Preparing Your Body Temple for Summer: A Holistic Wellness Guide

As we move toward the summer solstice, it's a perfect time to align our lifestyle choices with the season's natural rhythms. True wellness extends beyond diet to encompass every aspect of how we nourish and protect our bodies. Here are just a few of my favorite ways to prepare the entire being for summer's intensity through mindful, Earth-connected living.

• Grounding: Your Foundation for Balance

Summer's heightened energy can leave us feeling scattered. Grounding practices help anchor this intensity while connecting to earth's stabilizing energy.

Make barefoot walking a daily ritual. Direct skin contact with the Earth helps discharge excess electrical energy and reduces inflammation. Take time to literally touch the Earth—garden without gloves, lie on grass, or place your palms on tree bark. These moments remind your nervous system of its natural rhythms. For more on grounding, read my The Magic of Earthing blog post.

• Mindful Sun Exposure: Light as Medicine

Allow morning Sunlight to reach your eyes naturally for 10-20 minutes after Sunrise to regulate circadian rhythms. Let Sunshine touch your bare skin for short periods without Sunscreen, building up gradually. Start with 10-15 minutes in early morning or late afternoon when UV rays are gentler. This supports vitamin D production and helps your body adapt naturally to summer's intensity. For more on the importance of receiving Sunlight, read my Gathering Sunbeams blog post.

• Clean Living: What Goes On and In Your Body

Read ingredient lists on everything—food and body products. If you can't pronounce it or don't recognize it as food, leave it behind. Summer's fresh bounty makes it easy to choose whole, unprocessed foods that support your body's natural detoxification processes.

Pay special attention to the fats in your diet, as these directly impact inflammation and hormonal balance. Avoid seed oils like canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, and safflower oils, which contain high levels of inflammatory polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Instead, choose stable, nourishing fats like grass-fed butter, beef tallow, ghee, and coconut oil. If you do use an oil, choose a high-quality, single-origin olive oil. Single-origin olive oil is crucial because most commercial olive oils are blended with cheaper seed oils and artificial coloring, defeating the purpose of choosing olive oil in the first place. These traditional fats and high quality oil support cellular health and provide sustained energy without contributing to inflammation.

Prioritize nutrient-dense animal products from grass-fed, pastured sources. Raw milk and raw cheese from grass-fed cows provide beneficial enzymes and probiotics that pasteurization destroys, while local yogurt from trusted sources supports gut health. Grass-fed meat from animals raised on their natural diet is more nutrient-dense and less inflammatory than conventional grain-fed meat.

Your skin absorbs everything it touches, making body product choices as important as food choices. I create holistic, organic body products that are safe for your skin—letting go of chemicals allows your body to function as nature intended.

Focus on seasonal, local produce when possible, choosing organic to avoid pesticides and glyphosate residues. Summer's cooling foods like cucumbers, leafy greens, melons, and fresh herbs naturally balance the body while providing hydration.

Conscious Clothing: Natural Fibers Only

Your skin is your largest organ, absorbing whatever touches it. This makes your clothing choices crucial for wellness, especially during summer when you're wearing less and sweating more.

Choose natural fibers that allow your skin to breathe and don't introduce synthetic chemicals into your system. For garments closest to your skin, prioritize these natural materials. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and other petroleum-based materials can trap heat, prevent proper airflow, and introduce microplastics into your system through skin absorption.

Organic cotton ensures you're not absorbing pesticides and glyphosate residues that conventional cotton often carries. Hemp, linen, silk, and wool all allow natural airflow while supporting your body's temperature regulation.

Consider going without underwear when appropriate to allow natural airflow and earth connection. This simple choice supports healthy circulation and reduces synthetic material contact with your most sensitive skin.

• Nurturing Your Inner Environment

Just as we choose what foods nourish our bodies and what fabrics touch our skin, we must be mindful of what thoughts we feed our minds. We become our thoughts just as much as we become the food, clothes, and environment we surround ourselves with.

Practice lingering on joyful thoughts throughout your day. When you notice your mind drifting toward worry or negativity, gently redirect it toward something that brings you genuine happiness or gratitude. This isn't about forced positivity, but about consciously choosing to dwell in thoughts that nourish rather than deplete your energy.

Consider taking breaks from news and television, especially during summer's already heightened energy. Constant exposure to dramatic or negative content dysregulates your nervous system and amplifies Pitta imbalances. Instead, fill those spaces with practices that calm and center you.

My Sound meditations offer profound healing for both body and mind, helping to reset your nervous system and create space for more peaceful thoughts. Similarly, my bodywork sessions provide deep nervous system support, helping your body release stored tension and trauma that can cloud your mental clarity.

• Creating Your Summer Wellness Rhythm

Start with one practice that resonates most and build from there. Every small choice compounds over time. Your body temple deserves the same care you'd give any sacred space. By choosing materials and practices that support rather than burden your system, you create the foundation for thriving through summer's intensity.

These suggestions complement, not replace, professional guidance. If you'd like personalized support creating a summer wellness plan, sound meditation sessions to calm your nervous system, or bodywork to help your body release and reset, I'm here to help you flourish through every aspect of your wellness journey.

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