From dawn til starry night
8 Not so Obvious Holistic Tips
for
WHOLE Being Summer Wellness
Despite the summer of love spirit that floats through the air, I’d say we see more individuals managing tiredness, exhaustion and overdrive in summer than at any other time of year. I’ll admit, if I don’t stay lovingly disciplined, summer’s coconutty allure can whisk me away into being over active and under nourished too.
If we already push it, whoah baby, we push it real good throughout the 15+ hours of summer’s enchanting daylight. And that’s not all bad. This is a joyful time of year to be celebrated!
Lush, social, salty + honeydew melon sweet.
Many of us put our backs into exciting things that we’ve been waiting to pour into all year. Gardens, trails, family + friends; travel, festivals + labors of love. The sun and the fun is vital for our wellbeing, and should be warmly embraced. Just as flowers need fire to bloom (sun), so too do we need the dynamic energy of summer to help us fully expand and express, to laugh and lighten up, to act outwardly on the plans and the seeds sowed in spring.
In the same spirit, it’s also a time of year to be extra mindful about making sure we balance out all of that fire with water and earth too. If we mindfully protect our summer energy, we will in fact blossom rather than burn.
Remember, how we treat ourselves now directly correlates to the quality of our health not just this season, but next season too. If you want to be feeling good for summer swims and fall colors, please read on and reach out. Rob and I are here, through all of the seasons, to support you.
1. Schedule rest. Like actually put it on your calendar. Massage, Reiki, meditation, restorative yoga. A good book, guitar, making plant medicine. Find your favorite type of downtime and make it happen. Introverts, empaths and highly sensitives, honor your need for alone time. With all of the summer stimulation, it can be hard for our nervous systems to drop into the rest + digest parasympathetic state. Regular rest restores the body and the mind, and helps us process and integrate all that's swirling in and around us. This quiet time and space helps us to better connect with ourselves, and by default, we're better able to connect with others with clear intentions, clear boundaries and maybe even a smile.
2. Keep regular meal times + eat 3 meals a day. Skipping meals and snacking leaves us lacking the juice to make it strongly through the day. When dinner starts looking like 8 or 9pm, bedtime starts looking like too late and too full to catch the natural wave of our circadian rhythms. Quality sleep is one the most healing things we can do to support the optimal functioning of all systems of the body. Remember, it’s a good idea to eat at least 3 hours before you go to bed.
3. Exfoliate. Summer pushes internal heat to the surface of the skin to keep us cool. If you’re feeling hot/ rashy/ sensitive/ irritated, a gentle exfoliator to remove dead skin cells will enable your skin to better breathe. My favorite DIY Exfoliator for cool + clear skin is: 1 tbsp of Lavender Flowers + 1 tbsp of Chamomile Flowers + 1 tbsp of Rolled Oats. Blitz in a coffee grinder until semi-coarse. Add a drop of honey + a splash of rose water. Massage in gently at the start of your shower before washing. Simple skin magic!
4. Enhance your water. Adding a slice of lemon or cucumber, or a sprig of rosemary offers extra H2O cooling, cleansing + flavor. Drink up; hydration is deep healing. Drinking water brings us into the theta state, a quality of being and brainwaves right up there with deep breathing and meditation.
5. Bundle up + keep your adrenals covered when indoors. If you or your workplace rocks strong A/C, be sure to keep your adrenals (your lower back) covered when it’s chilly. Regular hot/cold exposure interferes with our body’s temperature regulation and metabolism, depletes our energy reserves and can harm our immunity.
6. Find a perch outside + just sit. Daily stillness (sans phone), even for just 5 minutes, anchors us physically, mentally + emotionally back into our bodies and into the present moment. Try focusing on one sense i.e. sound. Do nothing but focus on listening and breathing deeply for this time.
7. Rooibos. Translating as ‘Red Bush’ and originating from the highest mountain peaks of South Africa, Rooibos tea is caffeine-free, high in antioxidants, calming to fiery digestion, and soothing to hot skin. It’s also naturally sweet and delicious (especially with coconut milk). Drink hot or iced. Applied topically, Rooibos also makes a great after-sun skin soothing toner.
8. Make your ancestors proud. We all come from long lines of hard-working folks who may not have had the luxury of much downtime or recreation. Honor all that they worked for to give us the opportunities we have by remembering to make time for what really matters. I feel no matter your heritage, at some point this involves inviting loved ones out for ice cream!
Wild summer wishes, Emily
