Summer: The Fire Element
Harmonize with the yang season of summer, by embracing the yang principle – upward expansion, growth, lightness, outward activity, brightness, and creativity. Act as if you enjoy the heat – even if you do not. During this phase of intense growth, awaken early in the morning and reach to the life giving power of the sun for nourishment. Everything grows in the heat. This is the time to allow the body to release open- letting go of stress and tension. Grow into selfless service. Enjoy the bounty of the outside world as it enters and enlivens us. The Fire element, rules the heart and small intestine. The heart includes the organ as well as the concept of the heart as a mental/emotional center. The word for heart, xin is often translated as heart-mind. Correspondingly, the Fire phase is the time of the tongue/speech, blood vessels, joy, laughing, sweat. Imbalances of excess of impatience, intolerance, cruelty, judgement, hatred, shame, guilt can be transformed into peace, love, compassion, acceptance with our conscious attention to our patterns and practices. Cultivating a healthy heart-mind will allow that which is the best in us to fully develop and to flourish.
The heart in harmony expresses in people as being genuinely friendly, humble, with open hearts and aware minds, a sense of clarity, and the ability to effortlessly see through problems and arrive at brilliant solutions. 
Food and its preparation
Along with our practice, eating what is in season is always a very good way to comply with the chi of the time. Use plenty of brightly colored summer fruits and vegetables, enjoy creating beautiful meals. Cook lightly and add a little fiery flavor regularly. Favor sautéing, use hight heat for a brief time, steam or simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use more water, less salt. Replace minerals and oils lost to sweat. Avoid iced drinks, excessive amounts of cold and raw food, and ice cream as they contract the stomach and stop digestion. Eat cooling foods: watermelon is particularly good as is green tea (not too strong). Other cooling foods are: bean sprouts, Chinese leaf, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, green leafy vegetables, tomato, cucumber, asparagus, seaweed, mint, fish and shell-fish.
What you can do
Practice Tai Chi, Qigong and Neigong particularly to open the heart, keeping shoulders and chest moving, and lengthening the connective tissue/joints.
Spend time outdoors enjoying the sun, allowing (not pushing) heart and mind to open to growth and personal expansion. Taking care to experience the heat and sun in moderation so as to preserve wei chi, your protective qi.
Not yet familiar with the practices? Please join us for classes and workshops. Or, book me for your own Tao Healing workshop or retreat www.heatherchalon.com/calendar.
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