Ahhhhhh, summer.
I have been beginning my mornings with a giant slice of watermelon so juicy I have to eat it with a napkin tucked beneath my chin. Mint black tea warmed by the sun. Epic amounts of basil destined to become pesto. One hundred and eight Sun Salutations practiced together in a circle like rays on the sun reaching toward the sky. A humid first community hike through the Wissahickon with new friends from Camaraderie. A raging disco Flow Back dance party where everyone belted Cher’s Believe at the top of their lungs between body rolls, fan-ography, and booty shakes.
To me, this is what summer is all about: JOY.
It’s the season of the heart. Of abundance. Of blossoming. Of staying outside until the fireflies come out. Of hanging with your besties. Of finding ways to stay cool—both internally and externally.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer belongs to the Fire element.
Things quite literally heat up. But fire is also symbolic. It transforms. It alchemizes. It sheds light on what was hidden and warms what has grown cold. Fire governs the Heart and Small Intestine, along with the Pericardium—the protective layer around the heart that, energetically speaking, helps determine what we allow in and what we keep out. Summer is also connected to the Triple Burner (or Triple Warmer), the body’s great coordinator of heat and energy, helping everything communicate and flow together.
Summer’s primary emotion is joy. But like all things, joy needs balance. Too much heat, and we become irritable, impatient, short-fused… Hot.
I joked in class the other day that when Philadelphia heats up… Philadelphians heat up. Oooooh, are we spicy.
Which is exactly why our practice is always about balance.
When life feels too hot, we cool it down.
We slow the breath. We soften instead of push. We open the front of the body with gentle backbends to release excess heat. We seek out the watery parts of our practice—and of life. We jump in a lake. Sit by the ocean. Run through a sprinkler. Drink mint or hibiscus tea. Eat cooling foods like watermelon, cucumbers, berries, peaches, and leafy greens. Honestly, just wander your local farmers market and it’ll tell you exactly what your body is craving this season.
And perhaps one of summer’s greatest medicines…
Rest.
Take the disco nap.
Read the cheesy beach novel.
Linger over dinner with people you love.
Do absolutely nothing for an afternoon without apologizing for it.
The slower rhythm of summer isn’t something to feel guilty about—it’s what prepares us for the structure and routine that autumn eventually brings. Rest now so you don’t arrive there depleted.
For those of us who can’t disappear for an entire month (a girl can dream), may we instead find little pockets to max, relax, and soak up the season.
In the meantime, happy summer, friends.
Summer well.
INSPIRATION STATION
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