Late Summer: Preparing for Less Light

Chase the Blues Away

As the days are getting shorter, we are just beginning to experience less daylight. For many people, depression or melancholy can begin to set in. It’s important to manage these feelings from a psycho-emotional standpoint, perhaps with a therapist or meditation practice. Below, I will introduce a meditation exercise that is great for stress reduction, relaxation and is something you can even practice on the subway!

As it gets cooler, it is especially important to pay special attention to our respiratory health not only to prevent colds and flus, but also because according to TCM, our Lungs are associated with the emotion melancholy. Thus, focusing on breathing exercises is a great way to support this vital organ system during this time of year.

A useful Lung opening and stress reduction exercise is called “Coherent Breathing,” the strategy of consciously controlling your breathing rate to 5 breaths per minute. When done properly, it rapidly balances the autonomic nervous system. There is an alignment between the sympathetic and parasympathetic system and synchronization between the energy of the heart and the energy of the brain. Within a few weeks of regular practice, your heart rate variability (HRV) typically increases, which is considered to be an indicator of an increase in overall well-being, both physically and mentally. In the moment, this exercise is helpful for calming you down and bringing you to the present.

Here are the basic instructions:

1) With eyes open or closed, inhale to the count of 6, then exhale to the count of 6. You can use a noisy clock that ticks off the seconds or count silently to yourself.

2) Since the highest density of blood vessels are located in the base of the lungs, breath deeply into that region first. This is also known as belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe slowly and rhythmically (think of a pendulum).

3) Allow the air to flow naturally. Guide but do not force the process.

4) Each time you exhale, relax your face, neck, shoulders, and the rest of your body.

You can do this on the subway, at your desk, or anywhere and for any amount of time to achieve the immediate physical and mental benefits.

A CD to help with pacing the breath is available titled “RESPIRE 1” by Stephen Elliott at http://www.coherence.com/ and more information is available in print: “The New Science of Breath” by Stephen Elliott with Dee Edmonson.

More Tips for Late Summer

During this last burst of Indian Summer – heat and dampness are prominent. These elements can easily damage the heart and spleen function. You may find yourself feeling sticky and clammy, sweating, poor appetite, heavy limbs, fatigue.

Tip #2: Drink plenty of fluids to prevent body fluid deficiency.

The organ systems associated with the season of Late Summer are the Stomach and the Spleen-Pancreas. These systems are responsible for the digestion of nutrients. Though the spleen is often overlooked in Western medicine, in TCM, the spleen represents the primary organ of digestion. If the spleen is in disharmony, then you may develop deficiencies in qi or blood, or poor digestion.

The spleen is also the source of motivation and creativity. When the spleen-pancreas energy is balanced, we feel calm and settled and compassionate. We experience anxiety and worry when the spleen-pancreas energy is not balanced.

Tip # 3: Eat foods that nourish the spleen-pancreas: The damp heat of this season can put stress on digestion. Eat cooked foods for easier digestion. Don't combine too many ingredients, use minimal seasoning, and keep cooking temperature and time moderate. For example, try steaming vegetables instead of grilling them.

Since this season is associated with the color yellow and the sweet flavor, try golden and orange-colored foods that are mildly sweet. To get your body in tune with this season, try: amaranth, apricots, cantaloupe, chestnuts, corn, garbanzo beans, millet, peas, potatoes, soybeans, squash, string beans, sweet potatoes, tofu and yams.

Late Summer: The Fifth Season

Late Summer is the fifth season in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). While it is a short season, it is, in many ways, the most important, as it represents the transition from the energetic yang energy of Spring and Summer to the quieter yin energy of Fall and Winter. This is the point at which all seasons converge. As Paul Pitchford writes in Healing with Whole Foods, Late Summer represents "the instant where the pendulum reverses its swing." This season is the point of clarity between Summer and Fall, when we can pause and figure out what we need to do to prepare for winter.

Grounding and centering are key during this transition. We must protect the immune system for autumn by preparing our bodies and minds. In the following few posts, I will provide tips to prepare ourselves for this change of seasons. If you read my recent newsletter, some of this will be duplicative.

Tip #1

As the weather cools and the wind picks up, it's important to keep our neck warm. When our defenses are down, we are more susceptible and vulnerable to pathogens such as colds and flus. In TCM, we believe that “wind carries a thousand diseases” and we are moving into that time now. So remember your scarf before heading out the door!

Late Summer: The Fifth Season

Late Summer is the fifth season in Traditional Chinese Medicine. While it is a short season, it is, in many ways, the most important, as it represents the transition from the expansive yang energy of spring and summer to the quieter yin energy of fall and winter. This is the point at which all seasons converge. As Paul Pitchford writes in Healing with Whole Foods, Late Summer represents “the instant where the pendulum reverses its swing.”

The late summer season is associated with Earth, the mother of the elements. There is an emphasis put on nurturing, nourishing, and most of all, grounding. The earth represents a balance of yang and yin, an even energy flow.

This is a time of stability, where we have the opportunity to slow down, look around, and appreciate the feeling of abundance and contentment. The feeling of “home” is especially important.

This season is the point of clarity between Summer and Fall, when we can stop and look around us and figure out what we need to do to prepare for winter.

In our lives, we see this reflected socially. This is the late harvest time when the earth offers up a wealth of nutritious food, which we gather to enjoy and also preserve for the coming cold months when fresh food is not as plentiful.

This is also when children get ready to head back to school at the beginning of September.

Grounding and centering during this period are key. We must protect the immune system for autumn by preparing our bodies and minds.