Yin Yoga and TCM: Summer & Late Summer season- elements, organs and emotions
(part 2)
“It is one thing to touch a flame and know it is hot, but quite another to jump into that flame and be consumed by it.”
Adyashanti
The meridians in ancient Chinese philosophy and TCM are channels through which energy flows, forming a web, a network within which the physical body interconnects with the energetic body and our emotions. Each element and meridian expresses itself differently and manifests in our emotions and personality. In Yin Yoga, we stretch the body along the meridian lines, which looks a bit like self-acupuncture. Through mindful movement practices aligned with the seasons, we can start to discover and embody the qualities of the targeted meridians and organs.
In Yin Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Summer season is associated with the Fire element and its related meridians are the Heart and Small Intestine meridians, as well as the Pericardium and Triple Burner meridians. These Organs, according to TCM, are responsible for sending blood and Qi (life-force) through the meridian lines to the core. They also circulate nourishing energy for the mind and help with releasing toxins. The Heart and Pericardium, on the other hand, symbolize our connection to ourselves, our bodies and how much at home we are feeling with ourselves. The Heart also symbolizes our connections to our near and dear ones and is a reflection of the quality of our relations. Therefore, when the Heart is out of balance, it can affect a whole lot going on in our body. An excess of Fire leads to aggression and violence, a depleted Fire element can be translated as impatience, sadness, unstable relationships, while a balanced Fire element is able to experience joy, purpose and authentic connections, focusing on loving-kindness and compassion and self-compassion.
Fire season is characterized by warmth, happiness, vitality, energy, passion and movement. The Fire element is the one embodying the qualities of activity and outward focus, so someone that has too much of this energy can find oneself unbalanced by for example, feeling stressed, overheated, burned out. Yin Yoga in the summer, with its longer holds and stretch of the deeper connective tissues, can immensely help balance the season's Yang energy with a more grounding and introspective approach as well as a deeper connection to the body's natural rhythm, so it is recommended to do more Yin flows or slower gentle practices during this season than any other.
In terms of energy and vitality, this season represents a sense of completion and culmination, so think about ways to express that energy as openly and creatively as possible, with passion and commitment, but also value the moments that one can stop and breathe and take the necessary time to recharge that energy. Dancing and somatic movement are some great examples of summer activity that help the energy flow better through our bodies as well as complement the spiritual effects of Yoga and Yin Yoga really well. Some good tips for the hot season are ensuring we get an adequate rest to prevent burnout and trying to incorporate more cooling foods to counteract the heat, such as lemon, cucumber, mint etc.
In Yin Yoga and TCM, the season of late summer has its own importance and its own category in terms of meridians and influences on our bodies and minds and it is characterized by this transition between summer and autumn, by the shortening of daylight and the moisture and freshness of evenings and nights, by a milder softer afternoon light and a way of nature to slow down. It is a period when one can get tempted to be always busy, however it is vital to find a middle path between busy-ness and relaxation, between collecting our little rewards from the spring/summer season and recharging and planning for the upcoming months. The main element that characterizes this season is Earth element, while the meridians targeted are the Spleen and Stomach meridians. The Spleen is responsible for our immune system and together with the Stomach, it affects how we accept or reject food on a physical level and emotional energy, on a spiritual level. The Spleen is also related to our capacity for empathy towards others and also for ourselves, how much we can receive without feeling overwhelmed or stagnant. A proper understanding of this meridian is by strengthening and reconnecting to our own center, to our own core, listening to our inner voice more often.
The emotions that are contained by the Earth element are numerous, such as a sense of stability, contentment, grounding, nurturing and empathy, while the signs of an Earth element that is in excess are worries and anxiety, overplanning and overthinking. There are many Yin Yoga poses that can confer this sense of grounding and stability and that can activate the Spleen/Stomach meridians, together with other meridians. Overall, the practices go from less dynamic Vinyasa/Hatha flows, to more slower and grounding practices like Yin and Restorative. A few examples of suitable poses are: Baddha Konasana or Reclining Butterfly, Pigeon Pose, Dragonfly, Balasana (Child’s Pose), Anahatasana (Melting Heart) and a lot of other poses that involve a sense of grounding through the feet and legs. Other practices that can be incorporated either before or after a Yin flow are walking meditation, foot massage and a longer meditation practice that focuses on body and breath awareness, all of these promoting a deeper sense of inner balance, contentment for the small things in life and patience. When we are truly connected to the Earth's energy, we notice and acknowledge the importance of Life itself, we feel a part of the whole instead of an emptiness to be filled with material, temporary stuff. During this time of the year, it is important also to release old habits such as unhealthy eating and toxic relationship patterns and learn to connect more to the wholeness, fullness and contentment that we already have inside of us.
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