Down to Earth
Nourish. Nurture.
As I type, we’re at the start of meteorological Autumn here in the UK and in this first week of September we’re experiencing an uncharacteristic heat wave.
I’ve never really felt as though Autumn properly begins until later in September – the time of the harvest festivals I remember from my childhood. This made even more sense to me when I learned that in the Chinese Lunar calendar there are five seasons rather than four, and the period between late August and the Autumn Equinox (this year on Saturday 23rd September) is Late Summer.
Late Summer is a short, but important season as it signals the transition out the yang period of the year into the yin time.
I feel this last burst of heat we’re experiencing now in London where I live, as the days simultaneously get noticeably shorter is a perfect demonstration of that transition.
In March and at the start of June, I wrote about the organs associated with Spring and Summer respectively, in Chinese medicine. I shared about the energetic qualities of these organs and supporting the flow of Qi (energy) through our bodies. I also shared Spring and Summer themed yin yoga practices for paid subscribers here and here.
In Chinese medicine, the organs associated with Late Summer are the Stomach (yang organ) and Spleen (yin organ). This organ system is responsible for the digestion of emotions and well as food, with the Pancreas working in tandem with the Spleen. The element of Late Summer is Earth and the associated emotion is worry.
Energetically, when Stomach, Spleen and Earth Qi are out of balance, we tend to be more susceptible to poor boundaries, excess worry, overthinking, anxiety, nausea, digestive issues and feelings of lethargy.
When balanced, we can have more compassion toward others, feel more grounded, be more able to receive the nourishment life has to offer without feeling the need to grasp for more, and be more able to go with the flow.
It’s also worth noting, that even If you’ve had a particular organ removed, in Chinese medicine it is believed that the meridians (energy channels) and therefore, the qualities of that organ remain.
A few tips for supporting Stomach and Spleen Qi:
NOURISH: Have you find yourself craving porridge and soups? If so, that’s no surprise as Late Summer is the time to move away from raw, cool foods (which can encourage dampness in the Spleen) towards warm, cooked foods that will ease digestion. If you’re prone to eating on the go, can you now resolve to take time to chew your food?
The Stomach and Spleen like orange and yellow foods (think sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, squash, yams), while in relation to this, Earth element is associated with sweet flavours. With this in mind, you may wish to nourish the Earth element with seasonal fruits such as pears and blackberries. Be mindful to not have too much ‘sweet’ though, as this can affect your energy levels as well as the organ system.
Reflect on what you currently take in and digest mentally too.
DRAGON POSE: Dragon is a yin yoga pose that not only targets the Stomach and Spleen meridians, it is also an effective hip and groin opener. Aim for one to three minutes if are new to yin, or three to five minutes if you are more experienced. Allow your breath to be steady and calm throughout.
From all fours, step one foot forward into a lunge position. You can pad your back knee with a folded blanket. Place your hands down on either side of your front leg or both hands inside your front leg. You can bring the floor up to you by placing a *brick under each hand. Alternatively, if both arms are inside your front leg, you can rest your hands or forearms on a *bolster.
*If you don’t have bricks or a bolster then you can substitute with pillows or some cushions. I often like to use 2-3 pillows stacked up.
In this short video I share a Dragon Pose tutorial:
GET GROUNDED: Connect to the earth by getting outside when you can. This might be going for walks, being in nature, tending to your garden or allotment, or spending some time barefoot in your back yard. If you’re nowhere near a green space or you’re stuck indoors try being mindful of each step you’re taking. Something I like to do is treat the final part of my walk to work like a meditation by being very aware of the feeling of the pavement beneath my feet. I find this helps me to feel more grounded and centred by the time I arrive at my workplace. Maybe this is something you’d like to try for yourself.
Interested in grounding yin yoga, restorative yoga and meditation practices? Here are some upcoming opportunities to practice with me:
ONLINE:
In the September edition of The Reset, here on Substack, I’ll be sharing a nourishing Late Summer yin yoga class for paid subscribers. The Reset is one of my regular monthly offerings for my closed Substack community. If you’re currently a free subscriber, upgrading your subscription will give you access to all my new yoga and meditation practices here as well as my growing archive of all posts.
Restorative Yoga with Mindwalk Yoga on Tuesday 12th September 7.30-8.30pm BST. This is part of a month-long collaboration with Yogamatters. Find full details and book your FREE tickets here.
Restoring Flow – my latest on-demand class with EkhartYoga is available here.
IN-PERSON:
Rest + Restore on Friday 8th September 7-8.30pm BST at Embody Wellness. Details via the Embody workshops & events page here. (Just two places remaining at the time of writing.)
Hatha Flow (in-person and streamed via Zoom), Wednesdays 9.30-10.30am BST at Yoga Point Brixton. Book your place here.
The Rest Sessions – A Rest + Calm Mini-Retreat on Saturday 25th November 2.30-4.45pm at Yoga Point Brixton. Find full details and book your place here.
Over to you – an inquiry you might like to journal on:
Late Summer is an ideal time to re-assess what nourishes your mind as well as your body. What would you like more of? What would you like less of?