The quality of the bright summer light is just starting to change from pale yellow to a richer, creamier yellow; the evening light is waning a little sooner; the robin’s last brood of the season has hatched. We’re entering the fifth and shortest season of the year called Late Summer in Five Element theory. It’s a time of transition from yang to yin, a phase between the expansive growth of summer and the inward pull toward autumn. This season correlates to Earth which serves to both feed us and ground us.

According to Dr. Elliott Haas, “In the Chinese system, the center is the direction associated with the Earth element and the Japanese word Doyo, meaning life transition, is used to describe this time. Doyo relates not only to the summer-to-autumn transition but to the times of seasonal change, which come four times a year for about two to three weeks each, basically ten days before and after each of the two solstices and equinoxes. This period has some aspects of all the seasons, or elements so that it can seem a bit chaotic – often the weather can be ‘unseasonably’ hot, cold or some other extreme during these periods.” All the more reason to keep it simple, stay grounded and cultivate simple self-care routines. 

As nature’s bounty is exploding at our local farmer’s markets (see below for local resources) the organs relating to the Late Summer Earth element are the stomach and spleen. These two organs work together to digest our foods and distribute the resulting nourishment throughout the body. Perfect timing to enjoy the harvest and reap it’s nutritional benefits!

Considerations for Late Summer:

  • What does feeling grounded mean to you and can you create the time to ground yourself? Walking meditation, yoga or tai chi are a few ways to practice feeling your feet on the ground.
  • Yellow/orange vegetables like squashes, pumpkin and yams have a subtle sweetness that the Earthy spleen and stomach particularly love. 
  • Keep food simple! Think easy soups and salads like this:

Spicy Kale and Yams

1 large head kale, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon diced seeded Serrano chili pepper
1 cup sliced purple cabbage
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. Rinse and drain kale well. Steam kale and sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until kale is still colorful and sweet potatoes still have some firmness.
  2. While kale and sweet potatoes are steaming, place oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
    Add cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Transfer cabbage mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add kale and sweet potatoes, along with soy sauce, black pepper. Mix well and serve immediately.

Recipe Courtesy of Jeremy Pulsifer, L.Ac

Late summer is the time to store and preserve the yang bounty that Spring and Summer provide so that we can carry it in our minds and bodies throughout the darker Fall and Winter months. Enjoy the harvest!

Farmer’s Markets

Baltimore Free Farm – a collective of gardeners and activists who strive to be egalitarian and aim to provide access to healthy food for all

Misty Valley Farms – roadside farm stand off of Ruxton Road

32nd Street Farmers Market – a great Saturday morning spot for local produce and goods

Reference: 

Staying Healthy with the Seasons, Elliott Haas, MD

Kim Hennessee, L.Ac., Mend Director of Operations and Acupuncturist
Kim has worked in a variety of healthcare settings over the last decade (including Women’s Health and Pain Management) and has seen how patients benefit from folding acupuncture care into their medical care. She is a natural educator and has worked in-house as well as on a larger, national scale to share the best data on acupuncture’s most effective uses.
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