Course Index
Seasons Index
Summer

Summer

The sun feels warm and healing on the skin. It is easier to spend time outside.

Do This! 

Exercise 64 • Exploring the First Day of Summer

Plan to spend part of your day on or close to June 21st outside. Walk around and observe your environment. Check out the plants, animals, birds and people. Sense the play of the elements at this time. 

• How do you experience the increase of fire in your environment and body?
  
  
• How is the lengthening of the day affecting your mood and sleep patterns?
  
  
• Do you feel more or less energetic?
  
  
• What kind of thoughts or fantasies fill your mind during these early days of summer?

SUMMER BODY SYSTEMS

	pumps the blood, carrying warmth, oxygen and nutrients through our body.
	works closely with the lungs to gain oxygen and digestion to obtain nutrients.
	rests for a fraction of a second between beats. In a lifetime of 70 yrs. the heart rests about 40 yrs.
	may be harmed by emotional stress.
	is most active in summer.
	pumps 3000 gallons of blood a day.
	is connected to the brain and muscles. If the brain and muscles are not getting enough oxygen they send messages via the nervous system to the heart.

Humans are naturally warm blooded. The hypothalamus monitors the temperature of the blood.

	The force of the heart muscle contraction.
	The volume of blood.
	The resistance of the blood vessels.
	The highest blood pressure is systolic, when the heart is pumping.
	The lowest pressure is diastolic, when the heart is filling up.
	Average systolic pressure is 110-120.

HEART CONDITIONS

High blood pressure:

Treatment: 

	lose weight
	eat less salt
	regular exercise
	adequate rest
	stress reduction
	reduce consumption of cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine.
	use hawthorn, garlic, cayenne and/or ginger Hawthorn works for both high and low blood pressure. It restores elasticity to capillary and destroys plaque. It promotes collagen production that makes the veins more elastic. Garlic works well with Hawthorn because it reduces blood pressure.

Low blood pressure:

	One indicator of the heart's health is the tongue. When the heart is healthy, the tongue is moist and pink. When there is type A behaviour the tongue is very red. When the heart is weak the tongue is pale.  This may show possible anemia. A coated tongue relates more to digestion.
	A healthy heart is indicated by a rosy facial complexion and body colour, especially under fingernails.
	Swelling in the ankles, shin bones and under the eyes is an indicator of heart weakness.
	Heart weakness is also indicated by lethargy, slowness and coldness of the hands and feet.
	Wind - poor circulation
	Fire - equals anemia or a damaged liver function
	Water - congestion and stagnation

HEART HEALTH 

	One indicator of the heart's health is the tongue. When the heart is healthy, the tongue is moist and pink. When there is type A behaviour the tongue is very red. When the heart is weak the tongue is pale. This may show possible anemia. A coated tongue relates more to digestion.
	A healthy heart is indicated by a rosy facial complexion and body colour, especially under fingernails.
	Swelling in the ankles, shin bones and under the eyes is an indicator of heart weakness.
	Heart weakness is also indicated by lethargy, slowness and coldness of the hands and feet.

Heart Herbs 

HEART DREAMBODY

Do This! 

Exercise 65 • Nourishing Your Heart (repeat)

Place your hand over your heart. Feel the beating of your heart. Imagine your heart sending blood full of rich oxygen and nutrition. Feel it going to every cell in your body, from the tip of your big toe to the crown of your head. Imagine all your cells bathed in this life giving fluid. Open yourself to this eternal rhythm of life affirming energy. As you breathe in imagine the blood absorbing the oxygen from your lungs and as you breathe out sense it traveling to every part of your body. When you are finished take a couple more breaths and thank your heart for it's faithful work. Ask it if it needs anything? More exercise, fresh air, iron, magnesium, Vitamin E or herbs like Hawthorn, Motherwort or Lily of the Valley?

• Record your heart experience:

Do This! 

Exercise 66 • Heart Connections, The Web of Life

Place your hand on your heart. Feel it beating while you take a couple breaths and relax. Imagine that your heart reaches out into the world. Think about the people that you love. Imagine an invisible cord stretching from your heart to theirs. As you breath out, imagine energy traveling along this cord to them. As you breath in, imagine energy traveling back along this cord to your heart. Start with one or two people and slowly add others. As new people come to mind let the others go knowing that you are already connected. Add animals, plants, places and anything else that you feel connected to and love. When complete take a couple more breaths and thank life for all the love that you have to give and receive.

• Record your heart experience:

	receives, digests and assimilates nourishment.
	sorts out and extracts the good from what we eat.
	is the seat of Bio-fire. In Ayurveda the word "grahani" refers to the active principle of the small intestine. Grahani means "that which grasps things."  It (grahani) grasps the essence of nourishment from the food. It kills bacteria or pathogens in the food.

Ayurveda states that all small intestine diseases: allergies, candida, food intolerance, are best treated by healing and nourishing the small intestine.

One treatment for the small intestine is a clay poultice. If bacteria or pathogens are not killed, toxins enter the body. They cause lowered resistance, poor immune function, chronic indigestion and poor elimination. Resulting in constipation, diarrhoea, gas, lack of appetite or excessive appetite, fatigue, low resistance and malabsorption syndrome. This is more common in Wind and is caused by irregular habits. In Chinese medicine it is caused by a Chi deficiency or chi stagnation.

Blood goes straight from the small intestine to the liver. The organs support each other. Spring liver cleanse supports the small intestine in the summer.

Constitution Differentiation for Malabsorption Syndrome

Wind 

	Gas distention.
	Migrating pain.
	Dry skin, cracked tongue and anal fissures.
	Haemorrhoids.
	Chronic low weight.
	Tendency toward arthritis.
	Alternating constipation with diarrhoea.
	Palpitations, anxiety and insomnia.
	Feeling ungrounded and depression.

The anti-Wind diet. Avoid too much cold or raw food and raw juices. Consume home-made buttermilk (yoghurt and water 50/50) with fresh ginger and liquid aloe vera.

Fire

	Inflammation, ulceration or burning pain in the intestines.
	Diarrhea.
	Anemia.
	Anger and irritability.

Treatment:

The anti-Fire diet. Avoid greasy and fried food. Take buttermilk with fennel, coriander or a bitter herb like Aloe vera.

Water 

	Mucus in stools.
	Dull aching pain in the abdomen.
	Heaviness.
	Congestion in the lungs.
	Edema and diabetes.

Treatment:

The anti-water diet. Avoid cold water, ice cream, cheese, and pastries. Take aloe juice with dry ginger or elecampane. 

Small Intestine Tonics: 

SMALL INTESTINE DREAMBODY

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Exercise 67 • Digesting Difficult Experiences 

Break down gross experiences into digestible ones. Remember a difficult experience that still bothers you. Write out your memory of the experience. Discuss it with a friend, in person or through the mail.

I release, lose and let go of you. "I let go and let God\Goddess" is a helpful affirmation. The Bach Flower Remedy "Willow" is a powerful ally for this process. 

SUMMER ELEMENTS

Fire: 

	gives light and warmth.
	maintains heat for the body
	gives warmth to others
	gives enthusiasm, vitality and energy.
	people are attracted or repulsed by the colour red.
	people thrive on activity, new ideas, ventures, adventures and change.
	is YANG dominant. Noon is the most Yang period. Look out for Yang monsters. Yang monsters live in the fire and are very manipulative and aggressive. They will have you chasing heart attacks down the pavement in the noon day sun.
	is regulated by the bitter taste. Dandelion is a good summer bitter.

The two emotions embodied by fire and summer are joy and sadness.

	Joy:	is light - yang is manifest in the "laughing sound"
	Sadness:	is sorrow - yin is manifest in the "moaning sound"

Fire\Water balance

Fire:	Water:
Yang	Yin
Sex\action	Feeling\receptivity
Red	Blue
Heart	Kidney

	Intuition is an attribute of the fire element.
	Water balances fire, internal and external. When taking water internally use filtered water.

SUMMER EXERCISE:

Do This!

Exercise 68 • Play according to your constitution. 

Fire can be painful and intense. One of the ways of dealing with the intensity of fire in the summer is to play.

FIRE:

Do This!

Exercise 69

SUMMER PLANT WALK

Do This!

Exercise 70 • Exploring Plants in the Summer

Go for a walk and observe the plants in the heat of the summer. Notice how different plants are responding to the fire.

SUMMER DIET

It is healthy to eat a cooling diet. My favourite food for this is celery. The late great Dr. Christopher taught me about celery. During the hot summers in Utah where he lived he would drink lots of celery juice. Celery supplies organic biochemical sodium chloride that regulates the water in our cells maintaining the proper temperature. It is helpful to cut back on heat producing foods like proteins, dairy and starches. Favour fresh fruits and vegetables at this time.

The most cooling taste and my favourite bitter food is Belgium endive. It makes a great snack by itself or add to salads. A great herb to munch on, add to salads or sandwiches is dandelion leaves. Enjoy a light diet and get outside to play or go for long walks at this ideal time of the year. 

SUMMER HERBS