Energetics of Summer: Yoga & Qigong to Balance the Heart
🔥 The Fire Element & the Spirit of Summer in Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, summer is governed by the Fire element and is the season of expansion, expression, and radiance. This is a time when nature reaches its peak of abundance, and so do we. It’s a season to nourish the Heart, connect with joy, and allow our true essence to shine.
Summer at a Glance
Element: Fire
Yin Organ: Heart
Yang Organ: Small Intestine
Paired Organs: Pericardium and Triple Burner
Spirit: Shen
Colors: Red, pink, white
Gifts: Peace, Joy, Contentment, Authenticity, and Belonging
Challenges: Anxiety, Self-doubt, Restlessness, Disconnection
Physical Functions: Circulation, Temperature Regulation
Energetic Functions: Clarity, Healthy Boundaries, Direction & Purpose, Being Situated in Your True Self
💖 The Heart: Home of the Shen (Spirit)
The Heart is not just a circulatory pump in Chinese medicine; it’s the seat of consciousness, emotional balance, and spiritual clarity. A healthy Heart allows the Shen (spirit) to rest peacefully, bringing feelings of joy, connection, and authenticity.
When the Heart is spacious and clear, we respond to life with fluidity and grace. When it’s congested or overstimulated, we may feel anxious, scattered, or emotionally disconnected.
This Sutra from The Radiance Sutras perfectly encapsulates this concept of the spirit being at home in the heart:
“There is a place in the heart where everything meets.
Go there if you want to find me.
Mind, senses, soul, eternity, all are there.
Are you there?
Enter the bowl of vastness that is the heart.
Give yourself to it with total abandon,
listen to the song that is always resonating there.
Quiet ecstasy is there —
and a steady, regal sense of resting in a perfect spot.
Once you know the way
the nature of attention will call you to return,
again and again, and be saturated with knowing,
'I belong here, I am at home here.'
Answer that call."
~ Sutra 26 from The Radiance Sutras, translated by Lorin Roche
🧘♀️ A Teaching from the Singing Bowl
One of my qigong teachers tells a story about struggling during a meditation retreat. Her teacher pulled out a large brass singing bowl and filled the space inside the bowl with random items. When she rang the bowl, it made a small thunk sound. Because the bowl was congested, the sound was not able to resonate.
When the teacher removed all of the objects and rang the bowl again, a beautiful sound resonated vibrantly through the meditation hall because it had space to be receptive.
We are energy beings, and are very similar to the singing bowl. When our cup is already full, or our energy channels are obstructed, it is hard to resonate with the world.
A constricted heart is rigid and inflexible, making it difficult to adapt, listen to your instincts, and trust the course of your life.
In contrast, a spacious heart is able to flow with the changing rhythm of life and respond authentically and openly to the world, holding space for both joy and sorrow.
In Chinese medicine, the heart is the yin organ of the summer, and the home of the Shen, which is the spirit. The energetic function of the heart is to hold space for awareness and truth.
Just like a flower blooms radiantly without shirking, when heart energy is balanced, you are able to express your truth, and your true essence shines through.
💓 Heart Space Breathing Practice
When we create space within, our inner wisdom is clear. Use this simple technique to open energetic space in your chest and invite your Shen to settle. A calm, clear heart can better discern what’s true and authentic.
🌼 The Gifts and Challenges of the Summer Season
Gifts of Balanced Heart Energy:
When you are situated in yourself, you can easily discern what is for you, and what is not. This allows you to build genuine connections with others while maintaining clear boundaries so those relationships are nurturing and reciprocal. It also gives you the confidence to be your authentic self and to trust your path in life.
When the energy of the heart is balanced, it supports:
Joy
Contentment
Self-expression
Confidence
Self-love
Agency
Boundaries
Peace
Common Challenges of Summer:
When the spirit is not held and supported in the heart, we can feel disconnected from our truth, leading to:
Feeling overwhelmed or anxious
Agitation and restlessness
Nightmares and disturbed sleep
Inflammation
Self-doubt and lack of agency
Discontentment and lack of joy
Feeling scattered and restless
Disconnection from self and others
Inability to discern truth
If we know how to speak our body's language, we can recognize these signs as an expression from the body that the heart needs support, and we can tailor our practices to be responsive to those needs.
For example, if you are experiencing self-doubt and are having trouble making decisions, you could use the practice below to reconnect with your heart's wisdom and gain clarity.
🧭 Practice: The Heart’s Compass
The heart acts like a compass, guiding us to act in alignment with our truth. If we are able to listen, we will find that we know the answers we are seeking.
Here is a practice I use to reveal what is in my heart when I'm having trouble making a decision. It also helps to balance the heart's energy by clarifying your truth and your ability to access this wisdom.
Close your eyes and take a few breaths to center yourself.
Take a few rounds of heart space breathing.
Ask yourself a few simple questions that you know the answer to. For example, "Do I like chocolate chip cookies?" (YES!) or "Do I live in Antarctica?" (No).
Notice what a resounding YES feels like in your body. How does the truth resonate in your heart?
Notice was a NO feels like. How are those sensations different?
If you aren't sensing a clear answer, pause and ask your body to make the message more obvious.
Practice a few rounds with questions that have clear yes and no answers.
Then ask yourself a question that needs clarity. Notice the sensations in your body. Did your body say yes or no?
Thank your body for sharing its wisdom!
🧘♂️ Seasonally Aligned Yoga & Qigong for Summer
Summer is a yang season; full of warmth, extroversion, and abundance. Yoga and Qigong in the summer should focus on tending the fire to support radiance and avoid burnout.
Qigong and yoga can support the Heart by encouraging:
Circulation and energy flow
Cooling breath to balance heat
Chest-opening postures to create space for the Shen
Emotional clarity, authenticity, and healthy boundaries
Self-love and trust in your heart’s compass and your inner wisdom
Gentle, flowing movements that evoke the coolness of water and the airiness of space paired with the ease of stillness and intention helps regulate the nervous system and aligns you with nature’s rhythm.
👉 Ready to Align Your Practice With the Energy of the Seasons?
If you're feeling overstimulated, anxious, or just not quite yourself this summer, it may be time to reconnect with your Heart and nervous system.
My Mindful Yoga & Qigong classes are energetically aligned with the seasons to support your natural rhythm and radiance. Join a class virtually from anywhere in the world, or in person in Burlington, VT.
