4 Practices for an Anxious Heart
Summer corresponds with the Heart and Pericardium which governs laughter, play, and the flourishing of relationships, but can also be a time of mental restlessness and anxiety. Why is that? It’s a matter of balancing the Yin and Yang of the Heart, which houses Mind. Yang is rising upward, hot, and active, whereas Yin is restorative, dark, quiet, cool. Being the most Yang time of the year, Yin must be strong enough to hold this very active, hot energy in balance. Typically, if we worked hard through winter and did not rest and restore ourselves enough, our Yin isn’t able to balance the Yang, and Yang rises unchecked to agitate the Mind.
In Chinese Medicine, the Heart houses the Mind, and all emotions are meant to flow through - not get stuck in - the Heart. The Heart functions best for the body-mind-spirit when it is empty, meaning that nothing gets trapped in it, such as desires or emotions. When emotions get stuck – such as sadness, grief, worry, anger, frustration, resentment, and guilt – the result is a build up of heat and a compromise of the Heart’s ability to house the Mind. Symptoms can include dream-disturbed sleep, insomnia, anxiety and mental restlessness, and a propensity to startle easily.
4 Practices to Soothe an Anxious Heart
We can do a lot to help clear heat and build Yin within the most Yang season.
Follow the rhythm of the season: Wake earlier in the morning. Go to bed later in the evening. Rest at midday. Try to build in a little rest in between very busy activities, like sitting by the water, taking a couple of deep breaths, or taking a nice stroll.
Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid that second (or third) coffee. Try switching to sun-brewed green or herbal teas, which are hydrating, cooling, and offer a host of protective antioxidants and delicious flavor. Coffee is energetically hot, and if you are prone to anxiety, most people find that the extra caffeine is ultimately unhelpful with the emotional rollercoaster.
Eat energetically cooling foods i.e. celery, cucumber, mint, watermelon (maybe this chia pudding). Conversely, stay away from warming, spicy food, or difficult-to-digest greasy or fried foods. Also avoid intensely cold foods, which requires the body to generate more heat to digest, and create external heat. Instead choose foods that have been baked or grilled.
Refrain from anger. Anger is an explosive and seductive emotion (we all feel that we are certainly in the right when we are angry!) but is also energetically draining and causes spikes in the nervous system, leaving us more depleted than before. Practice pausing between noticing and acting out on your anger. Then practice noticing how anger feels - instead of continuing to explore the story of WHY you are angry, notice how the body feels (is there heat, cold, vibration, tingling, numbness, calm, excitement, etc.?) and notice how it shifts. It’s so interesting! In-the-moment interventions like mindfulness short-circuit the ‘monkey mind’ that ruminates on things outside of this present moment. Effective ways to soothe the mind long-term are gentle exercises like yoga, qigong, strolling, stretching, meditation, and breathing techniques.
And if you’re still feeling anxious, not sleeping well, or feeling generally off - that’s totally normal. Book an acupuncture session or a massage to help rebalance your system. Sometimes we all need a healing touch.