Anne-Louise Smallen, Lic. Ac.
The summer season actually includes two elements: the Fire element in the beginning and the Earth element at the time of harvest.
Fire is the emperor in the five-element theory and rules the
shen
. In English, the shen translates as
radiance of being and presence
. It is that quality in a person that makes you notice and think: “Wow that person seems healthy and together!”. It is also the element that rules the heart and the arteries. It helps circulation, cardiovascular health and the distribution of fluids (blood, lymph) and all the hormones they transport throughout the body.
When the fire element is imbalanced, in some people it may cause manic type behavior, decreased emotional control and/or inappropriate behavior. Our passions and desires can consume us. Imbalance can lead to an increase in negative emotions like fear and hate and one can become incapable of intimacy.
Four different meridians are part of the Fire element:
The
Heart meridian
has powerful points working on emotions – Heart 7 on the inside of the wrist is often used for clients with chronic or acute trauma.
The
Small Intestine meridian
is very useful in clearing heat, toxins and mental disturbances.; it also governs judgment.
The
Pericardium meridian
is helpful in the treatment of heart disease (Cardiovascular conditions such as angina, arythmia, etc…) or for the health of our arteries.
The
San Jiao (Triple Heater) meridian
helps maintain body temperature and fluid circulation (lymph, blood) in all parts of the body. It is essential to our endocrine system and to homeostasis.
As you can see, the fire element treatment can be very helpful to our hearts, promotes emotional well-being and creates more balance.
