Summer is here and brings with it some of the sweetest gifts!

Summer relates to the element of Fire and embodies a lighter feeling of joy, playfulness, and exploration. We might find our days to be a little less structured and more spontaneous, leaving us open to saying yes to what may arise unexpectedly. Especially in the pacific northwest, there’s a preciousness to summer because it is such a short season of light and heat for us. We want to enjoy it as much as we can without putting too much pressure on ourselves to do absolutely everything!

In Chinese medicine, summer has a connection with the Heart, Pericardium, San Jiao and Small Intestine organs. It relates to feelings of joy, connection and compassion. When we are out of balance, we may experience anxiety or “too much joy” which can feel like being ungrounded or feeling almost manic. 

The shadow side of Fire is that it’s unpredictable. Think of sitting around a campfire and how things unexpectedly crackle and pop, the flames suddenly get bigger or unexpectedly change direction. This can be a bit destabilizing when we have too much unpredictability and not enough foundational structure, so try to be aware of your own needs in this realm and strike a balance. 

Some sweet seasonal things to do in the summer include getting sunshine (or just light if it’s a cloudy day) first thing in the morning. Eat your breakfast or have coffee outside. Put your bare feet on the grass if you can too. Morning sunlight also influences our circadian rhythm so it can be helpful for promoting good sleep. Being in and around the water can be cooling and grounding. Gardening is a helpful way to be present while tuning into nature’s cycles, as well as enjoying the beauty of flowers blooming and growing our own food to eat. Appreciating beauty is another huge gift of summer and beautiful things are everywhere!

Awareness and gratitude for what is around you. What are the special gifts we only receive in summertime? The bees buzzing around, floating down the river, ripe berries straight from the bushes, bright mornings and evenings. Each season has its gifts--although I think the summer gifts are the most obvious--and it feels so good to appreciate and enjoy them now, given the cyclical and temporary nature of the seasons.

Spontaneity in plans. More people out and about might mean unexpectedly running into people you know, stumbling upon a community event you didn’t know about, hang outs running later than planned, etc. Can you be flexible in your plans to delight in these coincidences and lovely surprises? A lot of us are more social in the summertime. Years of being in practice have shown me there’s an influx of clients who come in the fall feeling overstimulated, ungrounded, underslept, having overindulged in alcohol, irregular eating, etc. They’re often so grateful for cool weather or a rainy day because they can just rest without pressure to socialize or make the most of a sunny day. Remember that it’s okay (and often necessary) to take down time, alone time and decompress, even when the weather is nice and there are many other fun things you could be doing.

Summer isn’t universally beloved. While there are many of us who love summer, there are lots of people who feel way worse in summer! They prefer cooler seasons. Especially if you run hot or are prone to heat conditions, you might find your health feels worse in the summer. This can include feelings of being too hot, irritability, rashes, anxiety, excessive sweating, etc. 

Stay hydrated! Making sure you’re drinking enough water is paramount in the summer. TCM doesn’t love ice cold drinks because they tax our digestive fire, so try to drink room temperature to cool drinks when possible. Add mint, other herbs, cucumber, berries, trace minerals into your water or make herbal iced teas. Whatever you need to do to incentivize yourself to stay properly hydrated is great. 

Another thing to keep in mind about the seasons is that the next season we will come into in the fall is Metal season. Metal season is associated with the Lung and Large Intestine and themes of grief and letting go. It can be a tough transition for some of us as we go into the cooler, darker days and feeling into these heavier emotions after a bright and active summer. I find acupuncture to be helpful with this transition, as well as creating space to feel your feelings throughout the summer so they don’t hit you like a ton of bricks in the fall. If you can find a good mix of enjoying summer fully as well as taking care of your mental/emotional/physical health, your future self will thank you as it will make this transition much easier.

Happy summer!

Veronica Palmer-Jones is a licensed acupuncturist in the Comox Valley, British Columbia. She loves working with mental health, anxiety, stress, and the nervous system through her online articles and at her clinic, The Remedy Room, on Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay. Call for an appointment at 250-800-7738.