Exactly in mid-July, I woke up fresh this morning for the first time in quite some days, as if the intensity of yesterday's new moon had finally been washed away by the rain and thunderstorms during the night. The air feels heavenly and somehow early at the same time.
As I write this letter to you from my not-too-hot room, looking through the window towards the tall blossoming trees lining the street below, I feel grateful for this moment.
It's been a special summer so far. Certainly the hottest one of my almost four years in Switzerland.
Part of me enjoys it immensely, perhaps because it reminds me of summers I lived in the Mediterranean — in Greece, Italy, and France — where life naturally slows into the shade during the hottest hours and evenings stretch long into the night.
And yet there are moments when even beauty can become excess. Moments when the body feels overheated, sleep becomes lighter, the mind more restless, and our usual reserves somehow harder to access.
Traditional Chinese Medicine understood this thousands of years ago. In the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine, summer is described as the season of greatest Yang — a time of expansion, movement, joy and outward expression. It is the season of the Heart and of Fire, the season in which life reaches towards the sun with remarkable generosity. At the same time, the classics remind us to protect our Yin: our fluids, our depth, our capacity to cool, restore and replenish ourselves.
The Heart, in Chinese medicine, is much more than a physical organ. It houses the Shen — often translated as Spirit, consciousness, or Heart-Mind. When the Shen is settled, we feel present, connected and quietly at home within ourselves. When Fire burns too brightly, we may feel scattered, overstimulated, anxious or unable to fully rest.
Perhaps this is why summer asks something subtle of us: not to extinguish our fire, but to tend to it wisely.
To enjoy the lake, the long dinners and spontaneous evenings with friends. To say yes to joy. And at the same time to remember the practices that replenish what the season naturally asks us to spend.
A few simple invitations for these weeks:
• Eat foods that carry water and freshness within them — cucumber, watermelon, local berries and herbs, leafy greens and seasonal fruits.
• Notice whether you are sweating away not only fluids, but also your energy and attention.
• Spend some time near water whenever possible. Lakes, rivers, seaside and summer storms can regulate the nervous system more effectively than we often realise.
• Create small islands of shade in your day: a slower lunch, an afternoon rest, a book under a tree, a few quiet breaths before sleep.
• Ask yourself not only "What energises me?" but also "What replenishes me?" The answers are not always the same.
Personally, I am looking forward to time away very soon. A chance to rest, travel slowly, and begin shaping some of the practices and experiences that will become part of Inner Harvest this September.
If a week of yoga self inquiry, nature, nourishing food and meaningful pause in Greece has been calling your soul, you might like to book one of the last spots available, I will love to welcome you there.
And if someone comes to mind as you read this, I would be deeply grateful if you shared the invitation with them.
For the ones based in Zürich, you are welcome to practice Yin Yoga weekly.
I teach Yin Yoga classes every Thursday evening at Younion Yoga, offering a space to slow down, restore, and reconnect amidst the rhythm of everyday life.
A couple of occasional classes are also in the calendar for this Sunday, 19 July:
Alongside teaching, I offer Shiatsu treatments — a deeply restorative bodywork practice rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine that supports body’s natural ability to find balance and ease.
If you’d like to book a treatment or simply learn more, you’re warmly invited to get in touch by replying to this email or writing to me directly.
Thank you for being here. I’m grateful to be walking this passage alongside each other.
From my heart to yours,
Aida
About Aida
Her work is rooted in a simple intention: supporting people in returning to their true nature.
Through yoga, Shiatsu, and seasonal living, she explores practices that help to reconnect with our bodies, cultivate awareness, and move through life with greater presence and ease.
In this newsletter, she shares reflections, inspiration, and updates from that ongoing journey.
My name is Aida. I offer a space to reconnect with your inner rhythm and restore balance between body mind and soul. My work draws from yoga, bodywork, and Taoist and yogic traditions — an invitation into presence, awareness, and gradual transformation.
