June (think Summer Solstice) is a month of transition with a strong life force. Nature is putting it to good use during this time! All the new life that began in Spring flourishes and strengthens during Summer due to the energy it gets from the earth, the air, the sun, and the water to provide for a good harvest in the Fall. This is true for nature and for you as well.

Qigong practice associates each season with a different element. The Chinese character for summer (xia) is a man standing under the scorching sun. Summer, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is the peak of nature’s expansion. It is also known as the Great Yang. This is when the days are longest and the nights are shortest. Summer can be a time of new emotional experiences and a time for us to share joy and happiness. It's the time to live life to the fullest, nourish our spirit, and dare to go places we haven’t gone before.

Fire is the most Yang energy and has an upward, expansive nature. However, like most elements, Fire can be both positive and negative!

Summer is the season of Fire. The Fire element manifests in our body through the heart, the small intestines, pericardium, and the triple heater (internal body temperature regulator). Both the heart and small intestine regulate the physical aspects of the heart. The pericardium provides physical protection for the heart. Its energy protects the heart from damage caused by excessive emotional energies generated by other organs. For example, anger can come from the liver, fear from the kidneys, and grief from the lungs.

The Fire element expresses itself in your emotions and your consciousness. Summer is the time to nourish and bring peace to your spirit and to reach for your highest potential. By finding joy in different parts of your life, you are increasing the joy in your body and spirit. The relaxation, rhythmic movements, diaphragmatic breathing, and the calm experienced during Qigong practice also benefit and regulate the physical aspects of the heart.

Fire is life but let’s consider the flip side of Fire energy!

Sometimes our passion and enthusiasm can cause us to over do. This fiery energy can lead to negativity, sadness, suffering, hatred (including self), stress, anxiety, and being excessively busy. Negativity can elevate blood pressure and harm the heart. While we need to recognize our emotions, we can’t let them control or direct us and our actions.

Fire is the most dynamic and most difficult element to sustain Balance. Excess Fire can easily turn into rage and excessive heat can cause inflammation. We need to balance the Fire and Water elements in our bodies, in our minds, and in our hearts. Summer is a good time to assess our emotions, busyness, and negativity. Are we taking time to rest and restore? How can we keep our “emotional energy intact” and make the season positive and fulfilling.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, when heat collects in one area of the body this is called "fire poison," or what we usually think of as inflammation. Summer has its own two pathogens: summer heat and summer damp heat. Summer heat symptoms are dizziness, weakness, confusion, lack of sweating after profuse sweating, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle cramps, and even fainting. Summer damp heat symptoms include nausea and/or vomiting, having a poor appetite, a stuffy chest, limbs that feel heavy or fatigued, and diarrhea.

What can you do when summer weather is extremely hot? Don’t spend too much time in the sun. When you are outside, be sure to take some breaks in the shade and let your body cool down. Besides dressing lightly, eating lighter and avoiding heavy, greasy, or overly spicy foods, plus drinking lots of fluids to stay hydrated, it is important to avoid physically overexerting yourself. Don’t overdo.

Practice Qigong and/or Tai Chi early in the morning or later in the evening, if possible. But DO practice! Balance and harmony are very important during this season of Fire.

Subscribe to receive my weekly blogs in your email.