Summer and Your Heart

▌ PART 1 ▌ THE MYSTERY

🏛️ The Emperor Who Cannot Rest

Imagine an emperor.

He sits on his throne. His empire is at peace because he keeps it together. Officials work, soldiers stand guard, and farmers tend the fields. The entire empire functions—because the emperor reigns.

But no one realizes: The emperor hasn't slept in months. He listens to every report, makes every decision, and bears every responsibility. On the outside, he appears calm. On the inside, he is burning with anxiety.

One day, he just can't take it anymore.

He isn't sick. He isn't old. He hasn't defeated an enemy who could have defeated him. He is simply exhausted—in a way for which the Empire has no words.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a term for this.
She calls it: „I don't know.“
Translated: „The spirit no longer guards its home.“

Today we call it: I'm beside myself. Burnout. Exhaustion for no reason. Lying awake even though your body is tired. The feeling of going through the motions but no longer being in touch with yourself.

In TCM, the heart is the emperor.
And the emperor is at his most vulnerable right now—in the summer.

🩸 The Disease of the Successful

Here’s something that hardly anyone talks about openly.

In the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine, heart problems do not affect the weak. They affect those who give too much and receive too little.

Moms who have everything under control.
Managers who bear responsibility.
Caregivers who support others.
Artists who give, give, give.
People who never get sick—until they collapse.

These people are often the last to notice anything. They have ways of hiding their exhaustion. Coffee. Discipline. Just getting by. „I'm fine.“ The emperor who appears calm on the outside but is burning with passion on the inside.

On the outside, it looks like a success. On the inside, the substance is gone.

And summer is the season when this exhaustion sets in. When the outside is at its brightest, the inside becomes most visible. Anyone who was already „somehow not there“ in May is completely out of it by July. Those who felt their hearts racing in June have nothing left in August.

That's not a weakness. It's just the system doing its job.

But why is it affecting so many people? And why now, of all times?
To do that, we need to dig deeper.

▌ PART 2 ▌ THE REVELATION

🪷 The Three Treasures — What Truly Sustains You

To understand what is really at stake this summer, you need to know what TCM is based on.

Western medicine views the human body in terms of organs and bodily functions. Chinese medicine takes a different view. It speaks of three treasures — the three levels of human existence:

• Jing — the essence you were born with. Your constitutional depth. It resides in the kidneys and is limited: a savings account from which you can only withdraw.
• Qi — the energy that flows through you every day. What you generate from your breath, food, and movement. It fluctuates, it regenerates, it is flexible.
• Shen — the spirit that shines through you. Your awareness, your presence, the light in your eyes when you’re truly there.

These three are not the same. They build on one another—like three floors of the same building. Jing is the foundation. Qi is the daily work. Shen is the light.

When the lights go out, the house remains standing— but nobody lives there anymore.

And the Shen dwells in the heart.

That is why the heart is so often affected in the summer. In the summer, the Shen is particularly active—and particularly easy to lose. Those who protect the Shen during this season protect the entire system—because all three treasures are interconnected.

But how exactly do you lose your Shen? What happens inside?

🐦 The Bird and Its Nest

TCM has an image for the Shen that explains it all.

The Shen is like a bird.
His home is his lifeblood.

If the nest is stable, the bird sits still.
When the nest grows weak, he flutters.

And here’s the part that almost no one talks about:
The nest won't recovered — it will formed. From sleep. From rest. From nourishment. Every night, the body builds up a little more heart-blood in which the Shen can dwell the next day.

In the summer, everything goes wrong.

The evenings are long, the nights are short. You go to bed later because it’s still light out. You sweat more—and with every drop, a piece of your heart’s substance flows out. You move more, eat lighter, drink ice-cold. The materials for building the nest grow scarce, while the demands on the Shen increase.

And without a nest, the bird has nowhere to call home.
No matter how tired you are.

That’s why so many people sleep poorly in the summer. It’s not „not enough sleep.“ It’s „not substantial enough“, to keep the spirit alive.

📜 What the Elders Knew

There is a sentence in the Huangdi Neijing — the classic text of Chinese medicine, written more than 2,000 years ago:

„The heart is the seat of the Shen.
When the Shen is clear, a person is healthy.
When the Shen is scattered, a person is ill,
“even if the organ is still functioning."

This is one of the oldest descriptions of what medicine and psychology are laboriously relearning today: that a person can be sick without a single test showing anything.

✨ What this means for you

If you're feeling exhausted right now, if your heart is racing, if you can't sleep—that doesn't mean you've failed. Nor is it a diagnosis that no one can give you.

It is your body’s way of telling you that you are lacking substance. That your nest has grown thin. That your Shen can no longer find a stable place to rest.

And the best part is: Substance can be rebuilt. The nest can be reweaved layer by layer. The Shen can be brought home.

You’re not missing something that will never return. You’re missing something that’s waiting for you to invite it back.

Got it. Now for the question that really matters:
What can you do?

▌ PART 3 ▌ THE TOOLS

🌙 What your heart needs right now

The emperor doesn't need magic. He needs Care.
No program. No drastic measures. No overwhelming demands.

Five pillars, every day, with equanimity.

🍵  First: Cooling from the inside

In the summer, the heat rises—both outside and inside. But be careful: Ice doesn't cool. Ice heats up.

Your body maintains a constant core temperature. When something ice-cold enters your core, your body fights back. It generates heat in response—more than was there before. That’s why, paradoxically, you feel hotter after drinking an iced coffee. That’s why you start sweating after drinking ice water.

What truly refreshes are two flavors that have soothed the soul for thousands of years.

BITTER is the taste of the heart. Bitter foods dispel heat. They reduce internal heat. They have a calming effect.

• Chicory, radicchio, arugula — served as a salad before the meal
• Green tea — not ice-cold, but at room temperature
• Artichoke — as a vegetable or as juice
• Grapefruit — in the morning, refreshing without weighing you down

RED is the color of the heart. Red foods nourish the heart directly.

• Watermelon is THE summer food in TCM. It cools, hydrates, and nourishes—without weighing you down
• Tomatoes, berries, cherries, pomegranates
• Hibiscus tea — cools you from the inside and tastes like summer

What you can cut back on:

• Alcohol warms you up—especially in hot weather
• Spicy food adds some extra heat
• Too much coffee irritates the Shen
• Fried and grilled foods generate internal heat

🧘  Second: Grounding the Shen

The bird needs breaks during which it can sit down.

Create havens of peace. A 20-minute lunch break—not on your phone, but for real. Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe.

Set bedtimes. Go to bed before 11 p.m., even if it’s still light out. The hours before midnight count double—during this time, your body builds up the substance in which the Shen can rest.

Seeking a genuine connection. A conversation that goes deep. A hug that lasts. Social media shows connection—but it IS None.

Making the most of nature. Sunsets have an immediate calming effect on the Shen. Water cools the heart-fire. Walking barefoot grounds you and dissipates heat.

🩸  Third: Strengthening the nest

Blood is produced at night. From rest. From sleep. From food.

What nourishes:

• Red dates (jujube), goji berries, cherries, pomegranate
• Beets — blood-building and earthy
• Dark leafy greens — spinach, Swiss chard, rich in iron
• Lentils, chickpeas, eggs — boost blood production
• Bone broth — deeply nourishing, warms without heating

🔥  Fourth: Don't add fuel to the fire

• Avoid the midday sun (12–3 p.m.)
• Exercise early or late—but not in the midday heat
• Recognizing Burnout: Summer Isn't the Time for Peak Performance
• Avoid ice-cold drinks — room temperature is the way to go

💕  Fifth: True joy

The heart needs joy. But not all joy is the same.

True joy It happens through connection. In a conversation that goes deep. In a hug that lasts. In a moment when you’re truly present. It is still. It remains. It fills the heart.

Thrill–Joy It’s just excitement. It demands more and more stimulation, faster and faster. It comes from likes, from scrolling, from algorithm-driven entertainment, from the constant search for „something new.“ It leaves you feeling empty—even if you’re laughing right now.

Both stimulate the heart. But only one nourishes it.
The other one empties it.

At the end of the day, ask yourself: What truly nourished me today—not just entertained me?
Do more of it. Consciously.

📍 From the Acupressure Treasure Chest

Two things that will instantly help your heart.

He 07 (Shénmén) — „Gate of the Spirit“

• Inside of the wrist, in the crease, below the little finger
• 60 sec. gently circling, both sides
• THE spot for Shen — perfect in the evening

HK 06 (Nèiguān) — „Inner Gate“

• Inside of the forearm, about three fingers' width above the wrist crease
• 60 sec. gently circling, both sides
• For heart palpitations, anxiety, or nervousness

🧭 Two more points (Ht 03 and CV 17), which are good for the heart in the summer, plus detailed instructions can be found in our free acupuncture atlas:
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/akupunkturatlas

🎁 A treat for your afternoon

There’s a moment in the summer when the energy shifts. It’s in the afternoon, between 2 and 4 p.m.

You suddenly feel tired, irritable, and drained. Most people reach for coffee or sweets. Both raise your heart rate and exhaust it even more.

TCM has a better suggestion—and it’s so simple that it’s easy to overlook.

🍒  Goji dates in the afternoon

What you'll need (for 1 serving):

• 3 red Chinese dates (Hong Zao / jujube)
• 1 tablespoon goji berries
• 200 ml hot water

Preparation:
Place the dates and goji berries in a cup. Pour hot water over them. Let them steep for 10 minutes. Drink the water first, then eat the softened dates and berries.

What it does in the body:
In TCM, red dates are one of the most important remedies for nourishing both qi and blood at the same time. They nourish the heart Substance — exactly what you need in the afternoon, when yang energy begins to wane. Goji berries nourish liver blood and kidney yin, and provide the shen with a foundation on which to rest.

Together, they make up a mini TCM pharmacy in a cup.

For three weeks, every afternoon. You’ll feel the day unfold differently.

🛁  A bonus for those evenings when your energy just won't let up

If you feel restless in the evening and can't seem to quiet your mind, there's an ancient TCM practice that hardly anyone in the West knows about: a A lukewarm foot bath with a pinch of salt and a little lavender (approx. 35–37 °C, 10–15 minutes).

It sounds paradoxical in the summer—but it isn't. The warm water around your feet activates the Kidney meridian and gently draws the yang energy down from the head. To where it belongs.

Then dry your feet, put on some thick socks, and get into bed.
You'll be surprised at how soundly you sleep afterward.

▌ PART 4 ▌ THE VISION

🍂 Summer as a test — autumn as the answer

Summer isn't just a season. It's a test of endurance.

If your system can weather it—if you stoke the fire without getting burned, if you respect the emperor, if you keep the bird in the nest—you’ll emerge stronger as autumn arrives.

And autumn has a different purpose. It is associated with the Metal element, the lungs, grief, and letting go. In autumn, you can process what summer has opened up. You can take stock. You can let go.

That will only work if you've built up your stamina over the summer. Anyone who enters autumn feeling burned out doesn't have the strength to let go—they cling on tightly. Those who enter autumn with a full nest can breathe, go with the flow, and let go.

In other words: What you do for your heart this summer will determine what your fall will be like.

And maybe your winter, too. And maybe your next year, too.

💫 Radiation is not the same as burning

Summer wants you to shine.
But a glow isn't the same as a burn.

Your heart isn't meant to perform.
It's there to shine.

The difference is small—but it makes all the difference:
Exhausting. Nourishing.

Give your heart what it needs: a cool breeze when it gets too hot. Peace and quiet when it gets too loud. Connection when you feel lonely. Joy that is genuine.

And maybe—just maybe—this summer will be the summer when you learn to follow your heart live, instead of just with him work.

The emperor may take a seat.
The bird is cleared to land.
Shen is welcome to stay at home.

📌 Even more for you

Want to know how your heart is doing?
🌿 Take the free TCM analysis
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/tcm-analyse

Want to strengthen your core?
🌱 BS Plus — the foundation of our transformation
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/bs-ballaststoffe-plus

Want to snack without feeling guilty?
🍫 XOCOLÁ — sweet without weighing you down
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/xocola

Want some monthly TCM inspiration?
📜 Newsletter — The Yellow Emperor writes to you personally
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/newsletter-anmeldung

Want to incorporate daily self-care with an acupuncture pen?
🖊️ The AkuPen — pinpoint accuracy, with a video library covering over 80 acupoints
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/akupen

Want to start the week off with some exercise?
🧘 Live Qigong — every Monday, practice together
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/live-qi-gong-klasse