“The three months of Summer are called the period of luxurious growth. Everything is in bloom and begins to bear fruit.
After a night of sleep people should get up early (in the morning). They should not weary during daytime and they should not allow their minds to become angry.
They should enable the best parts (of their body and spirit) to develop; they should enable their breath to communicate with the outside world; and they should act as though they loved everything outside.
All this is in harmony with the atmosphere of Summer and all this is the method for the protection of one’s development.”
— from the Neijing Suwen (The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine)
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The time honored and proven Yellow Emperor’s Classic, an ancient Chinese medical text that has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia, tells us that we can continue to harmonize ourselves with Summer all season long and achieve the highest level of vitality possible for each one us in a number of ways. We should:
Go to bed most nights at a decent hour.
Wake up with the sun early in the morning. Trade room darkening shades and draperies for sheer white curtains and let the sun wake you up naturally.
Forego taking a nap during the day. If we synchronize with the Summer sun’s rising and setting, we may not have a need for an afternoon nap.
Pause and breathe when anger bubbles to the surface. Let some space of time spent on focusing on taking some deep breaths help to dissipate the negative emotion we feel. Allow the events which we reacted to to become less and less important in our world. Visualize it fading away slowly into a mist.
Be physically active. Engage in the opportunities for outdoor activity, athleticism, sports, fun and pleasure that Summer so readily provides. Take in the healing nourishing rays of the sun, while maintaining proper sun protection. Emulate the activity of growth and blooming of Summer’s flora. Be like a radiant vibrant flower yourself.
Combine physical activity whether indoors or outdoors with spiritual practices like meditation or reciting any inspiring mantra or spiritual passage you’ve committed to memory over and over. Sing or chant a hymn, prayer or song that holds particular meaning for you while you’re taking a walk, riding your bike or watering your flowers.
Practice pranayama, the yogic practice of conscious breathing. Take this time to learn to slow down the breath to a maximum of six breaths per minute to achieve ultimate longevity and vitality. Be sure to do some of your breathing practice outdoors if at all possible.
Have fun and appreciate all the nature display that Summer brings. Appreciate the vibrant colors, lush greenery, the warm and brilliant sun, the cooling showers, the warm breezes and the sound of them blowing through the leaves and trees, and the sounds of other people having fun outdoors. Hopefully, you are one of them!
Photo by Sarah Diniz Outeiro at Unsplash