InSense #2 - Summer 2022
August 2022, Summer
Theme: Balance
Juicy melon. Frigid river plunges. The joys of live music, crisp beer, and vivid nature surrounding you. If Spring in the Pacific Northwest is the gentle dance of sensory delights returning, it’s Summer is the blissful, sweaty and fleeting after party that we don’t want to leave. It’s a marathon to enjoy every last moment and luscious blackberry to the fullest. It’s spontaneity, high energy and reaping the rewards of saying yes to everything.
The frenetic pleasures and temperatures of Summer are, in my opinion, best because they are short lived. Their temporary nature makes us dive right in and enjoy enjoy enjoy the present. Be here now.
While joyous, the indulgence of this Yang time is a lot for our systems. If, like me, you are a constant seeker of Yin healing for balance, you might need an extra helping of calming, soothing and cooling comfort this season. The intentional practices in this edition of InSense are aimed at just that, finding balance in all that Summer brings.
I hope you enjoy them.
Below are ideas of ‘presencing’ practice, both outward and inward. Two energetic directions, equal in importance in this seasonal shift. Some are intimate, with the intention of self love in mindful moments. Others are creative sparks for the senses. I hope they will bring something to your experience of Summer, and aid in feeling the awe and delight in every moment of this season.
sight
inward
Spend the early moments of dawn outdoors. Maybe in your yard, or a quiet, shady river spot. Use mindful sight to experience this natural landscape. What does the soft light and coolness of the morning allow you to view and notice about your surroundings? How do you feel? Perhaps you make little notes about what you see at this time in this place. Sit again in that spot, midday. What does the more direct and full sun help you see? How have the colors and textures that you can see shifted? How do you feel? Sit with this space again in the twilight hours? What does it show you that you’ve previously not seen?
If you could assign a color to these different times of day, what would they be? How does what you’re taking in with your eyes and the way that you are feeling relate to one another? Do you feel more at ease in your body at one point in the day? If so, why do you think that is?
outward
We feast with our eyes in Summer. Let’s remember to treat them kindly and offer soothing care when we can. My go to nourishing treat, throughout the year, for overworked eyes is to make Chamomile teabags to use as compresses. In this season, I chill them before using and it’s incredibly effective at bringing rest to the eye area.
Just take two tea bags (store bought or even better - make your own!) in a tiny bowl and add about a tablespoon of hot water. We’re not brewing tea, and Chamomile is a delicate herb, so a mild temperature of water will do. Allow it to cool, then pop it in the fridge to chill. Have a lie down someplace comfortable with soft lighting. Close your eyes and apply a chilled tea bag to each. Stay here for as long as it feels healing for your system.
smell
inward
Smell is the sense most tied to memory. Let’s have a fun experiment. Think of a favorite Summer scene or memory. Maybe it’s from childhood, or a recent vacation, but something that speaks to what Summer means to you. Got it? Great, stay in it while I ask…what do you smell? Take your time here. Think of the many elements of this favorite scene of yours.
Are you inside or outside? Alone or with someone else? Do you smell elements of nature? Foods? Sunscreen? How do those standout aromas make you feel? Why do you think they stay with you like they do?
Sometime soon, when you are finding yourself in another perfect Summer moment you can bring your awareness to the scents around you. Maybe you can intentionally craft the aromas in this perfect moment. Maybe this will help solidify this special time and place in your memory so you can call upon it for years to come.
outward
Cooling aromatherapy is the cherry on top of of every Full Heart Healing session during the Summer. But breathing in plants and fruits that have heat clearing effects on your system daily, in overheated or overstimulating moments, will help bring about balance in a more accessible and consistent way.
Sweet and citrus smells are great for this. I love Pink Grapfruit, Blue Tansy, Jasmine, Lemongrass. Such Summer season aromas! There is a Snow Lotus blend you can find here, that balances excess of the Fire Element within us using Lime, Mandarin and Ylang Ylang for support.
sound
inward
In a peaceful space outdoors, have a seat or lie down and engage in mindful listening. Even in a quite space there are layers of sound to be heard (and felt). Choose one to start, and try to match either your breath or gentle humming to it. The delicate buzz of quickly working bees, the hiss of tall and dry Summer grasses dancing in the breeze, the rhythm and hush of ocean waves reaching the shore. Find one element at a time to connect with and experience in your body, in this perfect stillness. Remember this can be done at any time, any where, to help connect you to nature and your center, using the gift of your senses.
If, while engaging your hearing, you feel overwhelmed with gratitude for this sense ability and feel like giving to those with different hearing abilities, you can do so (locally) here, or (nationally) here.
outward
A sweet Spotify playlist of songs that spoke coolness to my Summer system. Just for you to enjoy.
I’m nearly finished with a fascinating book that has shifted my understanding of the human experience of sound. As someone who has a heightened sense of sound, I appreciate learning more about healing with this sense and the frequencies we don’t often realize we’re picking up on. If you are curious about sound healing therapies and vibrational frequencies this book is worthy of a Summertime read - Tuning the Human Biofield by Eileen Day McKusick. It can be purchased here.
taste
inward
Find a piece of your favorite, juicy summer fruit. I’m inviting all of you to a very important and highly serious…playfulness practice. We’re going to embrace our inner Summer kid and make a mess! Find a spot in the shade in your yard or at a park. Be barefoot in the grass, if possible. Eat your perfect piece of summertime fruit like you would have as a kid. Dripping all over yourself and those bare feet without a care in the world. The more mess the more pure joy and deliciousness. Watermelon juice all over your shirt. Blackberry stains across your smiling face. Nectarine sweetness all over your hands. Gobble it all up without a care, and love life!
Try not to smile and giggle in this moment. It’s simply not possible. Remember this if you need a moment of pure joy and play this season. *Bonus points if you can run through sprinklers or jump in your favorite river spot to rinse off.
outward
A recipe for my favorite chilled infusion. It will help cool you from the inside out, lend your nervous system support, and keep you really well hydrated. Enjoy!
You will need:
fresh or dried Milky Oats and/or Oat Straw
fresh mint leaves
cucumber
*optional raw honey and/or lime
Prepare a Milky Oats &/or Oat Straw infusion ahead of time, and allow to cool, then get chilly in the fridge for a bit. While that’s happening, (partially) peel and slice some cucumber and add to a large glass. Add mint leaves and a tiny bit of honey (if desired). Gently muddle. Add the chilled Milky Oat infusion, straining into the glass. Give a swirl with a spoon and enjoy. *A slice or splash of lime can be added, as well for a healing NA Mojito feeling!
touch
inward
Wake up with the sun and go outside while the world is still quiet and cool. Sit on a favorite patch of grass in your yard or at a park and begin taking deep breaths of the cool morning air. Maybe you rest your eyes closed. Try gently swaying your hand back and forth over the tips of the dew covered grass. Feel the coolness of the day and ground down in it. Feel the soothing temperature of the Earth below you and appreciate this moment’s stillness. Imagine the cool temperature reaching your core, and staying there to support you in feeling more balanced and comfortable throughout the heat of the day ahead.
outward
Here’s a gentle reminder while giving your skin care during the Summer…place your beautiful Wildcare or Apis Apotheca hydrosol bottles in your refrigerator until you want to use them! This fine mist of an organic hydrosol is delightfully cooling as it is, but a little time to chill in the fridge takes this practice of daily care to a new level. My favorite seasonal hydrosol to use now is Wildcare’s Blue Chamomile hydrosol. It’s currently in stock at my studio, reach out here if you’d like a bottle while it’s still around.
Full Heart Healing offers a range of touch therapy sessions that support this seasonal transition, but we recommend a FHH Facial Session most for tending to delicate, post-sun skin, heat clearing and energetic care. Focusing on bringing topical ease to summer skin with locally grown plant medicine skin care, addressing the fascial restrictions that over-sunning can bring, and drenching your skin in layers of nutrient rich moisture to build strength will leave your skin feeling well supported through the rest of the warm season. Schedule your soothing session here.