Rekindle your flame, stoke your burning love, ignite your passions.
Co-create with nature and watch as you passions take form through action and intention.
Learn how to align to summer body, mind and soul and reap the rewards.
“You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free” - Tom Petty
Summer is the time of year when nature is at its fullest expansion, the wild world is blooming, birds are singing, petals opening and so are we. It is the strongest Yang time of the year, the peak of outward energy, growth and expansion. What is going on in the natural world is also mirrored within.
Ask yourself:
What is summer usually like for me in comparison to the other seasons?
What am I growing? What would I like to ‘harvest’ in the Autumn.
Burn, baby, burn.
We are now in the fire element season. The fire is all about passion, desires and aligning to our soul purpose. When we are not living according to our passions we can experience a fire imbalance. Fire can take various forms, it can run wild, be dangerous and become uncontrollable OR it can be hard to start, perhaps the logs are damp or we don’t have the means to light it. How do we cultivate a sustained fire for the summer months that keeps us lit all season long?
Divine Masculine + Divine Feminine
Calling on the masculine energy of the sun for divine action, energised direction, confidence and independence balanced with the divine feminine of Mother Earth calling on nourishment, empathy and compassion we can align in harmony and manifest abundance, creativity and growth within ourselves, our relationships and our projects.
Organs in power for summer season. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the chi in our body migrates to different organs for each season. In summer it returns to the heart and small intestine. The heart is in power from 11am-1pm and the small intestine from 1pm-3pm. Furthermore, each organ is either Yin or Yang and it also corresponds with an emotion. The heart is joy (Yin) and the small intestine (Yang) is discernment. The two organs work together in a beautiful way. By being discerning, the small intestine actually protects the heart, helping us to choose what really brings us joy, and what doesn’t. Tuning into ourselves to assess our choices and creating boundaries really helps with this.
Ask yourself:
What brings me joy? Am I feeling joyful? How is my energy level 1-10?
Which areas of my life do I need to call on discernment to allow more joy into my life?
What healthy boundaries can I create?
How can I embrace being active and enjoying the summer whilst not risking burn-out?
Cooling the Heat.
Inflammation, indigestion and lack of sleep are all signs of an imbalance of the fire element.
Because summer is Yang and the hottest time of the year, we can be discerning over how we nourish. By introducing Yin foods, this balances the fire element and cools the ‘heat’. Foods high in water content are nourishing, like watermelon, salads, juices and smoothies. Other cooling foods are spices; chilli, black pepper and cayenne actually remove heat from the body by opening the pores. Cayenne is also great for the arteries and heart health. Furthermore, the taste associated with summer is ‘bitter’, it’s good to eat bitter foods such as chicory, endive and watercress. In the summertime, we can be at risk of ‘burn out’, with the energy being so high, so magnesium is wise to integrate whether it’s a supplement, used in a spray (Sacred Spray by Rhythm of Beauty is a great source) or by taking salt baths. Magnesium rich foods such as apricots, dates, avo, figs, nuts & seeds are all good sources. Cacao, in particular is a favourite as it’s bitter tasting, magnesium-rich and energetically also heart opening. Sleep can be a tricky area for some in the summer months with the longer days, if you find you’re rising early and resting late, catch up with a power nap during the day and try to keep your bedroom cool. Cold showers are a must for me, most mornings.
Stoking the fire.
On the other hand if we feel low, tired, unenthused, lacking humour we may have too much Yin and not enough fire. In this case we need to embrace the playfulness of summer, do things that spark laughter, play, dance, get creative for the pure joy of it. Saying yes to invitations that open us up, that push us to grow, that shift any ‘stuck’ feelings.
So in a nutshell, eat according to the seasons, take regular walks in nature, increase self-awareness to know when you're in danger of overdoing it but also to encourage enjoyment, fun and play. If it doesn’t make your heart sing, you can always graciously say no, with love.
Look out for future posts on the summer flower medicine and seasonal skincare using Rhythm of Beauty wildcrafted products that work on a skin - soul level.
Every season offers us an opportunity to learn and grow.
What is summer medicine igniting for you?
With love, wildflowers and sunshine,
Stay lit folks, Sadie
x
If you’d like to learn more and journey deeper into the wisdom within the expansive summer seasons through Soul Treatments and Soul Circles, join the Soul Beauty Rituals mailing list.