By Donna D’Cruz
Some summers feel different. This is one of them. You can feel it in the air. Fall and winter seem an age away, and most of us revel in the baking heat soaking into our very bones as if to store away the burgeoning warmth for chillier days.
Summer’s sights and smells depend largely on where you are. Oceanside smells are of briny saltwater with the faint whiff of fish. The heady wafts of honeysuckle, sweet rose, and the hypnotic dance of night-blooming jasmine crowd our olfactory banks, along with barbecued seafood and baked butter-soaked corn. Drive into the suburbs and the underlying scent of freshly mown grass and turf compete with the faint puffs of bergamot, rosewood and fabric softener.
Evenings bring the primal smells of food cooking to this heady brew.
I relish this magical season. It’s like living inside a Seals & Crofts song, with the smell of flowers spiking the air. “Summer breeze makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.” This season serves as a natural reset button, offering a break from the relentless pace of daily life. The long, sunlit days encourage us to step outside, breathe deeply, and reconnect with ourselves. As Albert Camus beautifully put it, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” Summer’s warmth and light provide the perfect backdrop for reflection and renewal, allowing us to shed the burdens of the past and embrace new beginnings. Ready, reset…
To harness summer’s restorative power, try this summer “Dip Into Bliss”:
Find a quiet outdoor spot and sit comfortably.
Close your eyes and take deep breaths, feeling the warm air fill your lungs.
Visualize golden sunlight enveloping you, melting away stress and worry.
Listen to the sounds of nature in and around you—birds chirping, leaves rustling, feel your own breath.
Imagine yourself as a flower, blooming and thriving in the summer sun.
Open your eyes, feeling refreshed and renewed.
Bringing as it often does a promise of health, we also know how the poet John Keats warned us how the season’s lease hath all too short a date, and so we make the most of this season of wellness and health.
Tune in for weekly “Dip Into Bliss” meditations every Thursday with Cristina Cuomo and Donna D’Cruz on Instagram, @donnadcruz1 and @cristinacuomo; donnadcruz.com