(15 min CLASS) Seasonal Living for July w/ Sophia Bouwens

July completes the third and final part of Summer in the Chinese Calendar. Summer, a time of flourishing, is governed…

ELEMENT: fire
ORGAN: heart
EMOTION: joy

Late July begins the season of late summer, which is a time of transformation, governed by…

ELEMENT: earth
ORGAN: spleen/digestive system
EMOTION: worry

It is a season where we can have a greater propensity for anxiety, but if we navigate this time with awareness and intention, we can pave the way for fertile soil for new life to grow and flourish.

Embodiment:

This season is a time of outward expression and engagement - physically and emotionally. Working to be social and playful can be very beneficial to the heart energy of this time of the year. We might pull the joy and emotions we experience from the heart into the abdomen to ground ourselves and offer a sense of calm.

If you are feeling out of balance, ungrounded or anxious, work to incorporate belly breathing into your routine. Belly breathing is a powerful tool that helps link our breath and reset our nervous system, calm our vagus nerve, and connect our heart and spleen energies. Belly breathing aids in connecting our heart to our core, which is beneficial to to strengthen us, and ground our thoughts and being.

Suggestions

FOODS

Bitter foods (like dark chocolate)
Crunchy greens (romaine, lettuce, spinach, arugula)
Spicy foods that cause you to break a sweat (wasabi or horseradish)
Fruits - naturally occurring sugars (limit processed sugars & baked goods)

ACTIVITIES

Movement that gets your heart pumping, but adding in more weight, muscle strengthening, and core building exercises

Ashtanga yoga
Hot yoga
Vinyasa yoga
Belly Breathing

**focus on heart opening to enter the energy of the heart and welcome joy into that space

MEET YOUR TEACHER

Sophia Bouwens, L.Ac, is a Neurological Acupuncturist and Traumatic Brain Injury survivor who is on a mission to help others heal and empower their nervous system and bodies. She uses a unique integration of Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Functional Neurology to produce profound effects and positive changes in brain function and body connection.

Learn more