Late Summer & Chinese Medicine
Late Summer is a distinct season in Chinese medicine. It starts around the beginning of August and continues until about the Autumn equinox. It's associated with the Earth element - our grounded center and our digestive system. The color that is associated with the season is yellow, but I always think specifically of the golden yellows of this season, especially goldenrod. When you see goldenrod* blooming, you know you've made it to Late Summer!
Earth is the nurturing aspect, both of ourselves and others. It is also our connection to the actual Earth! When I think of a strong Earth element, I think of being at home and grounded in your body, having a strong digestive system, and having a strong connection to the Earth.
I often think of the idea of "self" and "not-self" in relation to the Earth element; when this element is in balance, we are able to clearly feel and know what is our "self" and what is not a part of our "self," which allows us to have integrity and healthy boundaries when we're out in the world. When we're not balanced in this area, it can show up in different ways:
- We can struggle to know what is "ours" and what is not, which can lead to taking on problems and commitments that don't align with who we are or want to be.
- We can struggle to have healthy boundaries if our walls are too flexible - we may have a hard time saying no or giving people too many chances after violating our boundaries.
- We may feel overly sensitive to other people, or our empathy may be in overdrive - we feel like we need to be the person to fix everyone's problems.
- We may have boundaries that are too strong, showing up as a lack of flexibility and even a lack of empathy. This can sometimes come across as a knee-jerk "not my problem" attitude - unwilling to go out of our way for any reason.
- We may also have a lack of empathy towards ourselves - we're overly harsh with ourselves or refuse to nurture ourselves.
Boundaries are a bit of a tricky topic - we're often encouraged to set boundaries, but it can often be hard to know what that really means. Here are two book suggestions, if you're looking for more ideas:
Both books are available at the Des Moines Public Library!
One of the key things I found helpful when learning about boundaries was that boundaries are about stating what you are comfortable with and what you will do - not controlling other people. So, for example, it can look like saying, "I am not comfortable with talking about that topic, and if it comes up again, I will need to leave." It's not "You can't talk about that subject in front of me." They sound similar, but hopefully, you can see the difference! Both books above dive into the idea much more. And, since boundaries are rooted in you and your own actions, it makes sense that a strong sense of Self (and, by extension, the Earth element) is key to setting and holding boundaries.
One of the interesting things about Chinese medicine is how interconnected everything is - everything is seen as a cycle, rather than linear (point A to point B). So, if you are struggling with digestion, improving your boundaries and/or working to feel more centered can help improve your digestion too. In the same way, if you're feeling ungrounded or struggling to hold boundaries with people, focusing on improving your digestion can help be more firm in holding boundaries. So, you can pick the area that seems most accessible to you right now, and start there! Digestion (and the Earth element) is something I often work on with patients in the clinic, and food therapy is often one of the first steps. To get the general food therapy info sheet I often give to patients, you can visit this page on my website and download the PDF!
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*A small aside for my yearly defense of goldenrod: goldenrod blooms at the same time as ragweed, but ragweed is much less showy than goldenrod, so they're often confused! Goldenrod is probably not responsible for your allergies (in fact, it can help with allergy symptoms!). Bees and butterflies love goldenrod, and it's a great late-season plant for pollinators. The picture at the start of this section is a beautiful goldenrod plant I saw a few years ago. Here's more info on the differences! If you see goldenrod blooming, leave it there - the pollinators thank you ๐
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