The Gifts of Summer
The ancient wisdom of the Five Phases of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Welcome to the fourth post on The Five Phases. The first two paragraphs below repeat the introduction to this Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concept. You can find other posts in this mini-series here.
For those who prefer listening to reading, here’s my “audio note” (aka me reading my post). No footnotes, sources, or description of pictures included. If you’re in a hurry, you can click the “1x” button on the left to speed up the reading. But then you really might want to pay closer attention to the “overexpressing Summer” part of the post. :)
The Cosmic Dance of the Seasons
For many cultures, the changing seasons signal when it's time to alter both external and internal activities. Our ancestors believed that aligning with what was happening "in nature" helped them to live harmoniously and in right relationship with the world around them. Indeed, they didn't see themselves apart from nature at all. Following Mother Earth's cues, as a part of nature, helped them survive.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) divides the year into Five Phases. Also known as Wu Xing or the Cosmic Dance of the Seasons, it is a way of explaining both the inner and outer worlds that we inhabit. Although the People's Republic of China is relatively new, TCM has been used for over 5,000 years in that region to understand, diagnose, and heal. TCM is an intricate and highly effective system created by observing nature's cycles and interpreting and applying them to people.
In TCM, Summer is associated with joy.1 Summer is generous and offers a multitude of gifts. If you have a lot of energy and love the sunshine, it’s the time of outdoor restaurant seating and backyard barbecues and reunions and art and music festivals and crowded ocean beaches. If Summer heat is taking its toll, there is dappled shade and watermelon and lemonade and wading pools. If you’re lucky, you might find fireflies and starry skies. Whether lazing in a hammock or playing in the sun, Summer invites us to enjoy ourselves — however that might look to us.
In TCM, each season, or phase, corresponds to a specific element. Summer, the hottest and brightest season, is also known as the Fire phase. In the Summer, Fire blossoms, opens, and manifests. Like summer, Fire is expansive, radiant, outgoing and warm. It symbolizes wakefulness and the development of wisdom and compassion. Whereas Winter/Water embodies "seed and root," Summer/Fire is the time for "flower and fruit."
The Themes of Summer/Fire
Along with joy, the TCM themes associated with Summer or Fire are connection and transformation. Summer is about manifesting your dreams and sharing your unique gifts with the world. Summer is not only about truly connecting with others through our emotions and feelings, but also about living out your vision or purpose.
Starting in Winter, or Water phase, we are resting, dreaming, and reflecting. In the Spring, or Wood phase, we work on developing our vision, making plans, and getting things done. In Summer, or Fire phase, our moment has arrived and it’s time to relax and enjoy it. Whatever big or small cycle we’re in, we’re at the peak.
Each phase is also associated with organs in the body. TCM relates Summer/Fire to the Heart and Small Intestine. The Heart is the seat of both the emotions and the mind/spirit.2 Physically, it is responsible for making Blood and circulating it through the body. The Small Intestine separates out partially digested food from the Stomach, and sends the “purer” essences to the Spleen and impure products to the Bladder and Large Intestine.
Figuratively, the Heart houses the spirit (Shen) and emotions, and the Small Intestine separates true, or pure, thoughts and beliefs from untrue ones. When Summer/Fire is out of balance, anxiety and/or lack of discernment can arise.
Gail Reichstein, author of Wood Becomes Water, writes:
“Summer flowers explode from buds, embodying Fire energy in their brightness, their expansion, and their delirious proliferation. Insects dart and buzz continually until the air itself seems to be in motion, while butterflies duck and rise like flames. Through it all, light and heat bear down with an intensity that sears the senses....
Fire on an emotional level corresponds to joy and excitement. In its proper measure, joy warms, activates, and enlivens the body. Joy brings light to the eyes and an animated energy to movement; it opens the heart, and inspires people to connect in warm ways with friends, colleagues, and lovers. Joy also spreads - smiles and laughter are contagious, and people who are happy enjoy spreading happiness to others."
The Gifts of Summer (Fire)
When we are fully embodying or honoring the season of Summer, we are open-hearted, joyful, and easily connect with other people. We freely share our gifts, talents, and resources with others, while still honoring our boundaries. We are tender, empathetic, optimistic, and enthusiastic.
The gifts of Summer/Fire include:
Being peacefully content.
Taking pleasure in who we are and what we have to offer.
Being able to receive and acknowledge what others have to offer.
Having a healthy vulnerability that leads to heart-felt connection with others.
“Living in harmony” requires continual adjustments: some days are easier or better than others. The following are clues that you might need to bring yourself back into balance in this Summer phase. You can usually tell how you’re out of balance by the quality of your energy. For example, are you feeling on edge? Or having difficulty feeling close with others? You might want to lean into more of Summer’s gifts to fan Fire’s small flame. Perhaps you are heavy on the “overs”: over-doing, over-expressing, over-playing? It may be time for more rest and calm as Fire burns too brightly.
How do you know if you are experiencing a full expression of the Fire phase? You have:
Heart-felt, positive relationships.
An open heart – are able to trust and surrender to life.
Confidence in your gifts and are able to express them openly.
Alignment between your daily life and your purpose.
A feeling of maturity and comfort in your state of being.
Effortless connection with others.
How can you tell if you are under expressing Fire? You may:
Be easily startled, or feel sensitive, lost, or panicky.
Protect your heart/have difficulty relating intimately to other people.
Try to control other people.
Lack Shen (“spirit” or personal energy in TCM) – a “sparkle in your eye.”
Have nervous laughter.
How can you tell if you are over expressing Fire? You may:
Be manic, excitable, or garrulous – scattered, wild, excited energy.
Be stuck in “play” mode.
Have big, booming laughter (out of place).
Be hypersensitive or overly anxious.
Have an outsized presence that may be intimidating.
Suffer from insomnia (due to too much excitement).
Have many superficial relationships (or a dysfunctional one).
Practical tips for living in harmony with Summer
If you find yourself feeling out of balance during this season, you might want to try one or more of these helpful practices:
Play!
Be spontaneous.
Find someone to confide in.
Laugh!
Hug someone (good touches only!).
Enjoy a massage or energy work session.
Meditate/calm your mind.
Engage in art or mind-mapping to find out what you’re passionate about.
If you’re having trouble kindling your inner fire, try incorporating cinnamon (or other warming herbs) into your diet. A commonly-used kitchen spice, cinnamon has an affinity for the heart and circulatory system.
If you’re feeling like a five-alarm — or dumpster — fire (which can occur any time of year due to stress, overwork (aka burnout), or illness), bitter-tasting herbs like dandelion root and leaf can help. Many colorful foods are rich in flavonoids and tend to be anti-inflammatory and a bit bitter. Try colorful squashes and in-season fruits.
Roses are the signature plant for this season. Indulge in rose petal jelly, add rose water to lemonade, or use rose hydrosol. Rose has had a direct connection to our hearts throughout the ages. With its exquisitely-scented petals and thorny stems, the rose, says herbalist Larken Bunce, "has a great balance between vulnerability and protection.” And that is exactly what we are striving for in the full expression of Summer.
Are you ready to shine in Summer? Do you have a safe heart-space for your spirit to dwell? Can you feel settled and content in your own radiance and open your heart to surrender to life and truly connect with others? Focus on no longer striving, but just arriving to truly embody this season. And stay hydrated!
Sources:
Beinfield, Harriet and Korngold, Efrem. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. Print.
Reichstein, Gail. Wood Becomes Water: Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, New York: Kodansha USA, Inc, 1998. Print.
Larken Bunce. Five Phases: The Nature of Your Health. Nov. 2015. Webinar.
Originally written 2019; edited July 2025.
TCM words and references are capitalized and italicized to distinguish their concept/meanings, e.g., Summer and Heart.
The Fire Phase is also related to the Pericardium/Heart Protector and Triple Heater. In TCM, the Pericardium surrounds the Heart and protects it from hurtful people, comments, or actions. The Triple Heater has several functions, including governing the interrelationship among organs. There is speculation that the Triple Heater corresponds to connective tissue, or fascia, in Western anatomy and physiology. Fascia connects every part of the body and has been found to conduct bioelectricity (like Qi). [Reichstein, Gail]