An invitation to tend to your Heart this summer

Photo credit: Dustin Humes on Unsplash

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With the heat wave a couple weeks ago, the summer solstice and today's steaminess, I'm feeling the effects of the Fire element hard and fast this summer. That means that my Heart organ system is feeling it too. I'm thinking that you might be feeling this as well. In this month's newsletter, I'm going to take the opportunity to talk a little bit about the Fire Element, the Heart organ system and share with you some of my favorite Heart love tools.

In Chinese Medicine, summer is associated with the Fire Element. This means that the qualities of the Fire Element are most pronounced. It is also the time of year to spend extra attention tending to the ways that this element presents itself in your own body. In general, imbalances in an element or the organ systems associated with it tend to be more pronounced in the season of that element.

Other associations with the Fire Element:

• Organ system: Heart/Small Intestine
• Color: red
• Flavor: bitter
• Sound: laughing
• Climate: heat
• Balanced emotion: joy and happiness
• Unbalanced emotions: hatred, resentment and cruelty

The Heart said to be the "Emperor" and houses the Shen or Mind. It is deeply connected to the psychological aspects of all the other organ systems. In this way, the Heart has a lot to do with relating to others and feeling deep connections.

With COVID19 restrictions loosening and the case numbers going down, the opportunity to make up for lost connecting time is here. That coupled with the usual Minnesota summer energy, there is a lot of outward movement happening. This can feel really good and also intense for some of us. This is where tending to our Hearts comes in. For me, there is a delicate balance between connecting and taking breaks. Finding this balance can be a great self-care tool. Some other ways that you can connect with and support your Heart this summer (and always) are:

• Cultivate joy practices. One of my favorite joy practices is to go on walks with an attention for the plants and flowers that are growing and blooming around me.
• Laugh.
• Eat more red food. strawberries, cherries, watermelon.
• Befriend a rose quartz. Keep in in your pocket and hold it close.
• Incorporate rose (the flower) in your self-care routine. This could mean using rose body oil, drinking rose bud tea and/or spritzing rose hydrosol on your face.
• Check in with you heart frequently. Take a couple minutes to really feel into the space around your heart and give it a little space with your in breath and a little hug with your out breath.
• Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation. There are so many versions. Try out a couple and see which you like best.

I hope you found this helpful and enjoy trying out some of these Heart love tools. If you already have a Heart love toolbox I'd love to hear what is in it.