Embracing Summer - the season of fire 🔥

Following on from my last post about winter, it’s time for my northern hemisphere friends to embrace the season upon them… summer - the season of fire. By applying the practice of biomimicry, and the wisdom of Taoism and Qigong, let’s take a look at what summer presents.

As we come out of the birthing and regenerating season of spring, summer presents a time of ripening, fulfillment and a very external, social energy. It is the time that our yang energy is at its maximum, the opposite to winter.

When we are in balance summer can bring about a feeling of excitement and creativity. Yet if we don’t pay attention to our limits or boundaries, we can feel drained and tired. If you’re feeling depleted right now, then it would be a good time to give more nourishing attention to your heart, which is the main organ associated with summer.

One of the oldest texts on Chinese medicine, the Neijing Suwen, states that summer is the time when the heavenly energy descends and the earthly energy rises. It’s when these two energies merge that there is an interconnectivity between heaven and earth – resulting in plants ripening with an abundance of fruits, flowers and animals appearing. 

Here are some tips from this ancient text:

• You can go to bed a bit later, while still getting up with sunrise.

• Try to refrain from anger and stay physically active to prevent pores from closing and the qi from stagnating.

• Don’t overindulge in sex, but one can indulge more than other seasons.

• Maintain emotional happiness and not hold grudges allowing Qi to flow freely. This helps hold off illnesses in autumn. Injuries to the heart in summer manifest in autumn.

Refraining from anger can truly be a hard thing. It can creep up on us and sometimes explode with such ferocity it surprises us. A healthy and simple way to not hit this point is to incorporate Qigong purging exercises in particular Punching with An Angry Gaze form is a good way to directly release anger, equally Opening the Bow to Let the Arrow Fly can help support the flow of emotions out our eyes.

Home is where the heart is

According to Chinese Medicine, the heart is said to house our spiritual essence known as the spirit of the Shen. The heart is considered to be the supreme sovereign of the body and is the Empress (or Emperor) that governs our whole body. When in balance our heart shines bright with joy and allows us to fully appreciate our beautiful world.

The Shen pushes us to live our lives fully and authentically. When out of balance, from heartbreak, our hearts can literally feel like they hurt and we can feel a sense of despair. Anxiety is another emotion that sits in the heart if not allowed to flow. Practicing the Fisherman Finds a Pearl emotion purging sequence incorporates clearing the heart of anxiety and despair and is a fabulous daily practice.

When our heart’s energy is out of balance it is said the spirit of the Shen leaves our body. This is similar to the concept of disassociation and is unfortunately is very common in our crazy busy lives. It’s like our heart becomes an unwelcome home for the Shen and it lifts out of our bodies. The practice of Qigong helps to calm our hearts and provide a welcoming home to encourage the Shen back home. I find the practice of Bringing Down the Heavens and when we tap on the heart’s channels, both of which I teach in my qigong classes is a really lovely way to encourage the Shen to come back home. It brings a lovely safe warm feeling to the heart area, that encourages a sense of trusting in the flow of life.

Fire me up…but not too much

According to the Five Elements Theory, which maps out the interconnectedness of the flow of life, the season of summer is associated with fire. The period of fire in our life cycle represents the time we mature into adults – our physical bodies are no longer growing, our growth is more directed at our relationships with ourselves and others.

When we have balanced fire we are able to respond to those who give us love and warmth and be open to loving and being loved. Sometimes this openness is not accessible, as perhaps we’ve been hurt by someone or something and we instinctively ‘protect’ our hearts by closing them off.  But this is not a permanent affliction.

Fire can also be a powerfully force, scorching the earth, which can then lead to new potentials and growth. Equally if not kept in check it can be destructive burning down all that we’ve built – homes, communities and livelihoods. Our fire element needs boundaries to maintain a healthy balance.

We can support our bodies to open up through nurturing qigong practices:

• Nod the Head and Wag the Tail form from the Baduanjin (8 Section Brocade), where we focus on drawing a circle with our head, is a wonderful way to calm the fire in our hearts and bring balance.

• Another supportive form that supports our heart fire is Two Hands Support the Heavens. This form brings balance to what is known as our Triple Heater, our body’s thermostat.

Grounding energy of late summer

At the end of summer, after intense heat, just as autumn is appearing over the horizon, the element of earth comes into play. Earth is considered to be the most dominant of the elements, from which each other element is supported and sustained. As you would expect the nature of earth element is about our ability to balance and hold our centre. Whilst the earth is always moving and transforming, it is also steady and centred.

We can use this energy to bring calm, centredness to our own bodies in a number of ways:

• Qigong practices that connect us to the earth and the heavens. Something I incorporate into ever class.

• Establishing healthy boundaries so we don’t take on too much. This can include consuming too much information. The spleen is particularly impacted by our inability to create balance in this way. Raise the Hands to Condition the Stomach and Spleen form from the Baduanjin (8 Section Brocade) is a great way to bring balance within your body. But equally ensure you take the time to establish and respect your boundaries and stick to them.

• Spend time in nature – walk barefoot in the sand or grass, allowing your body’s energy to connect with earths energy. Swim in the ocean. Sit under a tree. If you’re sensitive to energy, connect with the tree’s energy and ask her what wisdom she has to share with you.

What to eat and drink in summer

Supporting your body with the right foods and beverages is a great way to embrace the essence of summer:

• Increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables to cool down our bodies and introduce more fluids.

• Eat what's in season.

• Drink green tea. It helps to cool down your body and helps detoxify.

• Cucumbers also help clear summer heat and clear toxins from your body.

• Eat melons – watermelon, bitter melon, winter melon, rockmelon. Melons come into their peak in summer and they’re each full of goodness for your body.

• Other foods to incorporate – pearl barley, mung beans, lotus root and tomatoes.

Again, this is a hard post to find an end point, and there are many other ways you can support your energy system in summer. I hope these tips allow you to access your joy, allow your Shen to come home if it is not already and to experience the excitement and happiness of this season.

If you do not currently practice Qigong with me but are interested, I have three classes a week – Monday & Thursday in person on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and Tuesday online. Please note that I will be taking a break, listening to my body’s needs for the month of June. Take a look at the schedule for classes starting in July. Any questions, please get in touch.