Happy Summer Solstice and tis the season to be expressive!
Dr. Kirby Teuila Grey DAHM LAc. News
Happy Summer Solstice everyone and tis the season to be expressive!
In this quarterly issue, I discuss the following:
Highlights
Upcoming Common Ground practitioner and bathhouse closures
Ways to write a review & a $10 gift card for your help!
Summer solstice information and some rituals to try
If you would like to read the details of each of these points, please continue below.
Stay warm in your heart and cool in your body :)
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Upcoming Common Ground practitioner and bathhouse closures
Common Ground is undergoing serious renovations for the month of July! Replacement of the tile in the bathhouse and all of the carpet in the practitioner rooms and hallways will be the two biggest projects. For this to happen, the following closures will take place:
The practitioner rooms will be closed from July 8th to July 18th. This means you will not be able to receive treatment from me or any of the other practitioners at CG, during this time.
My last day in the office will be Thursday, July 4th.
I will be back in the office on Monday, July 22nd.
The bathhouse will be closed from July 1st - August 8th.
The bathhouse is typically slow during this time of year so the impact to clients we hope will be minimal.
The clinic closure will have the greatest impact on patients who are currently receiving regular care from me or anyone else. If you need resources on who you can see while we are closed, please email me and I can give you other acupuncture and massage referrals.
Please take the time to note the closure period and schedule your appointments accordingly to minimize any disruption in care. If you haven’t seen me in a few weeks or months and have been looking to get an appointment, now would be the time.
Ways to write a review & a $10 gift card for your help!
A couple of you have asked if you could write a review for me and the answer is yes! If anyone would like to write a review, go for it! For your time, you will receive a $10 gift card to one of the following places: Proud Mary, New Seasons, Burgerville, or pick a local store/cafe of your choice! If you have written one and posted it, please email me to make sure I am aware.
You can write a review and either post it on the Common Ground google site or send it to me directly.
If you need tips on what to write or help with writing the review, feel free to send me what you have and I can help edit it and send it back, ensuring that it’s really what YOU want to say. It’s a little funny to me to offer this seeing that the review would be about me haha, but since I have had many patients over the years express that they didn’t like how they wrote and asked for support, I simply want to offer my services ahead of time. Also, I am a great writer and a decent editor so it’s not a problem for me. As always, I am happy to assist in any way I can.
On the summer solstice and some earth based rituals to try
Here are a few resources if you are looking for new ways to connect more deeply with the Summer Solstice and engage in some earth-based rituals.
https://rhythmsofplay.com/ways-to-celebrate-the-summer-solstice/
https://www.nytimes.com/article/summer-solstice-2024.html
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/history-of-summer-solstice-traditions
Part of the framework of Chinese medicine and 5 element theory is assessing how the constant change of seasons is impacting the individual and the community at large. Another significant part of our framework is the importance of attunement with the rhythms of the natural world for sustenance, nourishment, energy, and deep connection. This can be done via qi gong, tai ji and other internal martial arts practices; meditation; prayer; ceremony; eating what's in season; and more.
The solstices are two intense periods of time where you can really FEEL the energetic forces at play. If the winter solstice is all about restoration, relaxation, internal reflection, and quietude; the summer solstice is at the opposite end of that pole. As we know it to be, the summer solstice is all about transformation, warmth, vibrancy, intimate connections with friends and family, expressing creativity and passion, experiencing joy and compassion (for self and others). And in the PNW, this is especially so with these incredibly long days and short nights. For today, we are clocking just under 16 hours of sunlight and that’s not even including dawn or dusk! If you are feeling like this time of year is intense, it’s because it is :)
As we enter the longest day of the year, this also begins the subtle descent into yin. One way this descent is expressed is through our connection to day and night- the days will start to get shorter. In Chinese medicine, the first stirrings of summer start around the beginning of May, so the summer solstice is the absolute apex and ultimate expression of this element before the decline begins. This can seem confusing since the hottest part of the year for us is often August or late summer, and we have a reason for that, which I will share when that time comes :)
Here are other points of connection with the season of summer and the element of fire-
Season of Summer from the 5 element wheel, the Chinese Medicine Framework:
A time for creative expression, experiencing joy and compassion, and authentic connection with others
Emotion: Joy, anxiety, and sadness
Spirit: shen- this is the Spirit that animates our entire being, allows us to hold onto memories, have affections, and bestow on us a sense of purpose and mission.
Organ- Heart
Other viscera: small intestine
Location- North
Directional movement- South
Color- Red
Element- Fire
Flavor: Bitter- like green vegetables
Foods that are good to eat: ones that have a cooling effect on the body to help balance excess heat- watermelon, cucumber, lettuce, and citrus fruits to name a few. Stay hydrated!
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As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Stay cool, stay open, and have a radically joyful summer!
Peace,
Dr. Kirby