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Finding Balance with the Summer Solstice ☀️
Did you know that the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids so that the sun, when viewed from the Sphinx, sets precisely between two of the pyramids on the summer solstice?
👇 In today’s email:
- This week’s inspiration: Tips for balancing your heart
- Latest blog post: A natural playbook for softer, fuller lips
- What I’m reading: Microplastics in our bodies :(
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Tips for balancing your heart
For the record, I adore the summer solstice. It's a magical time that marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The solstice represents a peak or climax in the sun's journey and in our own lives. It's an ideal time to reflect on and celebrate our greatest accomplishments and moments of personal growth since the winter solstice.
The solstice has long been associated with love, sexuality, and fertility.
In ancient times, people even planned pregnancies around the solstice so babies would be born in spring when survival chances were higher.
It's not just a local event but a moment of global unity. The summer solstice occurs at the exact same instant worldwide, not at different times like calendar-based holidays.
Instagram Reel with balancing tips 📷
Here are some tips for balancing your body, hormones, and energy during the summer solstice based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine:
- Eat cooling, yin-nourishing foods like watermelon, cucumber, mint, cilantro, tofu, mung beans and green tea. These help balance the heat and intensity of the yang energy.
- Engage in joyful activities that make your heart sing, like spending time with loved ones, dancing, laughing, and celebrating life. The heart is associated with the fire element and thrives on joy.
- Practice meditation, qigong, or tai chi to help calm the mind and nervous system during summer's high energy. This prevents burnout from excess yang.
- To align with the longer days, go to bed a little later and wake up earlier. Make the most of the extra daylight to be active outdoors.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, coconut water, lemon water or cooling herbal teas. Proper hydration supports your body's natural detoxification processes.
- Get some morning sunlight to boost vitamin D levels, regulate your circadian rhythms, and lift your mood. Just avoid overexposure during the hottest times of the day.
- Prioritize fun, play, creativity, and spontaneity - the childlike qualities of the heart. Make time for hobbies and passion projects.
- Use acupuncture, massage, and herbs to move stagnant liver qi, calm the shen (spirit), and nourish yin. This prevents imbalances like irritability, insomnia, and heart palpitations.
- Practice gratitude and self-love. The heart houses the shen and thrives when we appreciate the abundance in our lives and care for ourselves.
- Sweat regularly through exercise to clear heat, but don't overdo it when temps are high. Opt for gentler activities like swimming, walking in nature, yoga, and qi gong.
The key is to embrace the expansive, active energy of summer in a balanced way - making the most of the long days while also taking time to rest, cool down, and go inward. This will leave you energized without burning out your reserves.
Read the post here →
Latest blog post
If you’ve ever had dry, chapped, and flaky lips or dreamt of achieving a soft, plump pout without resorting to harsh chemicals or invasive treatments that can leave you looking a little strange? Look no further! In this blog post, I share my natural playbook for achieving the luscious lips you've always wanted.
Believe it or not, you can tone and strengthen the muscles around your mouth with targeted facial exercises.
Read the post here →
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What I'm reading
I’ve been reading more and more about microplastics that make their way into our bodies. I have a lot of theories right now but no conclusions other than that it’s something we should be aware of. Here’s a New York Times article titled “How to Minimize Your Exposure to Microplastics” that I found interesting.
It’s possible you will hit a paywall when trying to read it, my apologies in advance :)
Hit reply any time!
Do you have a question you want me to answer? Any wellness challenges you want me to write about? Send them my way, I love hearing from you. Oh yeah, connect with me on Instagram, X, LinkedIn or TikTok I share in those places too.
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© 2024 Dr. Catherine On Wellness. This content may convey general information related to medical conditions, their research, testing, treatment, and other healthcare topics. Any such information is provided for informational purposes only. You should always consult a doctor or other health care professional for medical advice or information about diagnosis and treatment. |
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