Finding ease in summer with the water element.
ELEMENTAL LIVING - water.
“Blessed be water,
Our first mother”.
John O'Donohue from In Praise of Water.
I am fascinated by the innate intelligence and alchemy of the elements - water, fire, earth and air - and how we can harness their healing properties to bring balance in our lives and in our homes during each season.
Balancing summer with the water element.
June had me seeking out shadows and craving watery coolness. The start of July feels cooler but it looks as though the heat is due to return by the end of the week. I love the warmth and the way my body softens when enveloped by the season, but I have noticed that I verge towards the edges of summer these days — the breath that comes as a cloud passes overhead at noon; the heady scent of the early morning air in the garden and the gentle palette of the twilight hours.
Summer is light, bright, warm, energising and sometimes, intense. According to the ancient Indian health system Ayurveda, summer is ‘pitta’ season, the dosha (or characteristic) governed by the fire and water elements. I have always thought of summer and pitta as purely fiery but I see that the water element comes in with humidity and often very welcome, summer storms.
Summer can feel extreme (unfortunately weather-wise this is becoming increasingly the case), a predominance of the fire element can lead to drought and fires on a global scale; and to burn out, inflammation and irritability within us. In order to bring balance in pitta season, I am drawn to seeking out things that feel quenching, cooling and easeful.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Story & Thread. to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.