Reflections at Midsummer

Here in Vermont summer comes on rather suddenly, almost without introduction. Only two days ago we had to turn the heat back on in the house and there was an overnight frost warning. At least we didn’t have snow! I think this sense of suddenness is due to the fact that spring is such a tenuous season for us… we suddenly notice a swath of bright fresh green across mountains, and the appearance of flowers, while at the same time keeping our sweaters within reach and our winter blankets out. During the early days of summer we alternate between 80 degree days and 50 degree days, sometimes not feeling the warmth of a day until well into the afternoon. At what is known as “midsummer” we have just realized that yes, warmth and sunshine have returned to our lovely state. Even though winter has its beauty, it does tend to get long up here, and we are all grateful for the return of summer.


It seems fitting then, to actually celebrate such a time as this, not just for the outward abundance of life that is all around us, but also to reflect on where we’ve been during the first half of the year. It is of benefit to recognize not just the blossoming that is everywhere, but the progress and growth we have made in our individual lives. 


In ancient China people saw summer as the most yang time of year, for its elements of heat, light, and dryness. At the time of the Summer Solstice, yang energy was at its peak and then diminished until the Winter Solstice. Yin was born at the Summer Solstice, and reached its peak at the Winter Solstice. This portrays a sense of balance that we can see clearly when thinking in terms of light and dark halves of the year, and this sense of balance was an important element in celebration.
The birth of yin was celebrated around the time of the Summer Solstice, and thus, it was a time for people to honor the feminine – yin is generally associated with the feminine, dark, and the earth. Many worshipped the goddess Li, and outside the walls of the Forbidden City the emperor led ceremonies at the Altar of the Earth.


How might we create a sense of balance for ourselves, or honor the feminine, at this time when yang is peaking? Yang is a very outward, external energy… We can honor the yin by going within in introspection. The yang of summer is very hot and fiery – we can counter it by doing things that bring coolness, perhaps taking a dip in a lake or simply standing in the water at the edge of the ocean. In China this is also a time of choosing to eat healthy and light – noodles become more popular than dumplings and actually sell out during the Xiazhi festival, celebrated during the Summer Solstice. 


I live near a beautiful little waterfall, accessible by a wooded path along a river. If the weather here is hot and sunny, I think the Solstice would be a perfect time to walk down to the falls – perhaps with a picnic of cold noodles and fresh juice, sit quietly in meditation, and then slide into the cool, yin waters of the pool beneath the falls. I hope that wherever you are, you too get a chance to honor the feminine, and find balance within yourself and the world around you, celebrating the natural rhythm of time’s passing and nature’s progress.
                                                                                          

~ Nellie Levine 

  Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace 

on Facebook

and 

Pinterest

 

Eating With The Tai Chi Diagram Part 3

A Strong Foundation of Common Sense

 “Eating with the Tai Chi Diagram I” concentrated on your starting point, acceptance, contemplating the Tai Chi Diagram, and creating small changes. “Eating with the Tai Chi Diagram II” presented the problematic nature of the market solutions, and suggested adopting the Tai Chi Diagram as a lifetime study with you as the master teacher.

I will now discuss some of the thoughts and actions I find helpful.

We hear a lot about “good” and “bad” foods yet the diagram is made of Yin and Yang, White fish, and Golden (or Black) Fish. Make a shift in consciousness from good/bad to yin/yang.

In the world of good and bad you look for information mostly outside of you. In the world of yin and yang you look for information mostly inside of you.

In the beginning you may want to find a teacher that can guide and help you in this transition,

Follow the law of nature:

 Follow the law of nature. Follow common sense. For example, here are three simple, common sense ideas:

1) Eat when you are hungry

2) Eat till you’re 80% full

3) Pay close attention to how food affects you. If a certain food feels not right for your body or mind, don’t eat it for a while

In most cases if you follow these three guidelines your weight will go down, your health will improve, and you will be happier. For some it is that simple, but if you find following the guidelines hard to do you are not alone. For some of us staying sane, healthy and happy is hard work.

It’s all in the mind:

It is all in the mind and that is why the mind is a good place to start. Examine your views, attitudes and habits about and around food and eating. For example guideline 1 tells you to eat when you are hungry. Do you know when you are physically hungry? Have you ever been physically hungry? Can you tell the difference between physical hunger, and emotional hunger? Or habit hunger? Do you eat for recreation? Comfort?  Company? Instead of sleeping? To suppress sexuality? Because you’re angry, and lashing out is not an option? Because you’re sad, and crying is not aloud? The answer is simple: Eat only when your body needs food. Applying this principle to your daily life may take time and work. Contemplating it will lead to developing the awareness in your body, which will give you answers. Then you will need to go back to your mind where you will build acceptance, followed by creating and implementing small changes. The word “gong” (as in Qigong) means achieving/cultivating and it implies time accumulation. Take the time, do the work, don’t over do.

Of course the same line of thought follows for guidelines two and three: Can you sense how full you are while you are eating? Can you sense it after you’re done eating? How do you find 80% fullness in your stomach? What qualifies as discomfort? How do you know if that discomfort came from something you ate? And what was that something? Remember: Small changes! Rome was not built in a day; neither were your habits. Pick something that you can relate or connect to and slowly experiment with incorporating it into your life. Be creative, and be well.

~ Miriam Moran Shankman

Article Part 1
Article Part 2

Mir-Yam School of Tai Chi, Qigong, and meditation, offers:

• Weekly classes in Tai Chi, Qigong, Meditation: practice, theory, and applications
• Medical Qigong sessions
• Guidance in “Eating with the Tai Chi Diagram”
• Workshops and presentations

To contact Miriam, www.mir-yam.com, miriam@mir-yam.com

Also by Miriam:
Slow Down We Move Too Fast:  A Prelude to the Holiday Season


"Butterfly Summer" Photo Art Print is by artist Karen Casey Smith and available in her Etsy Shop.

Follow us on Facebook