By Yoga By Gillian Posted on

Cooling the fire – to get a better sleep

I can’t believe that we’re here in August already. We have a few weeks of summer left and it’s time to make the most of the longer evenings and a bit of sunny weather. I really like this time of year, when we’re out of the ‘too hot I can’t do anything,’ height of summer and things are beginning to slow down a little bit.

Last week I mentioned the difficulties some people have with getting a good sleep at this time of year. It’s got a lot to do with the heightened energy of summer and the fire element. We actually need a strong fire to help see us into the remaining seasons of the year. Having a lot of heat during the summer helps to create that fire, which allows us to enjoy our time socialising and spending more time outdoors. This in turn ensures that we enter late summer and the earth element in a state of balance – we are ready to take things down a notch as we journey towards the more yin seasons.

But to allow us to move forwards we need to be in a state of balance in the current element – that’s fire. So, if you’re struggling with getting a decent sleep at night or having vivid dreams that may be a signal that you need a little more joy and fire in your life. Here’s a few things you can do to help create that balance:

  1. Plan your meals for the day and try to include some bitter foods e.g. lemons, grapefruits, pineapples and cranberries.
  2. Create a Playlist of songs that make you happy, bonus points if these are songs you love to sing along with. (The tongue is associated with the fire element and heart meridian, so singing would be a great way to bring more balance.)
  3. We all love to laugh – so this is a great excuse to watch those silly cat videos on YouTube, just set a time limit or you may end up scrolling all night.
  4. Set a few top priorities for your day to keep you focused.
  5. Drink plenty of water, as this acts to balance out too much fire.

Follow these tips and you may find that your sleep improves. Check out this Daily Planner for the fire element to help you create that balance in your life.