According to the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) each season requires us to focus on caring for a different pair of organs, and paying attention to different aspects of ourselves. As you’ll no doubt realise, we feel different in each season, and our intuition guides us to make different decisions depending upon the time of year; you may crave fruit and salads in Summer, whilst Winter is the season for warming broths and stews. When we tap into the ancient wisdom of systems like Ayurveda and TCM, we uncover a treasure trove of tools, guidance and principles that help us navigate life with a deeper sense of trust in ourselves, a greater connection to nature, and more happiness and health inside and out.
The Heart According to TCM
According to TCM, Summer is governed by the heart and small intestine organ pairings. These organs are responsible for keeping our blood healthy, absorbing and assimilating nutrients from food, as well as keeping us alive! The heart is said to be the ‘Emperor’ and the most important organ within the body, and of course, we understand that if the heart doesn’t work, nothing else does either. As the organ that pumps blood around the body, the heart is in charge of ensuring we have healthy circulation, and that all other organs of the body receive nutrients via the blood. Anaemia, reproductive issues, a pale complexion, anxiety, palpitations, brain fog and insomnia are all said to be related to a deficiency of heart Qi (heart ‘energy’ or ‘life force’).
On an emotional level, the heart is connected to our ability to experience joy, happiness, love and gratitude, and provides vitality. When our heart energy is deficient, we may feel a lack of joy, an inability to relax, difficulty being present with others and challenges expressing or receiving love. Traditional Chinese Medicine also views the heart as the place where our spirit or ‘Shen’ is housed. When a person’s ‘Shen’ is healthy and residing comfortably in the heart, they’re often full of life, vitality, able to connect to their sense of passion and joy, and they’ll have a spark and sense of presence in their eyes. The ‘Shen’ can become disturbed and is said to ‘fly away’ when we’re stressed, anxious, after a traumatic experience, or if we adopt an ‘all-work-no-play’ attitude. When our ‘Shen’ is deficient, this can manifest as burnout, low mood levels, lack of joy in life, and a loss of spark in the eye – a person may also simply seem to be distracted and unable to be present.
Summer of Love
If we follow the guidance of TCM and focus on caring for a different pair of organs during each season, we have an opportunity to nourish ourselves in different ways throughout the year, and care for different aspects of emotional selves too. Read on for our top 3 tips on caring for your heart this Summer:
Prioritise Joy
If work commitments, deadlines, chores and other people’s needs have been top of your to-do list for as long as you can remember, it’s time to shift priorities – even if it’s just for the Summer! The heart governs our ability to experience joy, which is something many of us put at the bottom of our priority list, or forget to include it entirely! The current societal narrative tells us to work hard, be constantly available via email and social media, be ambitious, hustle, and even find a side-hustle, which leaves very little room to simply enjoy life. As a health coach, I often ask my clients what they do for ‘me-time’ and for fun, and many of them realise that they actually do very little….. It’s time to change that.
To bring more joy into your life this Summer, start by recognising what actually fills your heart with joy. Use the Practice You journal by Elena Brower to reflect upon what it is that lights you up, what helps you connect to your heart, and what you truly need in life right now. Journaling is an important step in taking thoughts and desires out of the mind and into the world on paper. Fill your space with the Tisserand ‘Happy Vibes’ Mood Fix Mist to tap into the power of scent, and use the School of Life Everyday Adventures card deck for inspiration on pocket-size everyday adventures you can weave into your Summer. We also love the Self Care Truth or Dare game as a way to sprinkle a little extra fun into your daily routine.
Choose Heart-Healthy Foods
And no, I’m not talking about the packaged supermarket ready meals with ‘heart-healthy’ written on the box! According to TCM, specific foods nourish the blood and heart, and are beneficial for us to focus on at this time of year. Red foods like beetroot, red berries, red meat (always organic and grass-fed when possible), red apples, rhubarb, tomatoes, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, as well as saffron, dates and carrots all help increase heart Qi. Even though Summer is the warmest season, the heart also benefits from warm and cooked foods, because an excessive amount of raw and cold foods can be difficult to digest and decrease our ‘yang’ energy. One Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones is full of warming, heart-loving and simple recipes, whilst The Self-Care Cookbook by Gemma Ogston contains recipes to boost your energy, help you sleep and lift your mood – all perfect for giving your heart energy a little extra love.
Make Your Routine A Ritual
A final way to nourish your heart is through ritual. In a fast-paced and overly busy world, many of us have lost our connection to the importance of ritual, and the benefits it can provide for us. In our go-go-go modern lives, rituals can ground and centre us, and allow us a vital moment to pause and become present. Research also shows that rituals help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us, and they’re an important way to increase happiness too.
A ritual doesn’t have to be elaborate in order to give us big benefits; simply choose a few things you do each day, and transform them into a ritual by committing to slowing down, being present and practicing mindfulness with them. Make a cup of Pukka’s organic ‘Joy’ tea, and take time to inhale the scent, notice the taste and texture, and sit in a favourite spot whilst you sip. Using the sustainable W&P Porter Mug means you can even bring this ritual with you on the road. Roll out your Eco Flow yoga mat and make a ritual of just a few minutes of sun salutations each morning, or a slow and gentle moment of ritualised restorative yoga before bed with the Ultimate Luxury Restorative Kit. Your bathroom routine can even be transformed into a ritual simply by choosing products you love, and by being present with yourself. According to TCM, the tongue says a lot about our health; rough edges at the sides of the tongue can indicate liver and gallbladder issues, whilst a thick coating is a sign of a compromised digestive system – make a ritual of observing your tongue in the mornings before using the Yogamatters copper tongue scraper to keep your mouth super clean, and use the Hayo’u Rose Quartz Beauty Restorer to start your morning with a self-love ritual of using the stone to lift, sculpt and plump the skin, boost collagen and elastin, and give a radiant and glowing complexion. Rose quartz is also packed with minerals, can help reduce excessive heat from the skin, and is the stone most associated with love – perfect for nourishing your heart energy this Summer.
Try these top 3 tips for nourishing your heart this season and notice how you feel after you’ve opened your heart to more joy, love, healthy foods and rituals this season.
