Child-like Summers: How to Cultivate Water to Balance Fire

Is it even possible that we've already arrived at Summer in this Year of the Yang Fire Horse? Hasn't it felt as though the year has galloped by at full racehorse speed?

We aren't anywhere near the finish line yet, but we have arrived at the apex, the moment of peak Fire within a year already defined by Fire. This is the height of the double Yang Fire energy that the Horse brings.

I don't know about you, but I'm entering this Summer feeling burned out. So much galloping has left me exhausted. And strangely, I see that as a good thing.

If I didn't feel this way, I might charge headlong into these Summer months at full speed, only to be caught off guard by the intensity of the season halfway through. At that pace, I can easily imagine a crash and burn. Instead, I have the opportunity to look ahead and consciously choose a different way of moving through Summer - one that recalibrates, restores balance, and sets a steadier pace for the remainder of the year.

In 5 Element Theory, Water controls Fire. When Fire becomes excessive, Water helps bring it back into balance. And balance within this system is what allows life to thrive - full of health, vitality, and resilience. Nothing lacking, nothing excessive, simply enough of what is needed.

Over the last few weeks, my meditations and tea ceremonies have naturally been drawing me toward Water. I've been drinking Water-element teas, sitting with the inward qualities of the season, and reflecting deeply on how I might move through Summer in the same way we move through Winter which is the season associated with Water. This may not always be necessary, but in a year characterized by such abundant Fire, cultivating Water feels especially essential and supportive.

Water habits are often simple: moving more slowly, spending time alone and in contemplative silence, being in and around water, eating cooling foods, allowing spaciousness into our days.

At first glance, some of these practices may seem counter to the nature of Summer being a season associated with outward expansion, industriousness, connection, and heartfelt expression. Yet our modern world is already overflowing with expansion and productivity. In many ways, cultivating Water is always beneficial, but perhaps even more so during Summer.

Balance is found not in choosing one over the other, but in allowing them both to exist, cultivating them both, so that they may support each other.

My second reflection is that these energies are not opposites so much as complements. Balance is found not in choosing one over the other, but in allowing them both to exist, cultivating them both, so that they may support each other. I think back to childhood Summers and how naturally balanced they felt.

Yes, we spent our days baking in the sun, playing with friends, and living some of our most joyful moments. But we were also resting from school. We lived long, leisurely hours filled with boredom that led to creativity. Some moments were shared with others, while some were spent alone. We sat in the grass reading books. We splashed in creeks, lakes, and oceans. We daydreamed. There was both Fire and Water. I believe that if we can bring more of this spirit into our adult Summers, that balance will emerge almost effortlessly.

One season gathers the energy of the sun into our bones. The other conserves that energy beside a hearth fire.

Yes, Summer is a time for expression and activity. But Summer is also a time for listening to what lives within the heart - something we can only hear when we are quiet enough to listen. Summer is a season for creating, and creation requires spaciousness. It requires time.

Perhaps Summer is just as much for rest as Winter. One season gathers the energy of the sun into our bones. The other conserves that energy beside a hearth fire. And both are necessary.

Below are some of my favorite ways to cultivate a childlike Summer of balance. A summer of rest, restoration, creation, expression, and maintaining the steady pace needed to move through the remainder of the year with strength, purpose, and peace. Just remember, this is not meant to be a to-do list. We must keep in mind that our leisure and self care should not be just as busy and obligation-filled as our work lives. Instead, these are just suggestions on how you might create balance for yourself, especially if you are feeling burned out. Perhaps you can bookmark this post and pick one practice from below that resonates when you feel you need it.

• Take a rest from work as much as you can. If there is something you can take off your plate, do that. If you can work a few less hours, do that. Take days off when you can and if you can't, for every hour worked in a day, give yourself at least 10 minutes of free rest, play, or creative time.

• Also take as much off your personal calendar as possible, whether that be social or household obligations.

• Don't pack in every weekend with plans. Leave spaciousness and time for spontaneity. Practice the art of JOMO (Joy of Missing Out).

• Make a new kind of Summer Bucket List, one with activities that fill your bucket and allow for self-care and contemplation. Things like journaling, sitting by the ocean and reading, taking yourself on a date, meditating in the garden, joining us for a tea and hiking excursion every Wednesday morning, floating a river (this is my favorite Summer activity for communing with the Water Element - it teaches me to go with the flow).

• Try to find a quiet moment for yourself every day, preferably out in nature. Connecting to the elements, grounding your feet, breathing in the fresh air.

• Practice some water coloring. Truly just practice some kind of creative/artistic endeavor just for fun. Even stream of consciousness writing. Stream of consciousness writing and water color are especially great creative activities for the Water Element.

• SLOW WAY DOWN. Fit in less into your day. And what you do do, no matter how fun or mundane, linger in that activity and make it leisurely. Block out large amounts of time to focus on just one activity instead of rushing from one thing to the next.

• Give yourself sacred pauses between activities. You can do this at work, at home, really anywhere and with everything. Maybe even pick a sacred pause ritual. Some breathwork, a cup of tea, a quick 5 minute break outside.

• Think depth and quality over quantity. This really helps with the practice of JOMO. Instead of trying to plan lots of fun activities with friends and family, pick one day where you can really drop in with them and focus on nothing else. I like the idea of having a designated date day with a group of friends or your family.

• For movement, focus on more yin exercises, especially in the peak heat of the Summer. High intensity work outs will just add heat to an already heated system so Yin Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong are all great alternatives.

• Eat cooling foods like watermelon, cucumber, and drink cooling chrysanthemum or mint herbal tea. Here is a list of other cooling foods.

• Create a water ritual to connect to it: bless the water, talk to the water, observe the water and learn how to embody the water. This can be done in a bath, when watering your garden, or while sitting by a body of water (or floating a river - yes, I'm obsessed!).

• Take naps. Sleep in late if you can.

• Spend time by the water as much possible and stay hydrated.

• Last...cultivate boredom. This is not easy, I know. We have a household to clean up and take care of, work obligations and so forth but this is how I try to cultivate boredom. First I get rid of anything that I might reach for as a distraction from the discomfort of boredom - a book, my phone, etc. Then I block off a chunk of time, maybe starting with smaller chunks at first. Then I meditate and get into a frame of mind, convincing myself I have no obligations in the world. Letting go one by one of all the obligations I think I have. And then I just lay there. I don't write anything that comes up during that time but you'll be surprised how creative your mind gets. Feel free to take some time afterwards to write down anything that did come up. I suggest doing this practice when you already feel low motivation as it is a perfect sign that you just need a moment. Give yourself permission to validate and give into that feeling knowing that on the other end your motivation may even improve. Also, there are perfect mini moments throughout our days where we can do this, for example when we are waiting in line. If we commit to not reaching for our phone in these moments, we have several opportunities to work our boredom muscle throughout our day.