Summer has arrived in all its glory
Stay grounded and enjoy the season from a Traditional East Asian medicine perspective.
Traditional East Asian medicine sees the natural world exerting a strong influence over us. That’s because we are small versions of nature, inextricably linked with it. What we see, feel, hear, taste and smell in nature is reflected in all of us. And the more we know about natural rhythms, seasons, and cycles, the better we survive and thrive in them. It’s about balance and harmony.
Summer has arrived in all its glory, sun, sea, and home-grown strawberries! Can you see, feel, hear, taste, and smell it? I’m listening to my top 5 toe tapping songs, for me, it’s the sound of summer. Up there is Under the Boardwalk by the Drifters with the words:
Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof
And your shoes get so hot you wish your tired feet were fire proof
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be
Out of the sun
We'll be havin' some fun
People walking above
We'll be fallin' in love
That’s what summer can be about. Staying on the rhythm theme, summer seasonal rhythms can impact on us too. Light on our feet, we’re ready to soak up the freedom, sunshine, and warmth after a cold winter and tumultuous spring. It’s time to socialise, relax and play. There’s joy and light, calling us to love, talk and laugh. The excitement of holidays and outdoor activities, bbqs, swimming in the sea and walking in the rain. It’s the joyous upward energy of the summer season.
Have you noticed this in yourself during summer? If you have, you’re not alone. You’re simply moving with the energy of the season.
But then, some of us feel anxious and unfocused in summer. The heat is too much, it’s hard to summon up energy. It’s not all on you. It could be seasonal energy.
In Traditional East Asian methodology, there’s a fifth season, late summer. Each season is attached to one of the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, water. These elements are found in nature, but they are also found within us, impacting our health, mood, and emotions. Summer is attached to the Fire element. Love and joy are expressions of the Fire Element in us and are two of the greatest emotions to feel. They fire our spirit, and the energy of this element can warm us for the year to come.
Signs of summer:
If we think about the cycle of a day as summer, it’s the peak of sunshine. The seeds of spring are flourishing. We see colourful plants and fruit is mature. It’s pleasant and intoxicating to the senses, much like the season of summer.
The climate of summer is heat. Pretty obvious, right? Things are warmer in the summertime! Heat speeds things up — biochemically, mentally, emotionally, and more. It’s a necessary part of the final ripening stage for fruit. And heat makes us sweat, which is the fluid of summer.
We feel energised because things are moving more quickly. It even feels like the season itself is moving faster, defying the laws of physics. We hear people say, “the summer went by so fast. It seems like it just started!” This might be why we cram as much as we possibly can into the summer months.
The shades of summer are red. Summer is hot, and heat is red, like fire. Red is intense, attention-grabbing, bold. We talk about ‘seeing red’ and emotionally, red can be associated with anger, but here it’s also passion. It’s the colour of our blood, a big part of the Fire element. It’s also a sign of danger, a warning, if the heat is too much or we’re in a sticky situation with the act-first-and-ask-questions-later mantra of summer.
The smell of summer is scorched. Like hot, dry grass that’s been burning in the sun, or wisps of smoke from a distant forest fire. Or, in everyday life, the smell of burnt toast, a shirt just coming out of the dryer, or hair that’s been blown dry.
The taste of summer is bitter, like some beers. There’s nothing like a cool beer on a hot summer’s day. Well, it’s not just the coolness, it’s also the bitter properties of the hops. This is hard when our western palates are geared for sweet. Bitter is a super medicinal taste. It drains heat and dries dampness from our bodies. Summer is hot, so nature produces foods that counteract the seasonal temperatures to protect us from overheating, like leafy greens that have bitterness to them. The best time of year to eat these nutritional powerhouses is the summer as they help balance your digestion. Bitters increase your stomach acid production, which in turn increases the production of digestive juices.
It’s a relief not to feel so responsible in summer, letting things that you’ve set in motion unfold. The spontaneous and adventurous energy is welcome, but if we do too much, or we’re out of balance, the wheels can start to fall off the rollercoaster, so to speak. Things move from spontaneity to chaos, joy to anxiety, and we get scattered, flaky, and can’t follow through on anything. At its worst, the fire element is unstable, chaotic, unpredictable. Not connecting. It's either like a wildfire burning out of control or a pile of ashes.
If our fire element is unbalanced, coming into the summer can be unsettling. Mood swings of depression and anxiety, making poor decisions as we feel disconnected. Sometimes people have trouble letting go of the ‘going and doing’ energy of spring, not relaxing into the ease and flow of summer. Our culture is so productivity oriented. If the energy of summer lifts us out of reality too much, it can be destructive. If we haven’t paid enough attention to events around us, we can hurt someone’s feelings, or ourselves.
If you feel off kilter, or want to understand more, make an appointment or be in touch with susan@flowwellbeing.co.uk. In the meantime, here’s 10 tips to live well this summer:
Create memories. Allow yourself more fun, freedom, and flexibility by trying new things. Get creative. Get outside. Don’t be afraid to try new solutions or connect with others to see what input they can offer.
Roll with the increased energy and have fun! Let the warm temperatures bubble into your personality. Hang out with people who love you. Spend time with friends you haven’t seen for a while.
Don't start an ambitious project if you can help it and if you've got one (or more) going already take your foot off the gas and let it unfold.
It’s the perfect time for feedback on your projects. In spring we built our goals and pushed to get them done, now it’s time to be a bit more hands off and see how the world responds.
Don’t be afraid to pump the breaks when things start to feel too manic or out of sorts. The best self-care during summer is for you to assess your boundaries and agenda and see if they’re getting stretched too thin. If so, back off the social gatherings, activities, or extra workload for a bit and let the season come back into balance for you.
Stay grounded and think ahead. Don’t be completely swept up in relaxing, as aimless energy can get you into more than a few pickles if you’re not thinking ahead. Also, keep some structure as too much upward energy disconnects us from reality, leaving us drifting anxiously until we can ground ourselves again.
Try to notice when you smell something scorched in your environment and check in with your emotional state. Does it give you anxiety? Is it pleasant? What does it remind you of? The more we can associate our experiences in the seasons to our emotions and memories, the more present we’ll be in the season and the more aware we’ll be of its influences.
Add small amount of bitter foods or herbs to your diet. Enjoy the strawberries but try adding bitter tones like apple cider vinegar, ginger, or leafy greens and cutting down on the sweet. Do you love or hate bitter foods? If you have a strong aversion, it might mean that you’re accustomed to too much sweet. Also, we tend to rush our meals, short changing on adequate stomach acid. Eating slowly, enjoying vegetables first, and adding bitter herbs or foods to your diet can help digestion and absorption.
Focus on beneficial summer foods. Fruits - all local, edible wild berries. They are fun to pick and pack a punch. On vegetables, combine the leafy greens with the milder flavours of spinach, chard, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, peas, green beans, artichokes, and sprouts. Think about adding fish, goat’s milk, and goat’s cheese.
Foods to reduce in summer. Not too much alcohol, sugar, and honey. Also, foods with chemical additives, coffee, and chocolate. Avoid overeating meat, cheese, and eggs.
References:
Dr Liz Carter - How to Embrace the Spontaneous Chaos and Fun of Summer
Carrie L’Esperance – The Seasonal Detox Diet
J.R. Worsley – Classical Five Element Acupuncture Vol III