Five-Season Path

Anina Ku is the founder of the Tao Method, a lifestyle brand rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine that teaches ancient practices for modern wellness, and focuses on increasing longevity, balance and vitality. Anina grew up in a household where Chinese and Western medicine went hand in hand, and creates TCM content on Instagram and Tiktok, sharing the wisdom, philosophy and remedies handed down to her through generations of family practitioners. Following a fulfilling but fast-paced career in finance and investing, Anina began her own business in Chinese wellness, launching the Tao Method and joining social media in January 2026. Since launching, Anina has grown a following of 60k across all platforms. She is based in NYC.Jason Chuang is a freelance illustrator. He grew up in Taiwan and moved to the UK at the age of 15. He has a degree in BA Illustration from Falmouth University (2019) and an MA in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art (2021). His work sits at the crossroads of traditional East Asian art forms and surrealism, drawing heavy inspiration from his subconscious and personal experiences. Blending absurdity with beauty and poetry, he ventures into alternative worlds that split from physical reality, but somehow are closer to the truth. Jason’s artworks have received two World Illustration Awards (Winner 2021), the iJungle Illustration Award (Comic Gold Medal 2018), two Society of Illustrators Awards (Jury Selection 2022), the Cheltenham Illustration Award (Winner 2020), Creative Quarterly issue 62 (Winner 2020), and the Brightness Award (Jury Selection 2020). His self-published graphic novel The Boy exhibited at Falmouth Art Gallery in 2018 and his personal work 'I Put My Ear Against Yours' was selected for the Queer as Comics exhibition at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration (2026). Jason has been interviewed by It’s Nice That and Creative Review.His clients include some of the biggest publishing houses: HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Viking Press, Walker Books, Orbit Books, FairyLoot, Illumicrate, Fae Crate, Allurial, and Page & Wick. He has been published by Walker Books, SelfMadeHero, The Guardian Weekend Magazine, Quanta Magazine, Brightness Magazine, Afar Magazine and Fleurs Des Lettres.

• Introduction About Traditional Chinese Medicine and what is the Five-Season Path? How to use this bookSPRING           Understanding SpringNature's emergenceThe wood element: the energy of growthOur purpose in springSpring in Modern LifeLiving in Harmony With SpringMoveClearNourishCreate vision and movementLiving SpringA guide to an aligned spring dayReleasing your qiSUMMER       Understanding SummerThe season of joy, connection, and expressionThe fire element: the energy of connectionSummer's questionsSummer in Modern LifeHow summer shows upModern dilemmaThe heart’s desireSummer check-inLiving in Harmony with SummerConnectCoolPlayOpen the heartLiving SummerA guide to an aligned summer dayBurning outProtecting the flameLATE SUMMER          Understanding Late Summer The season of nourishment, stability, and transitionThe earth element: the energy of nourishment and stabilityLate summer’s questionsLate Summer in Modern LifeThe modern late-summer dilemmaThe need for enoughA late-summer check-inLiving in Harmony With Late SummerNourish Clear mental heavinessReturn to the body Receive support Living Late SummerA guide to an aligned late-summer dayLosing your center in late summerReturning to the centerAUTUMN       Understanding AutumnThe season of harvest, release, and refinementThe metal element: the energy of discernmentThe lung and large intestineThe emotion of autumn: griefAutumn and drynessAutumn's questionsAutumn in Modern LifeThe return of structureThe modern autumn dilemmaLiving in Harmony with AutumnGather Release BreatheProtectNourish Living Autumn An aligned autumn dayWhen autumn is out of balanceWhat to avoid in autumnPreparing for winterWINTER          Understanding WinterThe season of storage, conservation, and restorationThe water element: the energy of depth and conservationThe kidney and bladderThe emotion of winter: fearZhi: the will of the water elementWinter and coldWinter's questionsWinter in Modern LifeThe pressure to keep producingThe modern winter dilemmaLiving in Harmony With WinterStoreRestWarm RecoveryNourish Living WinterAn aligned winter dayWhen winter is out of balanceWhat to avoid in winterThe winter homeWinter and sleepThe bones, aging, and long-term healthThe winter solsticeWhen rest becomes stagnationThe fear of falling behindPreparing for springAbout the author & illustrator