Tips for Thriving During Summer ☀️
Summer is such a wonderful time - the days are long, the weather is (mostly) warm and there’s that relaxed and spacious holiday energy.
In Chinese Medicine, Summer is the most Yang of all the seasons, meaning it’s the hottest and most high-energy season of the year. Summer is associated with the Fire element (the most Yang of the five elements), the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and San Jiao (Triple Burner) organs, the colour red and the emotion of joy.
🍉⛱️🌻😎🩱🌺🏝️🐚
Here are some tips to support yourself well throughout the Summer months:
Keep your fluids up! 💧
Of course when the weather is hotter, it’s very important that we stay hydrated because heat dries things out. At this time of peak temperatures and energy, our Body Fluids are in high demand in our bodies (too keep us cool), so we need to make sure we are replenishing as much as possible. Ideally steer away from cold drinks (more on this below), and instead opt for room temperature (or even warm) and warm and wet foods, as these are the easiest for the body to absorb fluids from, and therefore maximise hydration.
Laugh, do things you enjoy and spend time with people you love 🥰
Being the season of the Heart, it’s prime time to support and boost the Heart organ system (remember: in Chinese Medicine, when we refer to organs, we mean the organ system rather than the anatomical organ. To learn more about the Heart in Chinese Medicine, check out my Instagram post here). By engaging in activities that we find enjoyable or spending time with people we love, we are able to connect with our Heart (the centre of our being and Spirit) and cultivate its energy.
Make time to rest 💤
Sometimes with the added charge of Summer, we can get a bit carried away with how much energy we actually have and we may overdo it. Even though this is a time of peak Yang and lots of energy, it’s important that we still make time to rest. True rest means lying down, so even if you set a timer for just five minutes where you can lie down (ideally without any devices) and just be, this will do wonders for your energy.
Stick to cooling (not cold) foods and drinks 🍽️
I know, I know, there’s nothing better in Summer than an ice-cream or a cold drink. However, even though it’s hot outside, eating and drinking too many cold things can have a big impact on our digestive system (i.e. slows things down, uses more energy to digest). Eating for the seasons is important, but be gentle with lots of cold and raw foods, because our digestive systems have to work harder to process these. Most of our digestive systems already struggle in our modern way of life, so give them a hand by limiting cold foods and drinks (e.g. ice-cream, cold smoothies, cold salads), and opt instead for lightly cooked foods or room temperature/cool foods (e.g. room temp fresh fruit, lightly steamed veg).
Go Barefoot 🦶🏼
Get your bare feet on the grass or sand or soil and let yourself ground and connect with the Earth (your nervous system will thank you). Please note: no bare feet on COLD floors/ground (e.g. tiles), especially if you experience period pain or are trying to conceive now or in the near future. The heightened Yang energy of Summer can be a lot, so reconnecting with the Yin Earth can help to rebalance.
See your Chinese Medicine Practitioner regularly! ☯️
Whether it’s grounding some of that extra Yang energy, or boosting Yin and Blood, or something specific that you would like to work on, I’d been so happy to help! There is no better time to get started on new goals than the New Year, while we have that added momentum.