How Balanced Is Your Yang?
Hot summertime fun is in full swing. Family vacations and sleep-away camps often consume these sun-filled months.
But according to traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) summer is also the perfect season for cultivating your yang energy. These months are ruled by summer’s fire element which, in your body, regulates your heart, mind and spirit.
Acufinder Magazine explains that, “[w]hen the fire element is in balance, the heart is strong and healthy, the mind is calm and sleep is sound. When the fire element is imbalanced, we may either lack joy (depression) or have an excess of joy (mania). Indicators of an imbalance in the fire element include agitation, nervousness, heartburn, and insomnia.”
Some helpful tips for living in harmony with the summer climate include early to rise, late to bed and make sure to squeeze in a midday catnap.
Indigestion can increase during the hot summertime months, so keep your diet is light and low on grease and dairy. Recommended foods for the sunny season include lettuce, watercress, fish, bamboo, Chinese cabbage and all sorts of cooling, hydrating fruits.
For an elegant touch, prepare a pitcher of water filled with cucumber slices and sip on it as needed throughout the day.