Summer time is just around the corner! The days are warmer and daylight lingers later into the evening.
I cherish my after dinner walks as I am entertained by the magnificent colors of the sunset.
This season is filled with abundant energy, long days and sunshine. In Chinese medicine we learn that this is the most yang time of year. We feel energized by the Sun- its warmth and its strong nourishing energy. Summer is about expansion, growth, activity and creativity. Summer belongs to fire, one of the five elements. Fire is symbolic of maximum activity or greatest yang, which means that it is a time of heat, outgoingness, and moving outward in nature and in our lives.
Physically, summer influences vigorous metabolic processes. In human anatomy, the heart, and small intestine, mind, and spirit are ruled by the fire element. Therefore, the heart and small intestine should be the main focus for staying healthy during the summer.
Proper food choices and food preparation for these particular organ systems will help insure their maximum efficiency. The heart’s main function is to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body. The small Intestines main function is to absorb nutrients. When the heart is strong and healthy, the mind is calm and sleep is sound.The heart nourishment and strength comes form good nutrients being digested and absorbed through the small intestines…see how it all works together? Body happy = mind & spirit happy!
In the next consecutive cooking classes, I will be teaching menus and recipes to support summer energy. Beginning with this months cooking class on the 24th which will focus on fermented foods. Fermented foods being a key influence in better digestion and absorption.
Want to learn more about the seasonal energies, 5-elements, yin/yang and the organ systems they influence? Check out the Healing Lifestyle Technique Class Series…it will change your world!
Look forward to seeing you soon!
Virginia
