Summer is the most yang time of the year, encouraging outward and expansive activity. Engaging in social activities, putting your energy into your community and enjoying social events are expressions of healthy Fire energy.
Summer 2019- Fire Element
Posted: May 16, 2019
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Season of Fire Element
 The season of Fire begins the first week in May on the Five Element calendar. The heart is the organ most easily and often used as an emblem for the function of the Fire element in the body. Our physical warmth, cardiovascular health and the mobility of the neck and shoulders are governed by the four meridians that relate most directly to the Fire element: Heart, Small Intestine, Triple Heater, and Pericardium. These meridians (or channels) pass through the chest and through the arms to and from the fingers. They harmonize the qi of the chest, and when they are undernourished, anxiety and insomnia may occur. Conversely, healthy flow of qi in these channels promotes warmth and ease in connecting with others, clarity of communication, good memory, and the capacity for fun and playfulness.
If you’d like to increase your resonance with this season, take more time for play, connection and laughter!
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Seasonal Tips
This is the time of year when we have the greatest abundance of food that we can enjoy raw -lettuces, fruits, and even some vegetables. If sauteeing, cook at a high temperature for short time. If steaming, cook as quickly as possible. Use less salt and more water. To avoid sluggishness in warm weather, avoid heavy foods with lots of protein and fat.
For more tips on eating well to support your Fire Element, I recommend Paul Pitchford’s Healing with Whole Foods, from which the accompanying dietary tips for Summer were taken.
Living your life in fulfillment of your true purpose- your heart’s calling-generates a calm and steady joy or fire, reflective of balanced and healthy Fire at the spiritual level.
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Heart Protector Channel and Triple Heater
As you know, there are many kinds of fire in nature that serve different purposes.
The Pericardium system (also called the”Heart Protector Channel” and “Circulation-Sex”) represents the yin expression of fire and supports the cozy warmth of intimacy. Beginning in the breast, its pathway descends the arms to the palms, coursing through the areas where we make contact in a hug. Branches from the Heart Protector channel also travel deep into the digestive tract. When we hold someone’s hand as an intimate gesture, we often allow contact between our Heart Protector channel and that of our friends’ as the wrists and palms gently touch.
The Heart Protector’s yang Fire partner is the Triple Heater, which runs along the exterior surface of the shoulder, arms and hand. While the Triple Heater mediates our social interactions, the Heart Protector nurtures those relationships that we allow to touch our heart.
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Eyes, Tongue, and the Heart
Pollock Heart, a painting by Missouri artist Chris McGee, exemplifies the dynamism of the Fire element. It hangs in the waiting room at our office because for me, it evokes clarity, brilliance and warmth- qualities that reflect the quality of the Fire element.
The quality of your Fire can be seen in your eyes- a bright light or twinkle in the eyes conveys the presence of a bright spirit in a person. The tip of the tongue is observed during the treatment to assess the Fire of the heart. A bright red tip and a small or narrow tip are indicative of excess Fire in the heart.
Eyes that are flirtatious, quickly engaged and then turned away reflect a seductive fire like a flickering flame- compelling but not sustained. Eyes that are joyful and able to return a prolonged gaze express a more stable Fire. What kind of fire do you see when you look in the mirror?
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