Late summer & The Earth Element
- Sensate Spa & Studios
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Chloe is a Shiatsu Practitioner and Qigong Teacher, she wishes to share with you her thoughts on Late Summer and the element of Earth within the 5 Elements.
Late summer and the Earth Element
Late summer is the time of the Earth Element. You can feel a mellowing and softness in the energy as it descends from the expansiveness of the height of summer to a grounding, nourishing period of first harvests. Before the inward pull of Autumn and the Metal element.
The transition to late summer may come with some sadness for some, as the summer party is over for another year, as plants have reached their peak and now begin to droop. I love the honey quality of the sunlight as the sun is no longer so high in the sky with its intense heat (which I expect for some will come with some relief this year).
The days are shortening, the holidays are ending, and children will be going back to school. We are returning to our centre and coming home to ourselves.
As this transition happens and with all seasonal changes there can be some back and forth between Fire and Earth (summer and late summer) rather than settling straight in.
Take some time to be present in the moment and the changes happening. Every year is different and the transition is never quite the same, so appreciate the late summer you are experiencing now and really feel into it. I love following the cycle of the 5 Elements, enjoying their different qualities throughout the year, and living in tune with them.
Shiatsu follows the 5 elements in terms of diagnosing as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Earth is the centre of all the 5 elements as it also connects all the changing seasons as well as having a 5th season of late summer.
The meridians Earth is related to are the Stomach and Spleen, the organs of transformation and transportation of nutrients we ingest, digest, and utilise. This applies to both food and life experiences. The organs convert food into Qi and blood, moving it through the body.
Receiving Shiatsu for the Earth Element feels extremely grounding and nourishing. You can feel yourself drop into a deeper space, and come out after the session with more clarity of mind.
We all have different elements in us; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, they show up in the different emotional responses to life and the world around us. A balanced Earth element is associated with care giving, sympathy and thoughtful reflection. When out of balance, weak or overwhelmed it turns to worry, leading to overthinking, obsessiveness, and the inability to let go of anxious thoughts.
A typical person with an Earth imbalance may neglect their own needs to care for others, overextending themselves. We can support these emotional boundaries by nourishing Earth with Shiatsu, Qigong and eating the correct foods for the time of year.
A balanced Earth is grounded, steady, generous, and supportive. Their presence is comforting. They have strong digestion, clear thoughts, can nurture and be nurtured.
An unbalanced Earth manifests in poor digestion, loose stools and weak limbs. You may be tired a lot of the time and lack concentration, worry, and over ruminate. If dampness (a TCM term) takes hold you may feel heavy, lethargic, foggy of mind, and have sluggish metabolism and damp skin conditions like weeping eczema or cystic acne.
How to find balance through food –
Eat warm, cooked, regular meals. The spleen likes warm foods that are sweet in nature but not sugar. Choosing foods yellow/orange in colour and in season, for example - squash, sweet potatoes, yam, barley, millet, polenta, oats and rice. Other vegetables like spinach, string beans, watercress, pumpkin, carrot, avocado, alfalfa, mung beans, almonds and hazelnuts too.
If you are interested in food energetics in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Daverick Leggett has written several books that I highly recommend.
Avoid raw, excessively cold or greasy foods and sugar. The Spleen also dislikes being flooded with liquid, so it’s best to drink between meals rather than during them.
How to find balance with receiving bodywork-
Shiatsu can help by working the Spleen and Stomach meridians. I can assess which
meridians are out of balance and need support. Perhaps you would like to receive Shiatsu at Sensate Spa and Studios to help you through these transitions of the year and support you in your life. I can assist with food choices and Qigong to help you to help yourself between sessions too. Shiatsu is a relational bodywork, listening to the body and working with it accordingly.
How to find balance through movement –
Strengthen the core through gentle movement and breath work- Qigong or Yoga are great for this. Qigong is a gentle practice of movement and meditation. It is an easy to learn system of energy enhancing movements with breathing and inner concentration. Regular practise will increase energy, improve mobility and health, prevent illness, and calm the mind. Qigong and Shiatsu stem from the same ancient TCM theories.
How to find balance in the mind –
Practice Meditation or Mindfulness to ease overthinking. Slow down, be still and connect to your breath.
Let’s continue this journey together. Explore more on our website and subscribe to the Sensate Spa and Studios newsletter for special offers, enchanting updates, and more inspiration to renew, restore, and revitalise your senses.
To connect with our teachers and therapists or learn more about our team, visit our website and reach out directly—we'd love to hear from you!