Abundance! Welcome to Late Summer

Late Summer is the fifth season in Chinese Medicine that relates to the Earth Element, the spleen and stomach. Anybody getting any tummy upsets, bloating, maybe even irritable bowel. I woke up this morning thinking why is my tummy still gurgling around and feeling inflamed. Then I remembered Late Summer.

Late Summer starts at around the third week of August and runs into the Fall Equinox (Sept 22 this year). The Earth is our Centre and helps ground and nourish us and keeps us level headed. When she’s out of balance we can feel heavy, physical fatigue, emotional fatigue, worry, digestive upsets…dampness. Maybe a thicker coating on your tongue 👅.

In modern times we’ve made a lot of connections between gut health and immunity and now mental health. In 1180, Li Dong Yuan founded the Earth School to promote and educate the importance of the Earth. The value of Transforming and Transporting our nutrients throughout our bodies and distributing clear yang to the head. ( think leaky gut or head fog) Also know as T&T. It just took us a while to catch up 😉

The Yang time of the pendulum is swinging back to Yin but before it does it passes through the Earth Element for a pause and reflection. This was sent to me this morning by a patient:

August Rain:

“the best of the summer gone,

and the new fall not yet born.

The odd uneven time.”

by Sylvia Plath

Now is the time of year to take care of our Spleen and Stomach Qi to prepare for fall and winter, through acupuncture, food therapy and mindfulness, and maybe a pause of gratitude and reflection.

I’m in my clinic Monday Wednesday Friday. Would love to see you.

Namaste ☯️

Gigi

Oh the Vic Pro Building is getting a new splash of paint to match the modern buildings around. It looks good 👍

Parking is still easiest up on Yates and free. The parkade is working well for some. Parking in the lower numbers 1-10 will bring you to the back courtyard and playground and our back door. That’s a nice way too. For cyclists, there’s a new bike pad in the courtyard in the back.

Summer Heart Joy!

Image result for dalai+lama+joy+tutu
The Book of Joy
Welcome to Summer! Summer represents the Element of Fire in Chinese Medicine and it corresponds to the Heart & Small Intestine system. It’s emotions range from love, laughter, enthusiasm, abundance and joy to… anxiety, restlessness, panic, sadness, irrational fears and phobias. The good, the bad and the not so pretty ;)Balance is key ☯️The balance between doing and being. Active Yang and restful Yin. Having presence in our bodies and our minds. Not one or the other, but both. In Chinese Medicine, it’s often referred to as the Heart-Mind connection.
Some summer heat imbalances are:-restlessness, sleep disturbances, palpitations-skin rashes, hives, inflammation, heat stroke-feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and panicky. Cooling foods, water and more contemplative calming activities will keep the heat at bay. I really noticed during the heat wave the difference it made just by drinking more water. Wow was that hot!
Ok, back to Joy! This time of year happiness and joy are more accessible, so let’s go for it. At Christmas, my family gave me The Book of Joy, Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The take away for me was that they had cultivated such an inner sense of joy, that all other thoughts and feelings could fit inside, like a compassion container. This compassion can be felt several meters away. I remember when I met the Dalai Lama, I could feel his presence before I knew he had arrived. It went through me like a wave and enveloped my whole body. I now go back to that feeling when I call on my compassion part to hold space for some of the tougher emotions that go through me. I tend to learn through my body, and that was a good lesson to learn. Recently, talking with a patient, we both realized that Joy was a little harder to call on this year. There seemed to be more barriers in the way. Like there was more to work through before getting to Joy. My thoughts lately have been, maybe Joy or Compassion or Empathy could be the container to work through the ” hard stuff”. What do you think? Has Joy stayed with you along your journey this year? What are your barriers to Joy? It’s a little tricky, right!? Would love to hear from you.
I’m taking some holiday time in August. I’m going camping from August 10th-19th. I’m back in the clinic on the 20th.
Book yourself in before August 10th. I’d love to see you, or after the 19th. Acupuncture and body work is a great support to help let go and relieve emotional and physical pain. See you soon:)I hope your enjoying your summer. The island is a great refuge.
Namaste
Gigi
250.882.0659
gigivincentine@hotmail.com
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