Create Harmony in Late Summer, September 2013
September is a time of transitions. The days are getting shorter. The weather can become erratic. It’s back to school and work for many. All around us, in our man-made world, the signs are saying “summer is over, fall is here”. We start to think about preparing for winter and find it hard to let go of the summer warmth. Experiencing all these transitions can make us feel ungrounded or anxious.
Our society may have decided that summer has ended after Labor Day, but nature has its own plans. Chinese Medicine, which works closely with nature’s elements and cycles, recognizes five seasons; fall, winter, spring, summer, and late summer. Late summer takes place four weeks before the fall equinox. This year it began on August 25th, with the fall equinox coming on September 22nd.
According to the tradition of Chinese medicine, late summer is a time to rest, to enjoy the fruits of our labor, to pause and appreciate what is around us. Becoming centered and grounded during this time – by taking care of ourselves, and taking time out to do what we truly enjoy – can prevent illness and promote harmony as we move into the Fall. It is important that we feel grounded so that we can more easily allow changes to take place around us. Doing things we enjoy helps us to feel more centered and at ease during this transitional time. Chinese Medicine recognizes the need to rest after the busy summer, before the briskness of fall takes over. Fall is ruled by the element of Metal, a time to revisit and refine, to shear up unfinished projects and store for winter.
Right now, it is late summer, a time to find your center, become grounded, and rest.
What makes you feel grounded and centered? What helps you release tensions and relax? What do you really enjoy doing? It could be listening to music, dancing, making art, getting pampering treatments, breathing deeply, walking in the woods, reading a book, laying in a hammock, playing a game, making delicious food. Whatever it is, this is a great time for it.
In the face of all the transitions taking place, being grounded and in your center, relaxed and happy can help carry you through the seasons to come.