August 2024

Seasonal Living

• Embrace Summer
• How To Avoid Heat Exaustion
• Summer Insomnia
• Herbal Summer Skin Care

Seasonal Living – Embrace Summer

From my kitchen window, I look at my garden. It is summer, and the garden is filled with an abundance of vegetables and herbs. Bees are zooming between the tulsi and lavender; birds are chipping on the trees, and butterflies hover over the Mexican sunflower.

What are the energetics?

Ancient cultures all over the world observed the ebb and flow of the seasons. They paid attention to details and looked for patterns. The Western tradition, descended from the alchemists and herbalists of Europe, identified six foundational states called the energetic.

The six energetics were used to describe the patterns in plants, people, health conditions, and the seasons.

The energetic/vibe of summer

Summer is associated with the fire element. While in some places, the heat of summer is dry, like in Africa, in others, it is hot and humid, like in India. But all over the world, summer is a time to relax and have fun.

The Taste of Summer

Drinking cold lemonade can give you a clue to how sour food and herbs can counter the relaxing effect of heat on the body. The sour taste is astringent, meaning it tightens tissue and reduces fluid leakage. Some cooling sour foods and drinks you might want to consider in the summer are berries, citrus, kombucha, and vinegar.

Food tips:

• Cooling salads such as Tzatziki or tabbouleh are perfect for these hot days when you want to avoid the stove.
• Sun tea, made with cooling, refreshing herbs such as lemon balm, tulsi, rose petals, peach leaves, and hibiscus, can be cooling and hydrating.
• Infuse berries in vinegar for a week before straining. Add honey and sparkling water for a cooling, refreshing drink.
• Add flowers to your meals. Flowers are the parts of the flowers associated with the summer. Nasturtium, violets, and roses are just some of the flowers that can be a beautiful addition to salads.

What to do in the summer?

Like the sunflower, people chase the sun. Not literally, but because sunlight is essential for many bodily functions, from regulating appetite and sleep to balancing our mood, people celebrated the sun and nature, especially in the summer.

Be it in the garden or on a camping trip, summer is when you spend time outdoors, stock up on vitamin D, and enjoy the abundance of vitality and growth. Like a butterfly, I am attracted to the garden’s colors, forms, and sounds. My heart is filled with joy and reverence for the creative forces of nature.

Summer is a good time to build an altar in the garden using sticks, stones, and dried plants. You might want to plant a special plant next to your altar, like tulsi, burn incense, and offer prayers of gratitude to the forces of nature that sustain us.

This is the time to follow your passion, manifest your inner fire, and follow your dreams. The organ associated with the energy of summer is the heart and the circulatory system. It calls upon you to leave the comfortable safety of your home and step into an adventure. Explore new possibilities and create from the heart.

Feel free to get messy playing with finger colors, digging your finger in the Earth, or making a lot of noise while drumming. Summer is for letting your soul soar.

Being in tune with nature means stopping and noticing the changes in light, temperature, moisture and tune in the ecosystem around you. As you slow down, you will observe how different seasons resonate differently with your body.