Welcome to May: Fire Season, One Year in York, and Learning to Tend the Flame
Hello and welcome to May!
This is such a full, rich month — and honestly, one of my favorites. There's this particular kind of energy that starts to hum in May: school wrapping up, gardens coming alive, the air finally holding warmth instead of just teasing at it. May is a month of transitions, and if you know me, you know I am here for a good threshold moment.
This month I have a lot to celebrate, and I want to share all of it with you.
One Year in York 🎉
First things first — I am celebrating one full year at my York office, and I am so genuinely happy and grateful to be here.
When I opened Full Scale Wellness in York, I had a vision for the kind of care I wanted to offer this community: integrative, deeply personal, rooted in both science and the wisdom of the body. One year in, I can say that vision has only grown clearer — because of you. The cleints who've trusted me with their health, the people who've sent a friend or family member my way, the community that has welcomed me so warmly. Thank you. Truly.
Here's to many more years of growing together. 🌱
The Solar Start of Summer — and What That Means for Your Body
Now, let's talk about the season itself.
In the solar calendar and in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we are crossing into summer — not at the solstice, but now, in early May. This surprises a lot of people. But think about it: the summer solstice in late June is the peak of summer, the longest day, the height of the yang. For us to arrive at the peak, we have to have already entered the season. The solstice is summer's crown — not its beginning.
And if you've been outside lately, you feel it. The light is longer. The air is different. Nebraska has had a wild season — we've seen frosts come and go in ways that kept even seasoned gardeners guessing (my own garden has been a study in patience this spring) — but the energy of summer is undeniably here.
In TCM, summer is Fire season. And Fire season follows Wood season, which we've been moving through all spring.
If you remember the energy of Wood — that upward thrust of growth, the pushing through, the expansion — Fire takes that and multiplies it. Where Wood grows up, Fire moves outward. It radiates. It spreads. It touches everything around it.
And that is beautiful. And it can also be a lot.
The Gift and the Risk of Fire Energy
I was just at a birthday bonfire celebration with people I love, and I want to tell you: there is nothing quite like the energy of a fire surrounded by community. It's warm and alive and grounding in this primal way. Our nervous systems genuinely love it — the crackling, the glow, the shared space. It is one of summer's true gifts.
But here in Nebraska this year, we have also watched fire do what it does when it gets out of control. The wildfires have been devastating. So many acres lost. So much heartbreak. And I was so grateful at that bonfire that we had gotten rain, because just two weeks earlier we wouldn't have been able to light it safely.
That tension — fire as nourisher, fire as destroyer — is exactly the teaching of this season.
In TCM, Fire season is Heart season. And the shadow side of too much fire energy shows up in our bodies and lives as:
Overwhelm and anxiety
Heart palpitations
Insomnia and vivid, strange dreams
A kind of manic, overdrive energy that feels productive until it doesn't
Burnout
Sound familiar? Ask anyone in my life — including my husband — how many things I tried to accomplish this past weekend. Yard work, gardening, mulching, repotting, laundry, deep cleaning the house... the pull to do all the things while the energy is high is so real. Fire season is generous with its gifts, but it will absolutely burn you out if you let it run without tending.
The Antidote: Joy, Play, and Rest — on Purpose
The medicine for Fire season isn't putting out the fire. It's tending it well.
That means making intentional room for joy. For play. For rest. Not as rewards you earn after you've done everything — but as necessary acts of care that keep the flame healthy and sustainable.
This past weekend, I got a gorgeous reminder of what that looks like. We threw a full Hobbit-themed birthday party. We ate SO much food. We flew kites. We blew bubbles. We danced. We sat around a bonfire and just were together. It was one of the most joyful days I've had in a long time — and my nervous system was deeply, genuinely grateful for it.
That is Fire season done right. That is what we're aiming for.
I'm Stepping Away — and Walking My Talk
Speaking of tending the flame: I will be out of office from May 10th through May 20th.
I'm heading out to visit family and spend time in actual wilderness — mushroom hunting, fishing, hiking, and long stretches of being outside without a screen in my hand. This is my first real summer vacation longer than a few days in... honestly, longer than I want to admit. And I am so ready.
I want to be transparent with you about what that means practically:
I will not be keeping my phone on me during the day, and I will not be checking my computer throughout the day.
I will be checking messages in the evenings, so responses may be delayed.
If you need something before I leave, please reach out by May 9th. If your needs can wait, I'm happy to schedule time when I return.
I share this not just as a logistics update, but because I think it matters. It would feel a little hollow to write a whole blog post about fire season burnout and the importance of rest and then quietly work through my vacation. This is me practicing what I preach — and I hope it gives you permission to do the same.
Introducing: Bloom to Fruit 🌸→🍑
Now, the most exciting thing I get to share today:
Bloom to Fruit is here tomorrow — and it's completely free!
This is my brand new seasonal living mini-course launching today, May 5th. It's the evolution of Root to Bloom, expanded and reimagined as an evergreen, self-paced course you can come back to anytime.
Inside Bloom to Fruit, you'll find:
A video module walking you through summer seasonal living through the lens of TCM and Fire season
Handouts and guided meditations to support your nervous system through the season
Recipes rooted in seasonal eating
A summer bingo card (yes, really — full of joyful, grounding activities to try this season)
And more
This course is designed to help you navigate summer's expansive energy with intention — so you can lean into the joy and the connection without tipping into the overwhelm and burnout.
All you need is your email to sign up. You can find it on my Courses page.
Here's to a Beautiful Summer
May you tend your fire with care this season. May you make room for the bonfire and the nap. May you find your version of kite-flying and bubbles and good food around a table with people you love.
I'll be back on May 21st, recharged and ready to keep walking this path alongside you.
With so much gratitude, Dr. Bobi 🌸
Ready to dive into summer seasonal living? Grab your free spot in Bloom to Fruit on the Courses page here.
