Do less. Savor more.

A patient of mine reported that he was feeling really tired lately. He shared that he was feeling really tired on the heals of telling me that he had been working a lot, traveling, not sleeping well and according to him, “had been eating like crap”.

Hhmmm…

We expect so much of ourselves. And then we don’t understand why we are feeling the way we are. We often end up getting frustrated when what we really need is to extend compassion and kind curiosity to ourselves.

I gently mirrored back to my patient what he had shared with me. That he had been working a lot. Traveling which is taxing on the body. Not getting adequate rest and not eating in a way that he knows nourishes him. All of a sudden, he understood why he was feeling really tired.

I went on to remind him that we are meant to do less in this heat. I shared with him that according to the Chinese 24 solar nodes calendar, we are in the 2 week period known as lesser heat. On July 18th, we enter the 2 weeks known as greater heat.

We are meant to do less and savor more in July’s heat.

The 24 solar nodes calendar is an ancient, nature based means of telling time according to nature’s cycles. This calendar is based upon the earth’s movement around the sun. It maps the energetic expression of yin and yang in smaller, more detailed increments. Each 2 week period, or node, is named for the particular energetics of that time.

The heat is meant to slow us down. Yet, for many of us, we crank the A/C and keep on doing and expecting more from ourselves when our bodies are requesting rest and renewal.

The organ systems that relate to the yang season of summer are the heart and small intestine. The heart is the yin organ of the pair. The small intestine being the yang partner.

According to the Chinese Body Clock which tracks the movement of qi through our organs in a 24 hour cycle, the 2 hour window for the heart is 11-1pm. The two hour period of optimal functioning for the small intestine is 1-3pm.

(The Chinese Body Clock is super cool and I’ll be sharing more about it and how to align with it for your wellbeing in upcoming blogs.)

Our hearts need rest as much as they need connection, joy and expressions of passion.

Want to learn more about how to live and eat according to the seasons? Book a coaching session with me.

In addition to offering yourself heart rest, be sure to stay hydrated with cooling foods like cucumber and mint. Enjoy the berries that are in season as they help move heat to the exterior as do flowers. Try a cup of rose or chrysanthemum and mint tea.

And remember that staying cool doesn’t mean eating a lot of raw food. Raw foods and iced drinks, over time, deplete the yang of the spleen and kidneys. In time, this will engender digestive dis-harmony. Even in summer, Chinese Dietary Medicine advises to lightly sautee or blanch veggies.

If you’re experiencing fatigue even though you are sleeping well at night, come see me for a treatment. Or, if you aren’t sleeping well at night, schedule an appointment for acupuncture and/or coaching.

Send me your questions and feedback.