Everyone has their own favorite sights, scents, tastes, music, and memories of summer — the traditional season of relaxing and living. Beaches, mountains, forests, and parks call to us while work-day responsibilities fade into the background.
What will you do this summer to celebrate the season of reviving? Summer is the perfect time to look within and tune up your healing connection to the unlimited source of sunlight and nature.
As you read on, you will find these simple suggestions to be nothing more than what you’ve always known. The goal is to remind you to act on it.
Here are some ways you can harness the powerful energy of summer:
1. Make a Splash
Think of how many sweet summer memories are connected to water — swimming, boating, hiking beside a mountain stream or mighty waterfall, or just smelling the salty ocean breeze. Water gives us life and has therapeutic properties that have been recognized for centuries. Just taking a long walk along a waterfront, river or lake will help clear your mind and lift your spirits. Being in a natural body of water provides a restorative meditative experience. In many ways, water is a reminder of our natural human state: flowing, self-aware, ever changing and resilient.
2. Be Outside
In the last few years, there has been a movement to connect the human race with nature again. We are born naturalists and somehow that identity gets lost in this fast paced world. It’s almost as if adulthood restricts you from stopping to “smell the flowers”. As a child, we have the capacity to see our sky from the perspective of a flower. Children explore the world with all their senses and experiment with the environment. Get back to that place of consciousness. Move your body more by stepping out into the sunlight and spend time enjoying the wonders of the natural world. Being outside helps to clear, balance, and recharge you. Use your long summer days for more healing walks or outdoor play with children. Plan a savory picnic and nurture your body with summer fruits and vegetables from the local farmer’s market.
3. Get Up and Move
Enjoying the good energy the sun provides can help you wake up the power you have within to shine forth in the world. How can you gain more energy in your work, in your relationships, in your service or spirituality without vitamin D? Just like some plants, human beings can wilt because they are not receiving enough sunlight. Picture an extrovert confined to a cubicle space every day and you will understand the problem. The answer is to move them. Limit your screen time, drink lots of water and take a walk, ride a bike, or tend to the garden. It doesn’t matter what motivates you to be active, just be active (preferably outside).
4. Bond with Family
Many would agree that the best memories are made in the summer. Whether you are spending quality time with family or friends, the possibilities for fun are endless. You don’t even need to be creative or spend too much money. It’s the classic activities like water balloon fights on a scorching hot day or block BBQ’s with neighbors that make unforgettable moments you will laugh about for years. If securing more intimate and quiet moments are your thing, nothing can be sweeter than gazing at the stars with a clear view of the heavens or camping out in your backyard telling stories with your kids.
5. Awaken the Soul
Deepen the connection with your self again. Take advantage of the fresh air and be mindful of the beauty around you. Check out your local bookstore for a good book. Search the web for ideas that interest you. Be adventurous or try something new alone. Try something new with family and friends. Plan a vacation that incorporates new interests and provides time to read, relax, ponder life and breathe.
This summer, allow yourself to slow down and unplug. Health comes from the things we do to promote our well being. Whether you are swimming in the ocean or lying on a blanket looking up at the clouds, take advantage of this precious season and it’s benefits.
Enjoy the powerful healing energy of summertime!
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