Looking out the window it might not feel like summer is just around the corner but the longest day of the year is nearly upon us. June 21st is the most Yang day of the year full of abundance and feeding our creative energy.
In Chinese Medicine Summer is the element of Fire giving us warmth, growth and creativity. Nature is abundant and you can feel everything moving, our gardens are green and healthy, the flowers are growing and everything is colourful and inspiring. It seems right that the emotion of summer is Joy as the fire feeds our energy and people are noticeably more excitable and driven through the summer months.
But as with all elements, when fire is out of balance it can cause unrest. You may feel generally restless, experience insomnia and excess sweating or you may notice your skin reacts to the heat and you have a rash or hives.
The Organ for summer is the Heart which has emotional and spiritual elements to it. The heat from summer may disrupt your heart spirit and cause anxiety & palpitations.
Its important to listen to your body through the changes in seasons. In Summer get up early and enjoy the Yang energy of the day. Make the most of the extra daylight hours and start a new project, get things moving in your life that you have been waiting to start. Eat according to the season, choose lighter foods like watermelon and apple. Add Cucumber or Mint to your water and drink lots of water to keep the heat at bay.
My treatments change as the seasons do and I'll be looking for signs of where your body is being affected by the changes in nature. Back in balance the summer months can manifest as an enthusiasm for life - that's the real end goal!