You are familiar with the four seasons; spring, summer, autumn, and winter. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes a fifth season. This fifth season is actually a season within a season – late summer. The time when we begin to slow our pace, cool down, and reflect.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that just as the seasons bring about changes in nature and the way of life, they also bring about changes within the body. Tuning into these changes and aligning with the seasons can help to increase health and overall well-being.
Late summer is its season, a time of transition when we shift from the vibrant energy and expansive growth of spring and summer (yang energy) to the calm energy and slower pace of fall and winter (yin energy.)
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each of these elements corresponds to a season. In late summer, the earth element is the focus. This season is the time to ground your mind and body as you transition from an energetic summer to a calmer autumn.
The earth element is also related to your digestive system. The digestive system helps to regulate and harmonize the body during periods of transition, such as the seasonal transition from summer to fall.
Late Summer is the season of transition. It’s not a time to be stagnant or complacent. Instead, it’s a time to reconnect with your body, the earth, and honor your experiences. There are a few practices that I recommend implementing during this season.
Grounding electrically reconnects you to the earth. It’s a simple practice that essentially involves walking barefoot on the earth. This can be a walk on the beach or even your own backyard. I recommend at least 10 to 20 minutes of grounding first thing in the morning. During this time, leave distractions aside and focus on connecting with your body and breath. This is a great way to warm and wake up the body, calm your nervous system, ease tension, and bring you back to a place of balance.
Movement is one of the greatest ways to keep your qi and blood circulating. Not only does this benefit the body physically, but it can also help to prevent stress build-up and excessive worry. Late summer is more peaceful than summer but more active than fall. While you may have spent your summer doing active adventures, slow things down with a walk around the neighborhood or a nice swim to enjoy the last of the warm weather. Find what feels good for your body.
Acupuncture offers benefits for pain, anxiety, and even skin, but at its core, acupuncture helps to encourage the movement of qi throughout the body. It helps keep things moving in every sense of the word, preventing stagnation in the mind and body and ensuring we move through the seasons with ease.
Late summer signifies the shift from the strong, outward, yang energy to the calm, inward, yin energy. It’s a time to pause and take an intentional look at what is working and what is not, where you feel stress, and where you feel joy. It’s the time to reassess and reset as you move into autumn.
Late summer is a time of reflection. It invites us to pause, and reflect on the year so far, so we can learn from our experiences and let go of what we no longer want to carry. As the season shifts from long, hot days to a more mild and comforting atmosphere, I find my body and mind relaxing and beginning to turn inward as I lean into the yin energy of autumn. It’s a time to journal or read through past journals. To evaluate my goals, create new goals, and practice gratitude, seeing how far I’ve come.
This particular season comes with a renewed energy as I move through the rest of the year.
Cosmetic Acupuncture and Microneedling are two of our most popular treatments here at The Beauty Within. These treatments are perfect for you if you want to improve your skin while relaxing and enjoying an afternoon of self-care.
This Summer, get a FREE Cosmetic Acupuncture treatment with the purchase of a Microneedling session.
If you’re looking for a mid-week pick-me-up, we have several services to give you the relaxation you deserve.
Visit our clinic on Wednesday or Thursday to get 20% off your treatment! Book Cosmetic Acupuncture, Guasha/Cupping Facials, or Botnia Bespoke Facials at 20% off the regular price.
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