Late summer is associated with the Earth element in Chinese philosophy. This is the season of great abundance and harvest time – food literally ripening on the vine. This is Earth phase at its peak.
All of the earth’s energies come back to the core in late summer. Most of our summer vacations are finished, our sunburns have healed, and we’re starting to see school supplies back in stores – summer is coming to an end. Which means this is the time of grounding and rebalancing. This is the perfect time to spend a little bit of time regrouping, grounding, and preparing for what’s coming in the next season and in life in general.
- Earth energy is stable, sympathetic and nurturing. Engage in grounding and centering activities like being barefoot in nature, acts of service, intentional living, mindfulness practices and nurturing yourself and others. The Spleen rules the muscles so take a dance class, practice yoga or go on a walk or run. It is also great to treat the muscles with cupping and massage.
- Late summer is associated with the stomach and spleen, focus on eating habits that help digestion. Avoid damp, sugary, greasy, cold foods. You have more flexibility in the summertime when it is acceptable to consume more cooling foods, but always be mindful about warming the digestion and stoking the digestive fire. You don’t want to dilute the digestive fire by adding too much water. Drink room temperature or hot beverages with your meals (and throughout the day). Your digestion is the first point of building of your physical Qi – for your body, for your mind, for your life.
- When the Stomach and Spleen are weak, it can potentially lead to overthinking and worry. Things like overthinking, excessive work habits, and even eating while working are potential causes of Spleen Qi deficiency. Your Stomach and Spleen, as paired organs, are responsible not just for digesting food and transforming food into blood, but it’s also for digesting information. When we take in a lot of information, or when doing mental work of any kind, it’s a good idea not to eat at the same time, as this can overtax the digestive organs and weaken them further.
- Insomnia is a common symptom of a depleted Spleen – especially the kind where you can’t stop thinking long enough to fall asleep. If you find yourself in these patterns, first of all, don’t take it personally; it’s just a sign that you need to take care of yourself. At the same time, try not to add fuel to the fire (it’s remarkably easy to worry about worrying!).
As Acupuncturists, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that getting regular acupuncture can prevent our bodies and our minds from becoming unbalanced during this transitional season. In this season, along with treating your main complaints, we create treatments that strengthen your Qi and help prepare your body for the upcoming Fall season.
Squeeze every drop out of this season and, as always, reach out if we can help you or your family with any health concerns.
In good health,
The Team at Olson Acupuncture Group
