After the Start of Summer, the weather turns hot, with both temperature and humidity on the rise. People can easily become irritable and have reduced self-control, making it especially important to "calm the mind and quiet the spirit." Summer is also when heart-yang is at its most vigorous, so nurturing the heart in this season requires "calming the heart." How can one achieve a state of "a calm heart brings natural coolness"?
Nurturing the Heart Requires Calming the Mind: Engage in Quiet Activities
After the Start of Summer, health cultivation involves going to bed early and waking up early, and focusing on nourishing yang, in order to better protect cardiovascular health. It's particularly important to avoid excessive sweating, as the loss of too much sweat can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes in the body and damage the body's yang. However, not exercising is also detrimental to heart health. So, what should be done? The coolest time of summer is in the early morning. You might consider taking a walk in the shade of trees and flowers near your residence. This can nourish the heart and spirit, help the body's yang ascend, promote blood circulation, and enhance metabolic function.
Nurturing the Heart Means "Avoiding Agitation and Anger": Avoid extreme emotions of joy or sorrow. Maintain a peaceful spirit, a tranquil mind, a cheerful mood, and a constant smile. Experts suggest that during the transition from spring to summer, one should practice "spiritual cultivation" by engaging in quiet activities, such as painting, calligraphy, listening to music, playing chess, gardening, and fishing.
Perform a "Summer Calming Exercise Set"
Stimulate the Armpits: The armpits have rich blood vessels and nerves. Stimulating them can induce laughter, which improves blood circulation and delivers nutrients and ample oxygen to the brain, heart, and lungs, providing significant benefits.
Massage the Navel: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the navel is known as the Shenque acupoint. When the spleen and stomach are uncomfortable, TCM often uses massage of the Shenque point for regulation. Massaging the navel can regulate the intestines and boost qi, effectively promoting smooth cardiovascular function and calming the mind.
Move the Feet: The soles of the feet have many nerve endings closely connected to various internal organs. Performing exercises like wiggling toes, walking, walking on cobblestones, and soaking feet in warm water can effectively promote blood flow, pushing blood from the extremities back to the heart and the rest of the body.
Press the Spine: Spinal issues are common in the summer. The spine is the pathway of the Du Mai, one of the body's two main meridians. Massaging the spine can stimulate the meridians, ensuring the smooth flow of qi and blood.
Learn Some Small Summer Calming Movements
Clench Fists: Sit upright with arms resting naturally on the thighs. Regulate your breathing, then clench both fists tightly. Inhale and relax, exhale and clench, repeating for 6 cycles. Coordinating the effort with your breathing is beneficial for regulating your breath and blood circulation. When you clench tightly, it also massages the Laogong acupoint in the palm of your hand, which has the effect of nourishing the heart.
Push Palms and Rub Arms: Sit upright and extend both hands, placing the palms facing each other in front of your chest. Use the index finger of your right hand to push along the tip of the middle finger of your left hand and along the center line of the palm towards the center of the elbow crease, 25 times. Then, use the right index finger to push from the tip of the left little finger along the side of the palm closest to the body to the elbow crease, 25 times. Switch hands and use the left hand to push the right hand in the same manner, 25 times each. This has the effect of clearing the heart, dispelling fire, and relieving vexation.
Lift and Hold Objects: Sit upright with the left hand resting on the right wrist. Simultaneously lift both hands over your head and regulate your breathing. On the exhale, lift both hands forcefully as if holding a heavy object. On the inhale, relax. Repeat 10-15 times, then switch hands and repeat once more as before. This has the effect of unblocking the meridians, moving qi, and invigorating blood.
Close Eyes and Swallow Saliva: Sit upright with arms hanging naturally at the sides, close your eyes slightly, and regulate your breathing. Close your mouth and sit quietly for a moment. When you have more saliva in your mouth, swallow it three times consecutively. Then, gently tap your upper and lower teeth together (knocking teeth) 10-15 times. This can calm the heart and spirit, strengthen teeth, and invigorate the spleen.
When practicing, choose a quiet, cool, and well-ventilated place and practice at least once a day.