Five Element Acupuncture: About Late Summer and The Earth Element
Five Element Acupuncture: About Late Summer and The Earth Element
By Lance Isakov, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac, CYT
This is the character for the Earth Element
Earth Meditation: for 3 minutes - Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the woods in theLate Summer (harvest time). What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What is the sense of the air on your skin? Pay attention to how you you feel.
Now, Imagine standing on the raw earth...feel it beneath your bare feet, ground yourself, notice how the earth supports the weight of your body... Earth is the element of the Late Summer season and represents the energy of support, holding, nurturing, nourishment and abundance.
In Late Summer, the activities of Summer start to slow down while harvest time kicks into gear. The plants and trees offer fruit and vegetables that are ripe and bountiful. Food is available for all animals to get fat and happy before fall approaches. Late summer reminds us that Mother Earth gives us all that we need without asking anything in return.
Five Element Acupuncture theory reminds us that we are one with nature and that we follow energetic movements similar to the natural cycle . Late Summer is a sweet and nurturing time of year isn't it? The fruit is sweet, the air is sweet, even the light is sweet, right!? And best of all we have a surplus of yummy fruits and veggies, the sweet gifts from the growth and busyness of Spring and Summer.
So how does this the energetic movement of Earth and Late Summer show up in us?
In 5 element medicine the goal is to keep the energy moving through this natural cycle of seasons. This will help to imbue us with the gifts of the elements.
Earth shows up as the emotions of sympathy, empathy and compassion. Its our ability to give and receive caring feelings and mothering energy.
I love this card from the Osho Zen Tarot Deck. It demonstrated the energy of late summer beautifully!
Physically, Earth shows up as our Stomach, the part of us that breaks down and digests food; and the Spleen, which transports nourishment around the body.
Spiritually, the Earth give us the ability to feel completely nourished, stable, secure and abundant in all areas of our life. We feel so abundant, that we overflow with this energy and are able to share our bounty with others.
When Earth is in balance you have the gifts of nurturing, thoughtfulness, nourishment, taste, sympathy, stability and home.
When Earth is out of balance you may feel obsessive worry or sympathy. You may be self-centered or insecure. You may not be able to give or receive help or care from others. You may feel a lack of abundance, like you dont have enough. You may experience, muscle pain, digestive problems, ulcers, headaches or even cancer. You may also find it hard to lose or gain weight.
***Curious about the rest of the elements? Read my ebook: 5 Element Acupuncture & you. (use the code "ancient wisdom")
If your Late Summer energy or Earth element is feeling stuck here are 4 practices that can help:
1. GIVE! Lend a helping hand to a neighbor in need; give a random gift to someone in your life; volunteer your time at a homeless shelter or food kitchen; Give out hugs; Literally feed your partner or friend =)
2. GRATITUDE! Keep a daily gratitude journal; Give thanks to mama earth and the creatures on her for providing your food before you eat; When you say "Thank You" look the person in the eye and mean it from your heart.
3. RECEIVE! Consciously accept the thank you's, gifts and offerings of others; Be aware of the processes of taking in food, chewing and digesting; When someone gives you a hug, shakes your hand or gives you a high five..What is it like to really take it in?
4. 5 ELEMENT ACUPUNCTURE: If you have been receiving seasonal acupuncture treatments, now is the perfect time to come in for your Late Summer session. We can help bring Nourishment to your body, mind and soul! If you are new to acupuncture, massage, nutrition, or energy medicine, now is the perfect time to jump into sessions =)