Happy summer solstice! It may be the longest day of the year, but here in Seattle it feels like early spring. Which sadly makes sense, considering our winter lasted well into May this year. To celebrate summer, I wore a scarf and boots today (eye roll).
Energetically however, I know it's time to shift seasons. I always feel a ramp up in projects, busyness, and just general mayhem and chaos as spring moves towards summer. I usually feel like collapsing a week before the solstice, but if I hang in there until the wave crests, it's a nice ride into July and August.
In Ayurvedic terms, summer is "pitta" season. Pitta is a blend of fire and water elements - think long, hot days melded with juicy melons and refreshing swims. If we keep these elements in balance, then we are able to thrive in this season and beyond. Find ways to nurture yourself this summer so you are ready to greet fall with a healthy, energetic mind and body.
Balance is key. Ayurveda approaches disease from a standpoint of imbalance. To maintain health and wellbeing, we try and live in harmony with various cycles of nature, like the seasons. The idea is that "like increases like," so imbalance in summer looks like adding fire to a fiery season (going for a run in the full sun at the hottest point of the day). Balance is an afternoon siesta or a slow flow yoga class during lunch hour instead of power vinyasa.
Your instincts to play, take a vacation, and be near water are spot on for this season. Think of seasons like a gardener - so much planning and effort went into seeds and soil and nurturing bursts of growth throughout spring. Now all that work pays off with flowers and fruit exploding in abundance. There's maintenance to be done, sure. Water, weed, tend. But you also get to kick back a bit and enjoy ripe red fruit and crunchy veggies.
Tomorrow I'll be facilitating a collaborative discussion about seasonal ayurveda and health at the Riveter. Join me at 10am and experience this beautiful new female focused co-working and wellness space in Seattle! Here's a sneak peak at some tips for maintaining your health and building resilience during the summer months:
- yoga poses like forward folds, chandra namaskar (moon salutes) with low lunges,
- long savanasa
- cooling breath practices like shitali and left-nostril breathing
- meditate on images of water and nature
- wake up at sunrise and exercise outside before the heat of the day
- eat foods that are cooling, sweet, bitter, or astringent in nature
Want to learn more? Schedule a private yoga session or wellness consultation, or join me for regular yoga classes at the Riveter (Mondays 7am/5pm, Thursdays 7am/12pm).