Why isn’t the summer slowdown bringing me happiness?

Mindfulness Talk

The summer slowdown brings us heat on the skin, cool drinks and long days. Rest literally feels like it soaks into you. Ahhhh!  All of this self-care and relaxation seems like the perfect time for happiness to rise up like fluttering wings in the heart.

But often it doesn’t. Disappointing? Confusing? Maybe not! 

Summer may be on the opposite side of winter on the calendar, but they are not on the opposite sides of the emotional spectrum. Both summer slowdown and winter hibernation brings forth emotional states like “relaxed” and “soothed”. They are built for grounding and feeling.  According to Karla McLaren in The Language of Emotions, none of these are emotional states that coincide with happiness. Instead, these are all nuances of sadness.  

Now wait just one minute.

I know, but this is not your ordinary type of sadness. Summer slowdown brings us the type of sadness that softens us, not the type that brings us loss.  Summer sadness is where the go-go-go push of goals and work comes to a halt and we take the time to let the tensions of life sink through and out. So maybe put away your positive affirmations and just… feel.  You have the time. 

McLaren says this is the perfect time to ask ourselves “what needs to be released?” and “what needs some rejuvenating or refreshing?”  

Maybe it’s time to leave the over-the-top happiness of summer to the movies, and save the real feelings to the real people.  

Meditation

Finding Present Meditation:

As you slow down your breathing, become aware of (or imagine) the summer heat on your skin. On an inhale, imagine the heat soaking into your body, softening your emotions.  On an exhale, imagine the submerged heat dissipating out of your body - releasing.  Continue to inhale and exhale and feel.  

When you are ready, open your eyes and end here.  Or, begin the mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation:

Continue to feel summer heat soaking in and softening your emotions.  Continue to feel the heat going through your body and dissipating and releasing. 

Begin to imagine the dissipating heat as steam.  Become aware of the steam swirling and moving as it releases from you.  Don’t be surprised the swirling steam begins to make a picture of something - of a memory or thought or feeling.  Just acknowledge it, and notice it for a bit, and then let it evaporate away.

Put your thoughts back on the swirling steam that is releasing from you.  If another picture emerges, just notice it and let it float away.  

Eventually your imagined steam will come to an end, and you’ll just have your warm and softened body.  Just feel the warmth and the softness for a bit.

Now begin to imagine drinking a cool, refreshing drink.  Let that cool drink slowly travel from your throat to your head, spreading to any areas that need refreshing.  Let that coolness slowly travel down to your heart, cooling anything that needs refreshing.  Let it spread slowly to your stomach, cooling and refreshing.  Then to your pelvis and hips, cooling and refreshing.  Let it slowly spread through any parts that need refreshing.

Closing Routine:

When you are ready, rub fingers together and take three cleansing breaths. Or use any closing routine that works for you.