“You might be wondering… why are you talking about winter now?”
We get it. It’s high summer.
The sun is bright. Your days are full. The calendar might be packed with trips, BBQs, lake days, and family energy. The last thing on your mind might be winter.
But in Classical Chinese Medicine, now is exactly the time to start paying attention.
Because seasonal health doesn’t begin in crisis — it begins in preparation.
If we wait until the snow flies to think about how we’re feeling — it’s often too late. By then, the body is already adapting to cold, the mind is recalibrating to dark, and many of us are playing catch-up with our energy, immunity, or mood.
But if we start now — in the warmth and fullness of summer — we build a foundation.
A strong one.
Summer is a Season of Blooming — and of Laying Groundwork
In Chinese Medicine, summer is the most yang time of year — expressive, social, active, outward, fast-moving. It’s associated with the fire element, the heart, and the spirit. It’s expansive, energizing, and joyful.
But even fire needs to be tended.
If we burn too hot for too long, we enter the colder months drained and depleted.
And if we fail to balance the outward movement of summer with moments of rest and nourishment, we lose the resilience needed to transition into the stillness that follows.
So while we celebrate this season’s brightness, we also use it wisely.
We let it charge us — not empty us.
Between Summer and Winter Lies a Whole Arc of Transformation
It’s not just summer… then winter.
In Classical Chinese Medicine, there is a fifth season: Late Summer — a golden period of ripening, centering, and nourishment. Associated with the Earth element and the Spleen and Stomach, Late Summer is our time to come home to ourselves, tend digestion, and begin the inward shift.
From there, we transition into Autumn, a season of letting go, refinement, breath, and boundaries. This is the time of the Lungs and Large Intestine — the metal element — and it invites us to clear space, grieve what needs releasing, and prepare for the deep stillness of winter.
Then comes Winter — a season not of death, but of restoration. Of yin. Of deep, quiet potential.
And each of these phases is essential.
Each one offers a chance to tend different aspects of our physical and emotional health — before imbalance sets in.
What If You Didn’t Just Survive Winter… But Were Ready to Embrace It?
We often think of winter as something to “get through.”
But winter isn’t inherently harmful. It’s just different. And the more resourced and rooted we are by the time it arrives, the more we’re able to receive its beauty and stillness without crashing.
When we live in rhythm with the seasons:
- We strengthen immunity before cold season hits
- We tend digestion before appetite and movement slow
- We stabilize emotions before the darkness settles in
- And we enter winter not depleted, but prepared
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s presence.
And presence — especially seasonal presence — is something we can learn.
Introducing Living in Harmony: A Self-Paced Journey Through the Seasons
Living in Harmony is a self-paced, guided course rooted in the wisdom of Classical Chinese Medicine.
It’s designed to help you move through the year with more ease, vitality, and connection — not by doing more, but by aligning with the rhythm of the seasons and tuning into what your body actually needs.
This is not a checklist.
This is a rhythm. A return. A remembering.
As you move through each lesson, you’ll begin to see how the phases of the year connect — how each season prepares the ground for the next. You’ll learn simple, meaningful practices to nourish, support, and steady yourself through every transition.
You’ll explore:
- 🌞 How to use summer’s fire to energize without burning out
- 🌾 How to ground and nourish during Late Summer to support digestion and emotional steadiness
- 🍂 How to let go with Autumn and breathe more deeply into what matters
- ❄️ How to embrace Winter as a season of rest, restoration, and reflection
- 🌱 How to move through each seasonal shift with awareness and care
It’s self-paced and flexible — go in order, revisit as needed, or follow the seasons in real time.
You’ll be gently guided — never rushed — through insights, prompts, and embodied practices.
And you’ll be supported along the way through our private community space, where you can connect, reflect, and share the journey with others walking this path.
Plus: Keep an eye out for our Seasonal Immersions — deeper, guided experiences with Dr. Devynne and Dr. James, beginning this Autumn. These live offerings will layer beautifully with the core course to provide seasonal support, structure, and presence when you need it most.
Thanks for reading and sharing a moment with us.
If something in this post spoke to you, or you’re feeling the seasonal shift in your own body, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime — we’re always here to connect.