Late Summer wellness tips

Dear Community,

LATE SUMMER GREETINGS!

This is an actual season according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system.

When is this season exactly?

Mid August to Fall Equinox

In this ancient system used in many Asian countries, this time of year teaches us to lean on the Earth element for wisdom and medicine. The organs associated are stomach and spleen.

Late Summer is an important time of year as the transition from the strong Yang energy of Summer begins to wind down into the softer Yin energy of Fall.

In the TCM system, our orientation is always about balance. If this is interesting to you, this path shows us that tending to how we use our energy can be so insightful and beautiful. Becoming more mindful and investing in practices that bring us back to balance is just smart living.

If you have heard this before but aren't sure where to start, don't worry, its all about little baby steps, so, getting back on your self-care horse after the excitement of Summer can be a slow process and that's perfectly ok.

If you want to, bring your hands on your lower dantian (low belly), close your eyes and do some mindful breathing right now. And simply stop the practice when your mind chooses not to do it anymore. Honor when your mind is aligning with your desire to get centered and when it is not. Letting go of struggle in small doses.

Does it feel more challenging to process stress right now?

The self-care habit associated with this system includes looking to see how organs and the emotions associated with a particular season is fairing. Stomach is the primary organ for this season, and the emotional concern is worry as well as empathy. We need strong and balanced chi for digesting food as well as our thoughts and emotions. As you may know, the parasympathetic nervous system aids our digestion and rest, thus Late Summer invites us to give special attention here.

Here are some tips on how you can take care of your guts:

• Be gentle around food. Chew your food a bit longer to get the helpful enzymes in your saliva abundant before swallowing
• Add enzymes, pre and pro biotic to your diet
• Find some 'me time' if you live with others. Use this solo moment to indulge in rest, creativity, reading or just getting to catch up on things that matter to you
• Calming social engagement is beneficial to your nervous system, spirit and therefore can bring more ease to your stomach
• Make and Take in beauty, it is easier to digest

This season is the ripest and juiciest, as nature's alchemy from the long sunny days have been creating treasures for us. Harvest time is right around the corner and there's lots of sweetness available for our senses.

What a blessed time to be alive.

I will be soaking up this golden glow with you.

COMING UP:

THIS THURSDAY 9/8: EMA WORKSHOP FOR BEGINNERS

8/18: BODY LAB

9/19: EMA MONTHLY SESSION

SAVE THE DATE:

October 9th

In-Person (in Los Angeles) Fall Qi Gong Workshop

AND

I will be offering a special Livestream Qi Gong Series in October focusing on the 3 Dan Tians, the principal access points of Chi and where our physical and spiritual self converges. This will be a benefit for Patreon members.

Registration coming...

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

To your Wellness,

Rie