination of water and fiber makes pears a wonderful food for supporting the body during a season traditionally associated with dryness.
If you are watching your sugar intake, you can also enjoy pears as part of a balanced meal—for example, poaching or stewing them and pairing them with protein and seasonal vegetables such as turnips or squash.
More Nutritional Benefits of Pears
Pears may seem simple, but they contain a beautiful variety of nutrients and plant compounds.
They provide fiber, potassium, copper, vitamin C, and other beneficial plant compounds. Their fiber can help support healthy digestion and normal cholesterol levels, while potassium plays an important role in normal muscle, nerve, and cardiovascular function.
Pears also contain antioxidants that help protect cells from oxidative stress.
And because pears have such a high water content, eating them can be another simple way to support hydration throughout the day.
From the perspective of Chinese food therapy, pears are treasured for their cooling, moistening qualities. From a modern nutritional perspective, they are a hydrating, fiber-rich whole fruit.
Sometimes Mother Nature keeps things beautifully simple.
Head-to-Toe Self-Healing Technique:
Open the Energy in Your Throat
Autumn is also a wonderful time to pay extra attention to your throat and neck area.
Master Lin teaches that the throat is an important area for energy circulation. In Spring Forest Qigong, keeping the energy in this area open and flowing can support greater harmony throughout the body.
And the technique is very simple.
How to Practice the Throat Massage
Sit or stand comfortably and relax your shoulders.
1. Lift your chin slightly.
Keep your neck relaxed and comfortable. There is no need to stretch or strain.
2. Place two fingers near the center of your throat.
Begin around or just below the Adam’s apple area.
3. Gently stroke downward.
Move your fingers down the throat toward the collarbone using gentle, comfortable pressure. Do not squeeze the throat.
4. Repeat at least 50 times.
Master Lin often practices approximately 100 strokes. Even 50 repetitions can take less than a minute.
You can practice this simple technique regularly throughout the day.
If you have an existing neck injury or medical condition affecting the neck or throat, be especially gentle and consult an appropriate healthcare professional if you are unsure whether the movement is suitable for you.
Why Focus on the Throat?
In Spring Forest Qigong, we look at the body as one interconnected energy system.
When energy flows smoothly, it can better support harmony throughout the whole body. Master Lin teaches that the throat is an especially important area to keep open because of its relationship to energy pathways connecting different parts of the body.
That is why something as simple as gently massaging your throat can become part of your everyday Qigong self-care.
You don’t need special equipment.
You don’t need an hour.
You simply need to give your body a little loving attention.
Live in Harmony with the Season
One of the beautiful teachings of Qigong is that we are part of nature, not separate from it.
When nature changes, our bodies change too.
Autumn doesn’t ask us to live exactly as we did during the heat and expansion of summer. It invites us to begin turning inward—to breathe, nourish, release, and prepare for the quieter Yin energy ahead.
So this week, try something simple.
Enjoy a pear.
Make Master Lin’s warm Pear & Goji Berry Tea.
Spend one minute gently massaging your throat.
Take a few slow breaths and notice what your body is telling you.
Small practices, repeated consistently, can become powerful ways to care for yourself and stay connected with the changing energy of nature.
Many Blessings,
Master Chunyi Lin & The Spring Forest Qigong Family
A Healer in Every Home and a World Without Pain and Suffering
Try Master Lin’s Pear & Goji Berry Tea
One of the most comforting ways to enjoy pears during autumn is to prepare them warm.
This simple recipe combines pears with goji berries for a soothing seasonal drink you can enjoy throughout the cooler months.
Makes 3 servings
Ingredients
- 5 cups spring water
- 3 medium organic pears, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons dried goji berries
1 tablespoon traditional Chinese rock sugar, or raw honey to taste
You can use either standard pears or Asian pears.
How to Make It
- Bring 5 cups of spring water to a boil.
- Add the chopped pears, goji berries, and rock sugar.
- Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 35–40 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Strain and enjoy warm.
If using raw honey: You may prefer to stir it in after the tea has cooled somewhat rather than simmering it with the other ingredients.
As you enjoy your pear tea, take a moment to slow down.
Breathe gently. Relax your shoulders. Feel the warmth moving through your body.
Food can nourish more than the physical body. The intention and love you bring to preparing and receiving it can become part of your healing practice, too.
💜 Feeling Out of Balance with the Changing Season?
Sometimes, even when we are doing everything we can to support ourselves, the transition from one season to another can leave us feeling out of balance.
A Meditation Healing appointment offers an opportunity to receive focused energetic support while you rest, meditate, or simply go about your day.
If you have been experiencing seasonal disharmony or simply feel that your body could use some additional support, consider scheduling a Meditation Healing appointment.
Have you noticed how nature seems to provide exactly what we need, right when we need it?
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is associated with the Metal Element, the lungs, and the large intestine. It is also a season of increasing dryness. As the air becomes cooler and drier, you may begin to notice that same dryness in your body—especially in your throat, lungs, skin, and digestive system.
Pears are one of nature’s wonderful gifts for this time of year.
Traditionally enjoyed to nourish the lungs, moisten dryness, and soothe the throat, pears are a simple and delicious food to add to your autumn routine.