Blog# 162 Summer Ends Fall Begins on Earth and Inside Your Body
Tribes, Nations, Cultures and Religions have divided the year into different segments. Sometimes they follow the moon’s phases, sometimes the sun’s changing qualities and the Earth’s relationship to the Sun and Moon. Sun changes can be measured or perceived relative to Earth’s longitude and latitude, location north or south of the equator (i.e., North and South America), and land masses that are antipodes(opposite) to each other. Some parts of the U.S. and some parts of the Indian Ocean, Australia, Africa and a few other locations are antipodes – the U.S. is vast. So, taking these variations into consideration, and knowing day and night, summer and winter vary based on our location on the globe, let’s just focus on the Chicago area. Here, much of Summer has been hot and the Sun has been bright. If not for the smoke from Canada, we would have been outside more, absorbing more energy from the Sun and from air. The air among many trees in forest preserves or along Lake Michigan often tends to be fairly energizing. August tends to be the hottest month of the year in the U.S. This is because the external heat from the Sun has been persistent for several months, sending warmth to the planet’s inhabitants and into the ground. The ground has absorbed this heat and also radiates it back upward, again impacting Earth’s inhabitants in the process.
But things gradually start to cool off with August’s New Moon. We feel that internally also, if we pay very close attention. Many people are too busy and outward focused to feel this change, but it still proceeds. The vitality gathered over the Summer months begins to wane just slightly with the New Moon. If people have conserved some of Summer’s energy, they are more likely to be able to resist infections and other health imbalances as they move through August into September.
The ninth month tends to bring in some slight leaf color changes. Since less energy is radiated from above and below, people tend to have reduced vitality and may choose to sleep a little longer than in the previous Summer months. Diminished vital energy means that people tend to have less reserves to resist allergic reactions to irritants, such as ragweed and mold, both of which arise in Autumn. The stronger a person’s vital energy is, the less likely they are to develop significant allergic symptoms. Mental and emotional stress, overwork, lack of sleep, increasing age, inadequate nutrition and exposure to pollutants, such as factory and cigarette smoke, cleaning solvents, automobile exhaust and lead and mercury, to mention a few, will usually result in a weaker protective response to allergens.
The most dramatic shift in September occurs at the Fall Equinox, when we experience approximately the same amount of daylight and darkness, since the Sun is directly above the equator. The Sun then crosses over, heading South and setting the stage for less light and increased darkness. At this time and onward, for several months, people usually want to spend more time indoors and to consume more warming foods. With Autumn comes the cold and flu season. Decreased energy makes people more likely to succumb to infections, especially in the respiratory tract. Additionally, with cooler and then colder weather can come increased joint pain. This is especially true when the joint pain, that is, “arthritis”, is due to a “cold” or “deficiency” condition. There are also “hot” conditions, but that will be for another blog. Osteoarthritis is a “cold” problem. “Cold” conditions arise from inadequate nutrition, increasing age, consumption of a lot of cold foods, such as ice cream and ice water, and from insufficient or inappropriate exercise. Exercise that is consistent and mildly challenging, such as walking, light weight lifting, Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi will help circulate blood and energy (Qi, Prana) throughout the body, supporting, nourishing and detoxifying the joints and extremities. This will often also speed healing from injuries. Massage, Chiropractic, Physical Therapy Exercises and Acupuncture all can speed healing due to injury. All these therapies and lifestyle choices, especially appropriate exercise, can result in less pain, sometimes totally eliminating the discomfort.
And Autumn moves into Winter, but that’s for another time.
This blog’s offer: contact me if you want clarification of “cold” conditions and how they may differ from “hot” conditions. Enjoy the rest of Summer.
Dr. Elaine Wagner Holistic Health 