Summer reminds us that we have all that we need already, and illuminates the path forward toward living our life most authentically. Summer is the season that asks us to go for it (whatever ‘it’ is for you this year). It is a time of growth and abundance and pursuing our heart’s dreams.
Enough. These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.
This opening to life
we have refused
again and again
until now.
Until now.
- Poem by David Whyte
As we are moving away from the darkness of the winter, and fully into the light and heat of summer, we connect to the fire energy and the fire burning deep within us. Fire is the energy of purification and transformation. As we align ourselves with this season, we align with the cycle of re-birth and death. In opposition to the winter solstice, a time to deeply nourish our being, the summer solstice (june 21st) is a time of letting go. We separate ourselves from what no longer serves us, and seek to remove barriers that stand in the way of achieving our most fruitful, abundant life.
This is the time in our yearly cycle that we are likely to feel the most alive, as life force energy is moving swiftly through our bodies, and in the environment around us. That is if we make sure to harmonize all that fire energy and let it flow. The summer season is a mirror to the seasons of :
Full moon
Ovuation
Pregnancy
And midday sun
Living in alignment with seasonal energetics is about seeking balance with their corresponding energies and we can often learn from the other seasons as we find similarities and disharmony in the same phases of different cycles. This helps us to better identify imbalances that may result in discomfort or conditions within our bodies.
Connect to the heart
Summer in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the season associated with the heart and the small intestine. The color is red and the emotion is joy (see the meditation on joy below). Physically, when we are properly balanced, the heart circulates oxygen rich blood throughout the body, and assures proper assimilation in the beginning stages of digestion in the small intestine.When the heart is in harmony, the mind is calm and we sleep deeply and wake up rested. When the heart is in disharmony, we may lack joy, feel nervousness, insomnia, heartburn and confusion, observe red complexion, poor memory and speech problems.
Emotionally, because the heart is connected to our spirit, summer is the best time to heal emotional wounds that we have carried with us from our pasts. Healing these wounds frees up space that we can fill with love, joy and happiness and ensures that we will not carry our old hurts with us into the future.
What to eat
In summer, indigestion can easily occur with excess heat in the body, so a light and less-greasy diet is strongly recommended. It is the perfect season to introduce some cool, yin foods into your diet. Cooling herbs, astringent fruits (color orange and yellow) and raw fruits and vegetables that are filled with water (lettuce, cucumber, melons, peaches, etc) will be helping the body harmonize during summer heat.
Hydrate
As we know, the increased temperatures, as well as the closeness of the sun to our environment during this time will pull water from our bodies much more easily. Not only is it important energetically speaking to drink water regularly in order to ensure that an imbalance of fire energy does not occur within us, it is an important basic safety practice during summer months to avoid dehydration. Try to increase your filtered or spring water consumption to over 3L / day during summer months.
Sweat
Sweat helps the body cooldown and detoxify. Sweat is activated by a parasympathetic response and is very important to harmonize your body and energy throughout the year. Summertime is a good time to observe and work on your sweating mechanism. If you feel like you don’t sweat much (appart from a medical condition) explore with a naturopath or holistic health practitioner to see how you could find the cause of it and normalize it.
Rise early
Sunshine (morning blue light more specifically) regulates your circadian rhythm by telling your body when to raise cortisol so you feel awake and ready for the day. It also sets your production of Melatonin for the day. So, the more daylight exposure you can get, the better your body will release melatonin when it’s time to go to sleep. And bonus! Morning light sets off a cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters which make you feel good.
Cultivate joy, gratitude and creativity
The energy of this time deeply nourishes creative needs as it is a supportive energy needed to achieve abundance. Try to integrate a gratitude practice daily during summer. It’ll help you stay in a state of wonder, abundance and connect you to your environment and the present moment.
Joy is also a state that needs to be cultivated in presence. It’s a state where our authentic self (that resides in the solar plexus) and our heart connect and play together.
For a summer practice, if you feel called to it, try this meditation to open the space of JOY inside of you. Try it in the morning or at your lunch break and let yourself be guided by the wonderful Valerie, soundhealer and kundalini practitioner.
Connect to nature around you
Allow yourself to fully indulge and honor the life force & vitality of this time of the year. Allow the fire energy to move fully through you as you move your body. Express immense gratitude as you dance with your feet upon the earth. Explore mountains and river streams, jump into the garden and cultivate it with your whole being. Allow yourself to simply be alive in a wholesome way and BE with the flourishing environment around you.
HAPPY SUMMER !
-Lisa-Marie
