Yup! 5 seasons, not 4!

It’s short, but powerful, and pivotal. Late summer, which lasts from late August to Autumn Equinox (which is Sept 22 this year, in case you were wondering), belongs to the Earth element. This brief season marks the beginning of the transition from spring and summer’s yang energy – which is directed outward – to winter’s yin energy, which turns inward.

Here’s how to make the most of this time and be ready for the shift in energy:

Spend time in nature. Go to the cottage, or go camping, take a long hike or walk in the park. Listen to the cicadas, the birds, the wind rustling in the leaves… Enjoy the sunshine (within reason, of course) while it lasts.

Improve your diet. Your stomach, spleen, and pancreas are the rulers of late summer, so it’s time to nurture those organs. Lay off the sugar, booze, and greasy burgers and hit up your local farmer’s market instead. Eat local produce, and add some low sugar fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and kefir into your meals. (I’m personally in love with coconut kefir – it taste amazing, and is sugar-free, gluten free, and whatever else free…)

Cleanse your mind of whatever you’ve been worrying about or obsessing over this past year. Whether you do that through meditation, exercise, seeking help from a therapist, or any other method, now is the time. Your spleen and stomach hold the energy of worry and obsessive thinking when they’re out of balance, so it’s important to shift your focus away from destructive thinking to optimize your health and effectively prepare for the Autumn.