Would like a harvest season ‘offering’ from SJA Holistics?!
Since September is the season of harvest and abundance, I hope you’ll accept this week’s story as a small but mighty late summer bundle of goodness.
Late summer is the time of Earth Element in the Chinese Medicine Five Element Cycle and is the Element the most associated with food!
(I touched on this in a recent blog story which you’ll have received if you’re signed up to my Go Slow Friday Letter.)
Late Summer is an independent season in the Five Element Cycle and has its own unique energy. It’s a time to give our Stomach and Spleen (organs of the Earth Element) the nourishment they need to be balanced and healthy.
Cultivating balance in preparation for the coming season is one of the oldest forms of preventative medicine. (Source) Want to fill yourself up ahead of flu season? Then give this a read.
Nourishing your Earth Element
In Chinese Medicine, the Spleen and Stomach are the centre of our digestive system. Here are examples of foods that nourish the Earth Element:
- Aduki beans
- Barley – use gluten-free if you have loose stools
- Root vegetables such as squash, sweet potatoes, japanese sweet potatoes and yams
- Sprouted grains like quinoa and rice
- Ezekiel bread and products like tortillas and granola
- Pumpkin
- Fresh and dried ginger
- Rice pasta
- Oatmeal — add warm apples, walnuts and a little cinnamon for the ultimate happy gut
For recipe ideas check out plant-based cooks, The Happy Pear. Many of their dishes are centered around easy to find veggie staples. Nourish your Earth element with this vegan sweet potato and coconut curry.
Supporting your emotions
The emotions associated with the spleen are worry and overthinking. Gentleness and nurture are the remedy. Digestive issues are often a sign of excessive worry: if the mind is churning, the stomach will likely be doing so too!
Meditation is the ideal antidote to worry. A body scan may help you feel grounded in the present moment. I like Tara Brach’s meditations – check her 10 minute body scan. She also offers a free online course – Mindfulness Daily.
Late Summer is all about moderation, reflection, and slowing down. Your spleen will love going slower. I hope you can enjoy this story in my Go Slow Friday Letter, along with a cuppa!
Let’s nourish and nurture together
For the next seven day, check my Instagram for daily tips and suggestions for nourishing your Earth Elements.
This is something I’m keen to focus on for personal reasons too, since part of my long-term health ‘picture’ is Spleen Ki deficiency.
A closing thought about nourishment
The Stomach and Spleen have the important role of transforming and processing food, turning it into Ki (energy) to nourish the mind, body and spirit. Insufficient nourishment therefore affects the functioning of our system, and on every level.
“In its central position the Earth is the pivot for all of the other Elements which encircle and spin around it. It is a place of stability within the body, mind, and spirit. From this stable anchor, change and growth can take place.” *
Related:
Is lack of nourishment causing you an imbalance?
FIVE tips for a healthy and abundant late summer
Source:
* Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture, Angela Hicks, John Hicks, Peter Mole
