Summer Energetics and Summer Tea

Summer element is fire (like hot rising heat)
Summer is the season for growth, joy and spiritual awareness
Our core energy moves upwards and outwards
Drink Green and White tea during the summer months

Summer is when the sun is the most powerful, pulling the core energy and vitality upwards and outwards (higher than the other seasons). The days are at there longest and the sun’s fire starts to penetrate our core early in the day.

This energy can be inclined to rise to the head producing increased thoughts and emotional reactions.

Drink green and white tea in summer

Preventative outlook

Green and White Tea clears summer heat as the expanding energy continues to move upwards and outwards. It replenishes the loss of Qi (vital life force energy) and fluids (through the sweat) and helps maintain a lively and pleasant outlook to enjoy the summer.

Green Tea harmonises the stomach and aids in the metabolism of increased fluid consumption during the hot months.

Curative Outlook

Green tea and white tea will remove toxic heat from the body and cool and regulate the liver.

Taoist exercises (like Qi Gong) can help if we get overheated and upset due to the heavy cerebral energy associated with the summer fire. These exercises are slow and meditative helping stabilise the energy.

The Taoist perspective on thoughts is that we should not solely trust the mind. The mind has preferences and habitual patterns that make it hard to be natural in the present moment. We find it easy to become preoccupied with our thoughts, ideas and emotions; especially in summer. Taoist exercises help us observe, feel and stay present (as well as helping the body open to nature). Vigorous ‘external’ movement promotes unnecessary mind activity and overheating. When the body overheats we become too emotional by overreacting, upsetting the heart and producing excess heat. A fire can burn too brightly or die out if it's not well maintained.

Summer is associated with the heart and the emotion the heart harbours is joy. Green and white tea can cool and regulate the fire of summer and help control our emotions in the heat of stressful moments.

Some people will drink green tea throughout the day to provide a clear mind, stay alert and replenish vital fluids, especially if it is hot.