Part 3 of the 5 part series: Indian Summer
After her summer blog post, our New York based Guest Author Reni has written another beautiful piece on indian summer and how to flow with this season.
INDIAN SUMMER
Indian summer is the time between summer and fall. According to the 5-elements theory this transitional period is considered its own season. The late summer is associated to the element EARTH, and relates to the digestive organs of the stomach and the spleen. It’s color is yellow. The now fertile Mother Earth does not only provide us with food, she is also the ground on which we stand on.
The earth element stands for the materialization of our actions as well as for the metamorphosis within ourselves. As we go through the shift we want to STAY CENTERED AND GROUNDED. We now digest, integrate and make sense of everything we lived and experienced during spring and summer.
We need our roots in a solid base – as well as a good portion of ADAPTABILITY in order to allow the changes that are happening externally and internally.
Ideas for your daily routine during summer
Yoga: FIERCE WARRIOR. Start in downward-facing dog and launch one foot forward. Be on your fingertips and shift the weight into the front foot. Lift the back leg, slowly straighten both legs. Keep on elongating through the front of your chest, the vision stays up. Hips are squared as you now balance on one foot and keep your strength centered.
Do variations with your arms or put teh back foot into the wall for more stability.
Breath work: BREATH DEEPLY. Anywhere, at anytime, as many times you remember: do 10 full yogic breaths! Focus on bringing the inhalation into the base of your lungs, a slight expansion of your belly indicates the complete filling of your lungs. It’s about the lower body, your roots and your digestion. A good breath practice keeps you centered and will also prepare the respiratory system for cold and windy autumn.
Diet: NOURISH YOURSELF. Eat balanced and include more cooked or warm food in your diet now. The season of late summer relates to the organs of the stomach and the spleen. Eat food that can be easily digested, seasonal ripe fruits with a sweet taste fit into this season. The color yellow is favorable: polenta or millet are great grains!
Plant magic: MUGWORT (Artemisia Vulgaris) to support digestion.
Self-care ritual: BE OUTSIDE. Soak up the sunlight and get in touch with the still warmed up earth. Go for a walk in nature and have a little meditation ritual outside.
Crystal healer: AMBER is a beautiful healer and calming agent. It supports us to heal the wounds of the past. In order to move on and become stronger, we have to integrate the lived. Amber, technically a resin, with its golden color and soft texture, is the perfect soother and toner for the navel chakra.
Mantra: “I stand in my own power.“
Love & light
Pics: Samira Däppen, Courtesy of Floatlovers (www.floatlovers.com)
