Late summer and harvest time

What fruits are ripening in your life?  In addition to overflowing CSA boxes full of squash, plums, and nectarines, late summer is a time of fruition and harvesting.  Associated with the Earth element, later summer is a time to reflect on the ways we have grown and been nourished by the experiences of the past year, and take stock in all the qualities that will support us through the leaner times of fall and winter.  It's a time for slowing down and gathering in- a time when we recognize and hold the fruits of our labor.

Some tips for living in harmony with the late summer season:

• Enjoy the abundance of fruits and fresh 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 lies the seeds of the next.

• 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 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?

Tips courtesy of Neil R. Gumenick

Don't miss the chance to come in for regular acupuncture support, or a special Earth harmonizing treatment so that you can properly digest and assimilate the experiences you may be processing.