Beat the Heat - Sync with Summer.
Summer Vibes: Summer Soundtracks, Tantalizing Thai Rolls, and Barefoot Bliss!
Happy Summer! I don’t think she is playing around. It’s time for a shady tree, a refreshing dip in the water, and to replenish with our favorite sensory indulgences. I love to kick off every new season with some fun inspirations like a playlist, a recipe, and some seasonal self-care. To celebrate the celestial shift toward sun worshipping, here are some heatwave hits to keep you Kool, one of my favorite recipes (a completely adaptable dosha-friendly meal) and some key steps for barefoot bliss.
Songs for a Summer Serenade.
Enjoy this compilations of summer songs to keep you singing, dancing, and wistfully gazing at the drifting clouds. Tune up your Station wagon, put your hair up in a scrunchy, and buckle up your platform sandals. I’ve got you totally covered. S-AIL-ing Takes Me Away-y-y-y
Listen to Sizzling Summer on Spotify
Heat wave, The Tide is High, Hot Stuff, (Love is like A) Heat Wave, Heat Waves, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, Summer in the City, Hot Fun in the Summertime, Soak up the Sun, Vacation, Cruel Summer, Cruel Summer, Summertime Sadness, Blister in the Sun, Sunflower, Sunflower, Sunny, Brighter than the Sun, Hard Sun, Sunshine of your Love, Island in the Sun, Steal My Sunshine, Picnic in the Summertime, Summertime Blues, Surfer Girl, Summer Breeze, Sailing, Indian Summer, Summertime
Listen start to finish or use these tops tunes to inspire your own summer playlist. Did I leave any good ones out?
Summer Yum: Fresh Thai Rice Paper Spring Rolls
We love this recipe in our house for summer. You don’t have to turn on the oven and everyone can have exactly what they want. With so many fresh ingredients this time of year the sky is the limit. It’s great for a party and gets everyone involved. Sometimes I prepare a stack ahead of time, but it’s even more fun to prep everything and set the table buffet style. You can chop up lots of veggies, herbs, and add your choice of protein (I like tofu). Everyone can make them as they go!
Basic Ingredients:
8 rice paper wrappers
1 bunch Thai basil
1 bunch cilantro
2 ounces Thin Rice Noodles (optional)
4 ounces cubed baked tofu (optional)
Julienne an array of Vegetables: Options are endless. Choose a few...
Carrots, Cucumber, Red pepper, Zucchini, Spinach, Purple Cabbage, Jicama, Bean Sprouts Shitake Mushrooms (roasted), Daikon radish,
Dip the rice paper wrapper in a shallow dish of warm water. Make sure the dish is wide enough to fit the wrappers full circumference.
Once the wrapper is fully soaked, lay on a cutting board Layer a mix of vegetables across the middle of the wrapper.
Roll the wrapper like a burrito, tuck the ends in first.
Dipping Sauce: Blend - 2 to 4 tablespoons Water or Coconut milk + ¼ cup rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon Ginger + ¾ cup Peanut Butter ( or almond Butter) + ⅓ cup low sodium Tamari + 3 tablespoons Honey + 1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)
Blissfully Barefoot
One foot in front of the other, we keep marching on. Our feet are the stoic heroes of the body, carrying us from place to place without so much as a thank you. In eastern cultures, anointing of the feet is done with reverence in rituals for cleansing, healing, and restoring. Not only, do the feet serve our mobility- but are connected to the body’s subtle energy channels through key points of marmas and meridians. Reflexology, acupuncture and foot massage all take this into consideration as key points in treatment strategies.
7 tips to keep you on your toes:
Leave the Stillettos at the store.
Heal the skin with a warm foot soak. Steep a handful of marigolds in hot water, allow to cool, then soak when warm.
Try a weekly foot mask with water + almond meal + lentil powder. Leave it on for 10 minutes, rinse, and massage with sesame oil.
Go barefoot on the grass once a day.
Detoxify with a 5-10 minute foot soak before bed Add 2 tsp rock salt. Apply sesame oil to your feet.
Soften the heels with a refreshing lime scrub: 1 teaspoon lime juice + 1 teaspoon brown sugar.
Apply sesame oil to the soles of your feet before bed.
Now the hot weather is here, so it is time to ditch the socks and expose the toes. Whether you use a marma stick or a tennis ball, start with a ten minute massage. Then shine them up with a sandy foot polish and give them a cooling soak.
Fill a basin of water, add one drop of oil per liter of water. Finish it off with some rose or jasmine petals to revive the senses. For the ultimate calming and cooling, prepare a cool foot soak with a handful of sandalwood powder and a few drops of sandalwood essential oil.
Sync with the summer vibes to find your rhythm. It can take a while to fully adjust. (Just keep drinking water) Why do I get the feeling that kiddie pools are going to become hard to come by? How can you take full advantage of this season? What are you excited about in the coming days? What will you do and where will you go? Design your days and live in full color.
