๐ณ Xiaoman | Nature is filling up. I am, slowly.
๐ฟ Plants and trees are filling up
Xiaoman (Lesser Fullness).
The time when plants and trees stretch their backs and the world gradually becomes more vibrant.
But the human body doesn't go in a straight line like nature.
Somehow heavy. Sleepy. Sluggish.
Without the engine fully starting, the days just pass by calmly.
It's not that I'm not trying. It's just that my body is saying, 'Let me rest for a little bit.'
๐ง๏ธ Things that tend to happen during this period
In this season when humidity increases, 'dampness' tends to accumulate inside the body as well.
Heaviness, swelling, gastrointestinal upset, shallow sleep. Minor ailments and discomforts.
Sensations that make you wonder, 'Is it just my imagination?' That might be a sign from your body.
During this time when temperature differences and atmospheric pressure changes continue,
the body is being exhausted without you knowing it.
When the season wavers, the body wavers a little too.
Try to be a little kind to yourself.
๐ How you spend your time now determines the rainy season
From Xiaoman to the start of the rainy season, there is only a little time left.
How you spend this period might change your condition during the humid season.
Now is still the season for preparation.
It's just right to hang up a 'preparing' sign.
๐ Self-care โ | Switch to relaxing in the bathtub
When busy, I tend to just take a shower.
But especially during this time, I want to soak in the bathtub.
Slowly, in lukewarm water.
When you warm up from the core of your body, the accumulated dampness gradually drains away.
It feels like various things are flowing away smoothly along with it.
It's strange, but I feel like the quality of my sleep improves too.
Use bath salts or herb salts, and change the scent daily.
You can enjoy a little feeling of luxury.
You don't have to force yourself to get things in order.
Just soaking in the bathtub slowly is enough.
๐น Self-care โก | I took a 5-minute detour
To keep the circulation going, move your body.
That said, it doesn't have to be a 30-minute walk.
Just take a 5-minute detour, more than usual. That's all it takes.
The other day, invited by a friend, I went to see the garden of an acquaintance's house.
It was just a little off my usual walking course.
Even though it should have been a familiar residential area, the air was different there.
I was guided in with a 'Please, come in.'
From old roses to modern roses.
Clematis, lavender, Christmas roses.
Carefully tended plants and flowers were swaying in the soft breeze.
It was so beautiful that I couldn't help but sigh, and for a while, I just admired it.
I didn't try hard to walk.
I just took a little detour and encountered an unexpected scene.
Margins are hidden in places like that.
โ๏ธ Self-care โข | Sunbathing during a break in the rainy season
If there is a break in the rain, try going outside even for a little bit.
Stop and look up at the sky.
On the back of your neck, around the pressure point called 'Dazhui',
gently receive the sunlight.
It feels like the circulation that had stopped is starting to move a little.
I notice that before I knew it, the clouds have changed into summer shapes.
Such small moments teach me about the turning of the seasons.
โ๏ธ Self-care โฃ | Gently protect yourself from the cold.
The season when air conditioners start switching to dry or cooling mode.
The cold enters quietly and gently.
Neck, wrists, ankles. Gently protect the places that have 'neck' in their name.
Just keep a thin stole and leg warmers tucked in your bag.
They will gently protect you from the unexpected cold of the air conditioner.
They are reliable helpers this season.
๐ Food | Xiaoman's dining table, caring for the stomach and intestines
๐ซ Broad beans, green beans, snap peas.
Beans during this period replenish energy and help the stomach and intestines.
Grill the broad beans in their pods.
The vibrant green colors the dining table.
With grilled horse mackerel, grated daikon radish, and rice.
It's simple, but I feel like it's really reaching my body.
๐ Domestic lemons were on display at the supermarket, so I made honey-preserved lemons.
The acidity helps the flow of energy, and the honey gently moisturizes the digestive system.
Just dissolving it in hot water and drinking it in the morning changes the start of my day a little.
โ๏ธ A season when ultraviolet rays begin to get stronger.
I'll try to be a little gentler with how I eat.
I won't consume too much spicy, greasy, or cold food.
On days when I'm flushed from the sun, I'll have summer vegetables that cool the heat,
like cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants.
Ingredients that nourish the body, like black sesame, black beans, and maitake mushrooms,
also quietly lend their strength.
You don't have to force yourself to eat.
Just try incorporating a little bit. That's just right.
๐ต Longjing tea and mooncakes
I went to a Chinese tea room with a friend I hadn't seen in a while.
When I asked for the seasonal recommendation, they suggested Longjing tea.
I chose a mooncake as a tea snack and took a breather.
Fragrant tea and idle chatter. It was a modest tea party.
Before I knew it, my tension had eased, and I felt a little lighter.
Longjing tea is said to have the effect of cooling heat and clearing dampness.
It's a tea that gently snuggles up to this season.
It doesn't just have health benefits; it also relaxes the mind.
That kind of time is comforting.
๐ฟ Scent | Gently tuning the body and mind
During this time of year when sleep tends to be light,
I put a drop of lavender oil on an aroma stone.
I felt like I woke up refreshed in the morning.
Before I knew it, it had become my night routine.
The scent of lavender is just right for such nights.
I'm not doing anything difficult.
I try various things, and if they seem to suit me, I incorporate them.
Every day feels like a repetition of small experiments.
On days when my mood is easily swayed,
I try changing the scent of the aroma stone to geranium.
A scent that has a bit of green freshness within its sweetness.
It quietly snuggles up to the 'vague instability' of this time of year.
Just by changing the scent, I feel like even the air in the room becomes a little gentler.
Perhaps the body is more honest than I think.
๐ฟ Not packing too much in becomes a form of self-care
On sleepy days, I rest a little earlier.
On heavy days, I eat something warm.
On sunny days, I take a five-minute detour.
Precisely because it is a season of fullness,
it is just right for people to leave a little bit of space.
Nature is filling up.
Plants and trees grow upward and upward as if being rushed.
But people don't have to be like that.
While leaving a little bit of space, slowly.
At my own pace.
Even so, the seasons will continue to cycle properly.
