Seasonal Notes
Summer, 2026
Emperor Huang Di asks: How is it in times past, people lived over 100 happy years without illness, but now die at 50?
Neijing Suwen
Middle of the Third Millennium BCE
His doctor and advisor, Qi Bo replies that in ancient times people knew how to live in harmony with nature.
Summer Season
Living in harmony with the seasons was one of the secrets of a long, healthy, and happy life Generally, people in ancient China woke with the sun and went to sleep when it was dark. They ate simple food, and practiced early forms of Qigong. The Summer season is the time of the Heart. Living in harmony with the season and practicing simple Qigong exercises can not only improve general health, but the health of the heart specifically.
Although the heart hates heat, we can balance the energy of the heart by drinking beverages which are thermally warm, but energetically cooling. Green tea is an example. Room temperature water is another. Herbal teas which are heart friendly are: White Chrysanthemum which lowers blood pressure when consumed on a regular basis. Spearmint tea from the garden is also very effective in cooling the body. Making sun tea improves the energetic healing of the tea and is more planet friendly, more in harmony with nature.
Being in tune with the Chinese Clock is also a very powerful way to improve Heart health. Between the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00 pm it is advisable to rest. If your work schedule does not allow for a long rest, you may be able to take a short siesta by closing your eyes, putting your hands on your thighs and breathing in to the count of 5 and out to the count of 5. You may also want to include a mantra that Qigong Master David Coon teaches. In your mind say: Deep, Inner, Peace. Master David’s Qigong school, Qigong Awareness offers courses and distal healing options. Qigong has been practiced in China for 4,000 years, it has much to offer!
Healthy Food Choices
There are times when it is just too hot! Melons are a good choice at these times. But because of their cooling nature, they should not be combined with other foods. Generally, cooked food is advisable. In Africa, South America, India, South East Asia, and Pacific Islands, and other hot climates, people eat cooked food. Cooking makes food more digestible. Cold, raw foods weaken the stomach and the spleen-pancreas. If you love lettuce, include some lettuce leaves as a garnish around the plate of cooked food. Avoid salad dressings or simply use lemon or vinegar and a little bit of herbs.
Mung beans and celery are examples of cooling foods which are good for the heart. Cooked mung beans blend nicely with rice and ginger root. The ginger helps to circulate your vital energy of digestion so that you gain the full benefit of the food! Celery lowers blood pressure.
Summer Solstice Wisdom Practice
The first day of Summer, June 21, is the time to honor “The Baby Yang.” Just as a human or animal baby needs nurturing the Taoist practice of nurturing the Baby Yang, is practiced to keep our Yang energy strong as it begins to decline on the first day of summer.
You can honor this event by taking a longer nap, going to bed a little earlier that night, and generally, being calm. In our world, it is also Father’s Day. Perhaps a peaceful visit with your father during a siesta will honor both of your health needs as you enjoy a quiet time with your father.
Our modern culture is too busy, too frantic, too over-whelmed with electro-magnetic energy, fast foods, pollution, dismal media broadcasts, etc. A simple practice of “fasting” from the news as Dr. Andrew Weill teaches his patients, allows us to enter into the realm of peace and quiet. That includes turning off your cell phone, avoid watching screen streaming, and avoid taking part in bustling and busy endeavors.
Keeping Cool
Wearing a damp cotton cloth around the back of the neck helps the body to stay cooler in the hot weather just as wearing a warm cloth around the neck keeps us warmer in the cold weather. Wearing a straw hat provides shade and keeps our head a bit cooler. I just love Patricia’s hats at the Saturday Grower’s Market, hand made for beauty and comfort. Carrying a non-plastic container with water is also a good idea. Avoiding the hottest times of day, if you can, is also advisable, especially if your heart needs special care. In Spain, people enjoy a siesta in their homes sitting and sipping water as they quietly allow the hottest time of the day to pass. Then the town comes alive again in the evening. But evening is not a time for dancing and working out, it is a time to relax. The Kidney energy occurs between 5 pm and 7 pm. Going to the gym, dancing, drinking wine, etc., all contribute to weakening the Kidney energy. This is the vital source of our life span! Don’t throw it away!.
In the book of Genesis there is also a memory of a time when people like Methuselah lived very long and healthy lives. Perhaps, like the people in China’s distant past, they knew how to live in harmony with nature. My 12 years of Catholic education gave me lots to think about growing up. Now that I reflect upon this wisdom and the teachings of Chinese medicine, it occurs to me that perhaps the Garden of Eden was the earth before the serpent of temptation prompted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of knowledge. Perhaps it was the knowledge of commerce, profit, conquest, wealth, etc. which to this day, is destroying the very fabric of life on our planet. Perhaps it is time to consider some of the wisdom of ancient teaching to help ourselves and all of God’s living beings. Then there will truly be Peace on Earth.
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