Summer Time By Spirit of Design

Summer makes us laugh and dance as it warms our heart and strengthens the Spirit. In Feng Shui terms summer expresses the element of fire. Like the qualities of a flame summer is a time of action and expansion, of lightness, perception and discernment. The clarity and brilliance of fire's energy brings insight and illumination. Fire colours are warm and flamboyant, vibrant and cheerful. They include purple, orange, burgundy and red. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the heart is considered a fire organ of the body and is associated with the emotion of joy. In balance fire's energy expresses vitality, inspiration, warmth, enthusiasm, spiritual wisdom and perception, lightness, brightness and joy. However, as with everything in the universe fire energy also has a dark side. When this occurs fire's energy can be fierce, explosive, scorching, ungrounded, lacking substance, superficial, fickle or dazzling. Aligning Your Life and Home With Summer's Fire Energy •  Sumer is the time to lighten up, refresh and simplify your life. •  Get rid of clutter in your life as this can quell the spontaneity and growth that summer's energy brings. In this context “clutter” refers to all things that obstruct, and any items that are not immediately relevant and active in your life now. It includes those things that over-fill your time, your body and your living spaces. Clutter can include old clothes, unwanted gifts, excessive furnishings, broken things, stored items, extra body weight, greasy and processed foods, junk mail, trashy TV, and even acquaintances who no longer bring value to your life. •  Open up your home to be more bright and spacious to celebrate the generosity of summer. At the same time avoid a minimalist approach that risks your living spaces becoming empty and soul-less. A home that is too open, light and active can feel unsettled and disturbing. This type of dynamic can drain your energy and drain your money. Always maintain a balance that is best for your constitution and lifestyle. •  Pack away your thick winter clothes and donate to charity all items that no longer express who you are. •  Introduce fire objects in and around your home - such as colourful cushions, red lanterns and outdoor braziers for barbecues on balmy summer evenings. •  Prepare your garden for a summer harvest of corn, tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum, lettuce and salad herbs. Gardening is a very centring activity that helps to you keep grounded (literally) when summer's social activities scatter and distract your energy. •  Choose summer type foods that are cooling and light for the body to digest. Barbecues, sautes, stir-fries and salads are more harmonious for the body at this time of the year than heavy, baked and greasy foods. •  Enjoy Sunday morning in the sun with summer fruit breakfasts of mangoes, melons and berries. •  Replenish the vitality and life force of your home and your body every day by exposing both to fresh air and sunshine. •  Immerse yourself in summer's sunshine and the energising life force of the ocean. •  Light candles (red and purple ones!) and enjoy dinner under the stars. The golden flames of candles symbolise illumination, ceremony, warmth and togetherness and connect us with spirit. •  Colours are a wonderful way to uplift your mood and celebrate summer. The black clothes we tend to wear in winter suddenly become heavy and dismal in summer. When you step out in luminous or glowing summer colours your body absorbs the inspiring energy of that colour. •  Replace your dark winter bed coverings with lighter, brighter ones. •  Beware of burnout in summer! Doing too much without replenishing your body with sleep and quality foods depletes your personal Qi and can leave you feeling empty and tired. •  As a celebration of summer's beauty, growth and joy always have bright-coloured flowers in the house - especially if you can't be outdoors as much as you would like. Think Tiger Lilies, Sunflowers, Nasturtiums, Geranims and Gerberas. Spirit of Design Profile Spirit of Design Website