MIND-BODY-SPIRIT
Celebrate Summer with the Elements
BY LINDSEY HALDEMAN AND LINDSEY VAN WAGNER
Summer is a great time to reconnect with the elements of our nat- ural world. We tend to spend more time outside and vacation in wide open spaces. Air, water, fire, earth, and ether are the building blocks of everything we are, everything we see, and everything we do. Schedule a time to play with these elemental practices or try them out intuitively as you feel drawn to explore nature’s wonder. Air Our connection to the breath is sacred. If we fail to continuously inhale and exhale this magical substance we call air, we die. But, this ongoing and intimate relationship with the air around us has healing effects beyond basic survival. Air connects us to the natural kingdom — we inhale oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide that the plants need to manufacture their food, and they in turn release oxygen we need. It is a constant giving and receiving, a cyclical interaction that begins when we are born and ends when we die. If we are fortunate, this intricate and miraculous process of the breath comes quite naturally. In fact, we hardly consider what’s hap - pening in our bodies until we make an attempt to notice. Many spiritu - al practices encourage us to focus on the breath, lengthen the breath, return to the breath because this is a powerful way to relieve stress and calm the nervous system, especially when in a state of fight or flight. The summer season brings what Ayurvedic medicine calls Pitta en- ergy, associated with heat, intensity, aggravation, and a fiery nature. When Pitta is elevated, it is best to cool that energy and restore our bodies to homeostasis. Slowing down the breath is beneficial in the heat especially because the less breath we take per minute, the less energy demand we put on our bodily systems, for example blood pres- sure and heart rate. Try this simple practice: 1. Sitting comfortably, set a timer for five minutes. 2. Inhale through the nose for four seconds. Breathing practices such as this one allows the body to operate with greater efficiency. Also, breathing in and out through the nose helps retain more moisture in the body than mouth breathing. Walk through summer with an airy lightness and give yourself the freedom to enjoy the season, create space, and expand your imagination. Water It might be shocking but taking a cold shower has many wonderful benefits. A cold rinse can improve circulation, bringing fresh oxygen - ated blood to muscles and organs. By causing blood vessels to restrict, a cold rinse reduces inflammation and can even relieve pain. Taking a cold plunge has also been shown to lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety, boosting your mood by activating your parasympathetic nervous system and pulling you out of fight or flight mode. As temperatures rise this summer, beat the heat with a cold shower! Here are some tips on how to get started: 3. Hold the breath for four seconds. 4. Exhale out the nose for four seconds 5. Hold the breath out for four seconds. 1. Try breathing rapidly to gain control of your breath, as the initial chill of the water may seem like it is taking your breath away. When comfortable, move into a slower breathing pat- tern. 2. Start with just your hands and feet if having your whole body under is too much. Splash your face with water collected in your hands. 3. Play your favorite song. Listening to music or dancing while taking a cold shower gives your brain something to focus on other than just the temperature.
Photo by Single.Earth on Unsplash
Fire Many people associate fire energy with action, but fire also has the amazing ability to cleanse and purify. Burning bowls are a great way to harness this cleansing property. Burning bowl rituals have been celebrated throughout many different traditions and continue to be practiced today. Releasing to the fire what is no longer serving you is a symbolic and energetic way to create space in your life for what you would like to create. As you contemplate what you would like to release, think about something that is blocking your journey. This might be a habit, an ob- ject, a behavior; but please note, it is not traditional to burn a ‘person.’ If you would like to release a person from your life, consider writing something pertaining to your relationship or your attachment to that person you would like to change. A ritual might look like this: 1. Create a sacred space for the burning bowl by selecting a spot clear of debris and clutter. 2. Gather your materials: a small candle, matches or lighter, a dish with sand in the bottom, a small piece of paper, and writ- ing utensil. 3. Light the candle and take a moment to reflect on what you would like to release to the flames. When you are clear about what you would like to liberate yourself from, write your thoughts on a small piece of paper. The release starts the mo- ment you bring pen to paper so be mindful as you are writing. 4. Hold the paper gently and send gratitude to what you are about to release, though it is time to let this thing go, it did serve some purpose in your life’s journey and it is important to recognize that. 5. Carefully put paper to flame and when ready, drop the paper into the dish filled with sand. Now that you have released this thing, take a moment to think about how you would like to fill this newly created space in your life. Burning bowl rituals can be celebrated in a group setting or indi - vidually; consider creating a community burning bowl during a sum- mer bonfire. For added effect, hold the ritual during a waning moon — this phase holds the energy of releasing and letting go. Earth Earth is the most solid and grounding of the elements, represent- ing structure, foundation, consistency, and stability. As humans, we have separated ourselves from the earth by way of roads, concrete, and
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PATHWAYS—Summer 23—13
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