Dear Beloved Acupuncture Ohana,

I hope this note finds you well. We have new clinic times that just opened up for the next few weeks.

More days coming in July and August.

Please visit: www.leeacupuncture.biz for details. Look forward to seeing your beautiful faces soon.

The days are long, the sun is strong, and Kauai is fully expressed and alive. I just completed a beautiful six-week journey into Biofield Awareness & Connections, exploring what it means to be in relationship—with self, with others, with the living field around us.

What we witnessed, again and again, is this deep human longing to slow down and remember. To feel how interconnected we really are. Like Indra’s Net in Buddhist philosophy, each of us is a shining jewel reflecting all the others. We are woven together—through breath, presence, and love.

Summer in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the season of the Heart and Small Intestine—ruling our joy, passion, clarity, and ability to connect. But summer heat, if unbalanced, can stir up anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, irritability—and skin issues like rashes, acne, hives, or eczema. This is the Fire element out of harmony, showing itself through the skin, our outermost frontier.

Here are some tips for Summer Skin & Spirit:

• Go bitter, go green: Include cooling, clearing foods like bitter melon, dandelion greens, chrysanthemum tea, and mung bean soup.
• Keep the blood clean: Hibiscus tea, goji berries, burdock, and pearl powder all help nourish the Heart and calm the skin.
• Cool the Heart: Lotus seed tea, watermelon juice, and fresh mint soothe fire from within.
• Move heat out through sweat, but don’t overdo it. Morning walks, qi gong, or gentle swims will move qi without scattering your spirit.

Why Cold Drinks & Raw Foods May Be Draining Your Qi (Even in the Heat)

On hot summer days in Kaua‘i, it's tempting to reach for ice-cold drinks or crisp raw salads—but if you're already feeling fatigue, sluggish digestion, or inflammation, these habits might be quietly making things worse.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, your digestive system—rooted in the Spleen and Stomach—relies on warmth to transform food into energy. Ice and raw foods can extinguish this inner fire, weakening digestion, slowing metabolism, and leaving you bloated, foggy, or more inflamed.

Simple Tips for Staying Cool Without Dampening Your Qi:

Drink room-temperature or lightly chilled teas like peppermint, chrysanthemum, or hibiscus to cool the body gently without shocking the system.

Favor lightly cooked foods—think quick stir-fries, blanched greens, steamed fish, or soups made with cooling herbs like mung beans or lotus root.

Enjoy hydrating foods that are naturally cooling yet easy to digest—cooked zucchini, cucumber soup, watermelon (in moderation), or poached pears.

Add fresh ginger or warming spices in small amounts to support digestion even when eating lighter meals.

Slow down your meals—sit, breathe, and chew thoroughly. Your body needs presence just as much as it needs nutrients.

If you must cool down fast, try misting your skin, soaking your feet, or taking a lukewarm bath—ways to refresh without chilling the core.

Our island is full of natural beauty and medicine. Let it soothe you from the outside in, while you nourish your inner fire with wisdom and care. Balance isn’t about extremes—it’s about learning to listen deeply to your body and choosing what strengthens your center.

This is also a time to stay grounded as the world shifts. We are living in fast, uncertain times—and the temptation is to speed up. But the wisdom of the Earth whispers otherwise.

How to Stay Connected and Grounded This Summer:

• Touch the earth. Literally. Barefoot walks, sitting on the sand, placing your back against a tree.
• Let nature regulate your nervous system. Let the wind brush through your thoughts. Let the waves dissolve what’s not yours to carry.
• Use acupressure on points like Yin Tang (between the brows), Heart 7 (wrist crease), or Kidney 1 (bottom of the foot) to anchor your spirit.
• Try evening tapping or breathwork, syncing with the rhythms of nature instead of the buzz of the world.

This island is medicine. The mist in the valleys. The songs of the stream. The stillness of the mountains. When we tune in, we remember—healing is not effort, it’s alignment.

We invite you to take this time to schedule your summer acupuncture or herbal sessions—whether it’s to support your skin, ease anxiety, nourish your heart, or simply have a space to recalibrate. You can book online at [insert booking link].

Let’s walk this season with ease, grace, and reverence, rooted in our breath, our bodies, and this precious island that holds us.

With deep aloha and heart,

Linda Ming Lee

Practitioner of Acupuncture, Lover of Herbal Medicine & Biofield Awareness Guide