Living In Harmony with Earth Element Season

These months of August and September are appropriate for us to acknowledge this stage in nature as well as in our own life cycle. From the harvest of our experience, we develop a natural inclination to share and serve others. Well nourished ourselves, we can recognize where needs exist and how best to fill them. Exercising our compassion, we can become caretakers of the earth. Here are my suggestions to live in harmony with the late summer season.

Enjoy the Abundance of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Be aware of their special qualities, each succulence different from the next. Carrots are crisp, cucumbers cool, tomatoes luscious, peaches sweet. Look at the seeds, and reflect on the fact that within each harvest lie the seeds of the next.  Squashes, zucchinis, and root vegetables and leafy greens are fantastic stimulating digestion. 

For best results, avoid refined carbohydrates, dairy, iced drinks and processed foods as they slow up the digestive process and overtax the spleen and stomach.

Be Thoughtful Of How You Can Nourish Others

In this season when nature gives her bounty, we also rejoice in giving, with attention to the special needs of others. You need not wait until you can give a "great gift”. A word, a courtesy, a thoughtfulness - given today - is a great gift.

Be Conscious Of The Harvest of Your Life

Think about yourself, your relationships, and your work. What parts of your life are bearing fruit? Where is the harvest rich? Where do you find it stunted?

Consider What You Need To Let Go Of

Consider what you need to do to make ready for the letting go of autumn. Holding your harvest in mind, ask what is overgrown or unneeded. What distracts you from your dearest concerns? What might you wish to simplify in yourself or in your life?