Feeling Like Life’s Moving a Little Too Fast?
As summer begins to soften and we slowly make our way toward fall, many of us notice life picking up pace.
Schedules become fuller. Routines return. The days seem to disappear a little more quickly. Before we know it, we're moving from one task to the next, often forgetting to pause long enough to notice how we're feeling.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this time of year is known as Late Summer and is associated with the Earth element and the Spleen & Stomach.
This season represents nourishment, harvest, stability, and returning to our centre.
Just as farmers gather the fruits of everything they've tended throughout the growing season, Late Summer invites us to reflect on what we've been cultivating in our own lives.
A few questions to sit with
What has been nourishing you?
What has been draining you?
What do you want to carry with you into the next season?
What are you ready to let go of?
Returning to the Earth Element
Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen is considered a source of our postnatal energy, helping transform the nourishment we receive from food into the energy that supports the body and mind. Within this traditional framework, it is also connected to feeling grounded, focused, and emotionally supported.
When the Earth element is considered well nourished, we may associate it with feeling steady, clear, energized, and resilient.
When it seems to be asking for a little more care, we might notice things like fatigue, digestive concerns, bloating, brain fog, overthinking, worry, cravings for sweets, or simply the feeling that we're running on empty.
Our modern lives often ask us to move faster.
Nature gently reminds us to move with intention.
There is so much in life that we can't control. Unexpected changes. Full schedules. The demands of work and family. The worries we carry for ourselves, the people we love, and sometimes even the world around us.
While we may not be able to change everything happening around us, we can choose how we care for ourselves within it.
We can choose to nourish ourselves.
We can choose to create moments of stillness.
We can choose to ask for support.
We can choose to return to the simple daily practices that help us feel grounded.
Those small choices become our roots when life feels uncertain.
Simple Ways to Find a Little More Grounding
As we prepare for a busier season, here are a few gentle practices you might explore:
Slow down while you eat. Let meals become moments of nourishment rather than another task to check off.
Choose foods that feel nourishing and satisfying to you. In TCM traditions, warm and cooked foods are often emphasized during this seasonal transition.
Spend time outdoors. Even ten quiet minutes can offer a break from a busy mind.
Connect with the earth. Put your hands in the garden, feel the grass beneath your feet, or simply notice the changing colours around you.
Protect your rest with the same care you protect your work schedule.
Take a few slow belly breaths throughout your day and give yourself a moment to settle.
Ask yourself: “What truly deserves my energy today?” Not everything requires the same amount of you.
Spend time with the people who help you feel safe, seen, and at home.
Acupuncture Through the Seasonal Transition
Acupuncture can also be one way of caring for yourself as the seasons change.
Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, treatments are individualized around the patterns and concerns a person presents with. People may seek acupuncture care for concerns related to digestion, sleep, stress, energy, and overall wellbeing, among many others.
But acupuncture is only one piece of the picture.
As summer begins to soften into fall, perhaps this is your gentle reminder:
You don't have to match the pace of everything around you.
Nature doesn't rush from one season to the next.
It slows, adapts, and transitions with intention.
Maybe this season is inviting you to do the same.
Healing isn't always found in doing more. Sometimes it's found in consistently caring for ourselves in small, meaningful ways.
Whether that's enjoying a warm, nourishing meal, taking a quiet walk in nature, sharing laughter with someone you love, resting without guilt, or simply taking a deep breath and slowing down...
Small acts of nourishment, practiced consistently over time, can become meaningful rituals of care.
May this season bring you a little more nourishment, a little more grounding, and the space to come home to yourself.
— Kristina Shannon, R.Ac
Cedar & Sea Wellness Collective