Herbs and the Summer Solstice

By Celeste Levitz-Jones, Herbalist & Licensed Acupuncturist, Five Point Member-Owner

Friday marked the summer solstice, or the most “yang” point of the year. Yang is associated with heat, light, ethereality, and movement, compared to yin, which is more cold, dark, substance, and stasis. This fire-element season is ruled by the Heart, meaning the summer is a great time for connection, community, friendship, joy, and laughter. 

Typically our clinic sees a slow down in the summer months. Not only are folks vacationing, but people just feel better when it’s warm and sunny and they’re sipping an overpriced mocktail on a patio with friends. We all endure the harsh winters because Chicago summer vibes are *immaculate.* 

However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and some may experience increased anxiety, palpitations, mania, insomnia, or hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating. Some skin rashes, anything we’d classify as “damp heat” in the lower body–such as UTIs, BV, yeast infections, flareups of IBS/Crohn’s/UC–and other digestive issues can worsen in the summer heat and humidity.

Herbal Medicine can be a great way to treat summer ailments by settling the heart, clearing the skin, and calming and regulating the digestion. Even if you’re in great health, we recommend a minimum of 4 acupuncture or herbal treatments per year, around each solstice and equinox, to help your body adjust to the changes in the seasons.

A summertime herbal recommendation from our apothecary, no appointment necessary.

Curing Pills - while a custom formula is always most effective, curing pills are great to have on hand to help settle stomachs in many scenarios:

✈️ They’re great to take while traveling, especially to places where you may be eating street food or drinking water that has more microbes than our systems are used to

🍉 Bring to a bbq or one of Chicago’s many street festivals where you may be consuming heavy, rich foods in the heat.

🍹 They can help counteract the effects of alcohol on the digestive system, so you can get through patio season with less nausea, heartburn, and whatever may go wrong on the other end.

Book an herbal consultation with Celeste!

Your appointment will take place in a private room. This appointment does not include the cost of herbs, which may vary, but averages $30-45 per week. Herbal medicine is available for purchase in various forms including dried raw plants, powders, and capsules.

Through Celeste’s undergraduate studies in psychology and gender studies, she realized her passion for treating psychological issues, particularly those stemming from traumatic experiences. She chose East Asian Medicine as her healing modality because it recognizes the mind-body connection and strives to treat both simultaneously. She graduated from PCHS in 2014 and earned a Diplomat in Canonical Chinese Medicine. Celeste specializes in psycho-emotional issues including depression, anxiety, and panic disorders. Her treatments regulate the nervous system, calm the mind, and address related symptoms such as digestive disorders and insomnia. She is compassionate, patient-centered, and empowers her clients to heal themselves.

Celeste’s current hours are Monday and Tuesday 12-7 and every-other Saturday from 9:30-4:30 for herbs and/or acupuncture.