Feeling the Heat

In the Summer months, everything heats up and nature uses that energy to flourish. Flora and fauna are at the peak of their natural cycles, beautifying the environment and realizing their full potential after the new growth of Spring.

We humans find ways to enjoy that energy as well. Embracing the heat and energy of Summer is part of staying in tune with nature and it's cycles. We also know that too much heat can be detrimental...sun burn, sluggishness or dehydration are some of the less desirable effects we want to protect ourselves against. Outdoor activities are one of the perks of Summer, many of them related to being in or around water as a natural way to balance the heat. We intuitively know that water can help to cool us down, so that we don't overheat. And as is the nature of nature, it also provides cooling foods and herbs to counteract the heat of the season, like cucumbers, watermelon, spearmint just to name a few.

Scientifically, heat is the flow of energy from a warm object to a cooler object. We tend to think that ice cools down water, or any other liquid we put it in, but in actuality the ice instigates the flow of energy from the warmer liquid, transferring heat throughout the glass and changing the overall temperature of the water. So when we jump in that ocean or lake or pool in the Summer, our heat is "cooled down" by the warmer energy of our body flowing into the cooler water. Cool, huh? (yes, pun intended!) This heat energy is everywhere and is always moving. Molecules that are warmer are more active, moving away from each other, causing expansion. Molecules that are cooler are less active, moving closer together, causing contraction. Think of a door that sticks a little in the warmer months...it's molecules are moving more, causing it to expand. If we listen, we can hear those creaks of expansion and contraction throughout our homes as temperatures heat up in the Summer and cool down in the Winter.