Rounder, gentler, slower

{on the season of Late Summer and the Earth Element}

This week and next I’m going to share a little with you about the Earth Element and the season of Late Summer in Chinese Medicine. I’ve shared some tips about how to align yourself to the season, and next week there’ll be some delicious recipes too. Enjoy!

I’ve noticed a definite gear-shift in the season over the last ten days. Although our lives may feel like things are ramping up – back to school, all the organising and logistics kicking off again – nature feels like she’s taken a great sigh. Everything feels rounder, gentler, slower. I adore this time of year. There is a satiated generosity offered by the natural world. Over the last week I’ve eaten blackberries by the handful, foraged for chanterelle mushrooms, picked apples, picked blueberries, cracked open sweet hazelnuts.

For the ancient Chinese, this period of Late Summer was seen as a season unto itself, with its own powers and unique characteristics. This time of year is associated with the Earth element and is both a time of decrease, of slowing down after the intense activity and light of high summer and as time to reap the rewards of this period of growth. A time to collect, to gather, harvest and prepare for the winter ahead.

The Chinese regarded the Earth element as a nurturing, grounding, secure force. One that brought with it a sense of feeling 'at home' anywhere. If our larders are full from the harvest - both literally and metaphorically - we feel safe and secure. Two of the acupuncture points on Earth-related channels on the body are called Qi Cottage and Abundant Splendour, which both speak beautifully to this sense of security and plenty.

The emotion related to the Earth element is sympathy. In balance this brings compassion and empathy to our interactions and relationships. Out of balance however, this sympathy can become something other; either a constant insatiable need for attention and validation, or a refusal to be helped and supported in any way (I see this a lot in mothers I work with, I’ve seen it often in myself – I’m ok, I can do all of this on my own…). Out of balance, we may also not be able to 'digest’ or process our thoughts properly and may find ourselves churning and obsessing about matters or to be simply unable to stop thinking about or coming to a conclusion about something.

The organs the Chinese associated with the Earth element are the Stomach and the Spleen; the organs that receive food and drink and enable us to be nourished by their essence. We can help these organs in their work by taking time with our meals, chewing our food well and allowing the process of digestion to begin in the mouth. Interestingly the Stomach 'channel' of acupuncture starts at the eye (we see what we eat), travels around the mouth (we take in and begin to digest what we eat) and then travels down to the stomach before continuing right down to the foot. The Spleen transports the goodness the Stomach has extracted from the food to every corner of the body. We can help the Spleen by avoiding raw foods and icy drinks, both of which slows down the Spleen’s ability to perform this vital function.

The organs in Chinese medicine also function on a more metaphoric level - the Stomach governs not just the food we see and consume, but all of the other content and input we see and consume out there in the world as well. The Spleen governs not just the transportation of food but our ability to be nourished by everything we have in our lives.

WAYS TO GET IN TUNE WITH OUR EARTH ELEMENT

We have all of the Elements within us throughout the year, but at this time of year the Earth Element is showing us her gifts in the natural world and so it is a great time to get in tune with this element within us.

Here are a few simple ways you can do this.