The seasons have a powerful influence over our lives, and learning to live in harmony with them is key to a long and happy life. Make the most of the Summer with a few tips from ancient East Asian Medicine.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that all things are formed of two primal, and opposing forces: Yin and Yang. Yin (the cold, solid, restful, and congealing aspect), and Yang (the hot, energetic, formless, active aspect) take expression as, and have profound impact upon the physical world. The seasons of the year are an example of where we can easily see the energies of Yin and Yang at work. For instance Yin predominates during the winter when the weather is cold, the nights are long, and all things enter a state of decline or rest. We call winter the "utmost Yin" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and strongly associate it with the element of water. On the other hand, the season we are about to begin, summer, happens to be the time of the "utmost Yang", and is associated with the element of fire.
The power of these opposing forces bears upon, and changes, all of life. Everything feels the influence of the Yin and Yang energies and responds in kind. We actually become more Yang as the weather in our part of the globe becomes more Yang.
During the summer, we should both take advantage of the peaking of the Yang energy in the environment, and protect ourselves from excessive exposure. Both Yang and fire represent an outward energy of growth, spread, advance, and upward movement. Therefore, summer is when forward movement in life, advancement in careers and relationships, and growth of every kind can be fostered. By taking advantage of the fire of summer much may be accomplished. On the other hand, we should be careful not to do so much that we burn out, or become spread too thin. We should also be careful of the fire itself and not become overheated or sunburned.
The following are a few things that you can do to both take advantage of, and protect yourself from the fire of summer:
With a little care, we can all take advantage of the utmost Yang of summer, and find ourselves empowered to grow and expand our lives without suffering the effects of over-exposure to fire.
May You Be Happy and Well,
Craig Swogger, L.Ac
The power of these opposing forces bears upon, and changes, all of life. Everything feels the influence of the Yin and Yang energies and responds in kind. We actually become more Yang as the weather in our part of the globe becomes more Yang.
During the summer, we should both take advantage of the peaking of the Yang energy in the environment, and protect ourselves from excessive exposure. Both Yang and fire represent an outward energy of growth, spread, advance, and upward movement. Therefore, summer is when forward movement in life, advancement in careers and relationships, and growth of every kind can be fostered. By taking advantage of the fire of summer much may be accomplished. On the other hand, we should be careful not to do so much that we burn out, or become spread too thin. We should also be careful of the fire itself and not become overheated or sunburned.
The following are a few things that you can do to both take advantage of, and protect yourself from the fire of summer:
- It's ideal to sleep in harmony with the light of the Sun, so rise earlier, and go to sleep a little later; making sure, of course, to get a healthy amount of sleep.
- Try new activities, or reinvigorate old hobbies, and let the abundant Yang of the summer give you the energy you need to move forward. Begin or increase physical activity or exercise. Get outdoors! The body creates Vitamin D when Sunlight strikes the skin, and Vitamin D is involved in many important aspects of health, such as bone density and a strong immune system (but be careful of unsafe levels of sun exposure). 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure during the morning or later afternoon every couple of days is enough for the body to produce a supercharged version of Vitamin D that no supplement or food can possibly give you.
- Stay calm - control the urge to let the abundant Yang have its way with your emotional state. Control both excessive Joy in the form of mania or overcharged excitement, and Anger. It's human to have these emotions, of course, but the trick is to acknowledge them, feel their physical effects, and give them space in the mind without allowing them to call the shots and rule our behaviors.
- Stay well hydrated. Don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink, and if you are active make sure you take in extra fluids to compensate for those you lose. Be careful of overexposure to the sun during peak hours, and to overheating, both of which can lead to dehydration.
- Add a few foods to your diet to help support your body and your Qi during the summer. The following foods are used in TCM to clear and drain heat from the body, and/or to generate fluids: watermelon, lemon, peaches and fruits in general (but especially the watery melons), mung beans, soy, mint, celery, greens like spinach and cabbage, seaweed, asparagus, lotus seeds, and bamboo.
With a little care, we can all take advantage of the utmost Yang of summer, and find ourselves empowered to grow and expand our lives without suffering the effects of over-exposure to fire.
May You Be Happy and Well,
Craig Swogger, L.Ac
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