“Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean —
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
The Summer Day – Mary Oliver
Like Mary Oliver’s perpetual favorite, “The Summer Day”, the Summer Solstice, in our northern hemisphere, is our perennial step into a season of growth, expansion and light. And this year, right in step, a season of heat. Appropriately, in Chinese philosophy, the Summer Solstice is the pivotal point where we welcome the Fire element. And by the time you read this, you may be feeling it. But symbolically, and energetically, when heat is kept in balance, as “fire in the belly”, engaging the fire element means showing up in the world with confidence and authenticity and love.
When out of balance, the fire element can surface as anxiety, mania, excessive comparison, overly competitive or short tempered. Any of that sound familiar these days, for you, your loved ones or…..um, the world?
There are many ways to balance this energy. In Ayurveda, the traditional science side of Yogic tradition, each season has its own group of qualities and each quality has its antidotes. Summer is ruled by “Pitta” energy, which is a combination of Fire and Water and can express itself, when in excess, in our bodies, as low digestive fire or skin irritations and in our mental and emotional energy as overthinking, overanalyzing or being overly competitive. In Ayurveda, each person’s constitution also has dominant qualities, call “Dosha” which is present year-round. My dominant Dosha happens to be Pitta which means, at best, I can be highly focused and a good leader. But….guess what? In summer, with a double dose of Pitta (mine + summer), my need to maintain balance skyrockets. Thankfully, there are a host of of practices to employ to help balance Pitta, or Summer’s hot energies….when we are aware of the need.
Antidotes to summer’s heat (or an excess of Pitta) include choosing cooling and restful activities and foods. Choose slower and cooler exercises like swimming, paddling or walking in the early morning or evening. Switch vigorous yoga for yin or restorative practices. Enjoy the cooling elements of nature with quiet reading time in the shade, dipping your feet in cooling waters, adding daily meditation to your routine and enjoying as much unscheduled time as possible. And lighten the load, as you can, with ample gratitude, laughter and sweetness in your relationships.
Choosing foods that cool the tissues is also helpful to balance the heat of the season. My practices include keeping fresh mint infused water in the fridge to sip all day. Adding cucumber to my salads and veggie drinks. Enjoying lots of melon and grapes! And avoiding, whenever possible, anything spicy or sour. And, just today, beginning to delay my morning coffee until mid-morning and minimizing my sugar intake. Adding more rose, mint, jasmine and chamomile to the tea cupboard is useful. And of course, it goes without saying, reducing or eliminating alcohol, which, like coffee, is naturally heating and dehydrating, can go a long way to balance the effects of the heat as well.
It’s all a practice, of course, so release any expectations of perfection, and enjoy the exploration! Find out what works for you, relax and allow a mindful curiosity to lead you in new discoveries! Find ways to adapt and enjoy the season with some deep peace. You’ll find more resources HERE.
Looking ahead, past Summer and into the cool days of Fall, save the dates on your calendar for my Fall Session of Six Essential Mindfulness Practices, Monday evenings beginning September 23. More info on that series HERE.
Namaste 🙏 Deb
Deb Cook’s Deep Peace Practice 