Healing Notes for Summer | Elixirs + Food for Joy | By Laura, AKA The Secret Inspirer
- Laura Williams
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), summer is the season of the heart, the fire element, the emotion of joy and represented by the colour red. Nature is vibrant and abundant.
It’s the most expansive, yang time of year — full of movement, light and connection. But in that expansion, we can get a bit spacey and feel ungrounded. The heart is sensitive. Fire can burn out. So this is a season to nourish from within. To build emotional resilience, cool the system, and open to pleasure in ways that are sustainable.
I’m sharing some natural nourishment to support you at this beautiful time.
Featured Summer Healing Herb: Schizandra Berry | A Tonic for Vitality & Clarity
Schizandra is a berry used in TCM for thousands of years. It supports the heart, liver, kidneys, and skin, and is said to balance the three treasures: Qi (energy), Jing (essence), and Shen (spirit).
It’s adaptogenic, blood-building, slightly sour, and helps the body handle stress. A good companion when life is full.
Start with a daily tea:
1 tsp berries simmered in hot water. Sip slowly.
In TCM, it’s recommended to take for 100 days to allow its intelligence to fully integrate — working where your system needs it most and gifting something unexpected at the end.
Healing Summer Elixir: Schizandra + Goji Lemonade
A cooling, energising summer tonic to support immunity and mood.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
• 1 tbsp schizandra berries
• Handful goji berries
• 4 cups water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 extra lemons, quartered
• 1 tbsp local honey
• 2 tbsp edible aloe vera gel (optional)
• Pinch sea salt
• Handful mint
How to make it:
Simmer the berries in water until it turns pink. Let it cool, strain.
In a jug, combine the lemon juice, quartered lemons, honey, aloe (if using), mint and salt. Add the berry tea. Stir. Serve cold or over ice.
Healing notes:
Schizandra builds stamina and beauty from the inside out. Goji is used in Chinese medicine to nourish the blood, support the liver and eyes, and stabilise mood.
Avoid if pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking liver-metabolised medication.
Healing Summer Recipe: Beetroot + Quinoa Salad with Citrus Coconut Kefir
This salad supports the heart, calms the mind and strengthens the blood — perfect for grounding in summer’s active, yang energy.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 medium beets (roasted with olive oil + red wine vinegar)
• Mint + parsley
• 2 shallots
• ⅓ cup pistachios
• ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds or blueberries
• Edible flowers + bee pollen (or vegan alternative)
• Coconut kefir or yoghurt with lemon zest
How to make it:
Cook the quinoa and let cool. Scrub and roast or boil beets, skin, then slice. Mix quinoa with herbs, shallots, pomegranate and pistachios. Top with beets, kefir drizzle, bee pollen and flowers.
Healing notes:
Beetroot nourishes the blood and supports heart function
Mint cools the body and soothes digestion
Bee pollen boosts vitality and may support hormonal balance (not suitable if pregnant or if on blood thinners like warfarin.)
Citrus kefir helps to restore gut harmony and regulate mood
Let this season be about nourishment.
Joy doesn’t have to be loud and depleting. It can be simple, steady, and quietly expansive.
Take what you need. Leave what you don’t. Listen to your body. Let your rituals serve the rhythm you’re in and enjoy the summer.
Laura Williams, AKA The Secret Inspirer, is an Holistic Life Consultant + Tarot Reader.
With over seven years’ experience in holistic well-being her practice blends tarot, NLP, TCM, food energetics, and the art of ritual — creating a unique and deeply personal approach to transformation. Whether you’re navigating change or simply tuning in, Laura’s work meets you where you are.
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Held in a ritualistic, serene setting, this immersive session blends tarot, cosmic insight, and seasonal energetics. Rooted in the ancient, holistic wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, each experience may also include intuitively led guidance on herbal and nutritional alignment.
This is not a typical reading. It’s a beautifully held space to support in returning to yourself—clear, inspired, and deeply connected to your natural essence. Leave feeling rooted, embodied, and fully alive.
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