Summer Exercises
Summer is the season of luxurious growth in Nature, when everything blooms and begins to bear fruit. The colour is red. The element for Summer is Fire, and the associated organs are the Heart and Small Intestine, together with the organs described by the Chinese as Heart Protector and Triple Heater. If we have no fire in our body we have no "get up and go". We tend to start things and are unable to finish them. Emotionally we may feel lacking in joy and cold-hearted. Summer is a time to fire ourselves up!
Important! Perform these exercises in a slow and relaxed manner.
1. Heart and Small Intestine Meridian Stretch

Heart and Small Intestine exercise
- Sit on the floor and place the soles of your feet together in front of you by bending both knees out to the side.
- Clasp you feet with both hands and draw them in towards yourself as close as you can.
- Bend forward while exhaling, keeping the thighs down as far as possible. Ideally your forehead should reach your toes and both your elbows and knees should touch the floor, but there is no need to force yourself into this position.
- Breathe in deeply and feel the stretch in your arms, shoulders and legs.
2. Heart Protector and Triple Heater Meridian Stretch

Heart Protector and Triple Heater exercise
- Sit crossed legged with your back straight
- Cross your arms over each other and let your wrists rest loosely on the opposite knees. The arm on the same side as the leg on top should go over the top of the other arm.
- Inhale deeply and bend forward as you exhale, with your forehead reaching down towards the floor.
- Inhale and stretch down as far as you can. Repeat for a few breaths.
- Repeat with the other leg and other arm on top.
Winter Exercise
Winter is the season of conservation of energy in Nature, when some animals go into hibernation. The colour is dark blue or black. The element for Winter is Water, and the associated organs are the Kidney and Bladder. If our Water energy is low, we may feel tired, with aching in the lower back or the abdomen feeling bloated perhaps. Emotionally we may feel fear or despair. Winter is a time to nourish ourselves and keep warm, and expend as little energy as possible .
Important! Perform this exercise in a slow and relaxed manner.
Kidney and Bladder Meridian Stretch
- Sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight out.
- Keep your knees straight and try to keep your legs in contact with the floor as much as possible.
- On the out breath, link your thumbs together and reach up with your arms above your head.
- Bend your upper body forward and bring your arms down and stretch them out towards your toes. Unlink your thumbs and invert your palms to face outwards to the arches so that the thumbs are turned down towards the heels.
- Breathe in deeply and feel the stretch in your arms and legs.
- Exhale slowly and you will find that you can stretch a little further. Do not force it.
- Repeat this breathing and stretching several times.