The Fire Element and the Role of the Heart & Small Intestine
The Fire Element in Chinese Medicine
The Fire element is associated with the summer season—the peak of yang energy, the lightest and warmest time of the year. If the Water element (of wintertime) is the seed and Wood (of springtime) is the sprout, Fire is the flower coming into full blossom. What this means in our lives is the expression or realization of something—a creative pursuit, a friendship or romantic relationship, or simply a wholehearted laugh. Fire is the energy of connection, communication, and love. We express the Fire within us through our presence of being, eye contact, genuine smiles and laughter, and authentic communication. As with anything to do with the Five Elements (and life), Fire exists on a spectrum: from outgoing to shy, light to dark, and hot to cold. Whether it’s the devouring heat of a wildfire or the spark of an ember, it’s all fire. I will dig more into the hot/cold side of the spectrum in a later post.
The Role of the Heart & Small Intestine
There are four Chinese medicine organs/meridians associated with Fire. In this post, I will focus on the Heart and Small Intestine. In a later post, I will focus on the Pericardium and Triple Burner. In Chinese medicine, the Heart is considered the seat of our mind. It is also equated to the sun—that which our whole body depends on for life—as well as to an empress or emperor. Given this great responsibility, the Heart sometimes struggles with the polarity of chaos and control—ironically, overcontrol often leads to more chaos. The balanced Heart manages to lead gracefully amidst the chaos. Like the sun, it doesn’t matter how chaotic things are on Earth—it shines no matter what, providing us warmth and light every day.
According to Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, “Those with healthy hearts are genuinely friendly. They are also humble, not out of convention but because they actually feel small in comparison to the wonders they perceive with their open hearts and aware minds. Clarity is a central attribute to those with a harmonious heart-mind.”
The Small Intestine ensures clarity for the Heart through its sorting function. On a mental or spiritual level, this means connecting what you perceive in the world and accurately conveying it to the Heart. A healthy Small Intestine allows us to exist with ambiguity and see things in a nuanced way. It allows heart-to-heart communication.
The following could be indicative of Heart & Small Intestine imbalances:
Palpitations
Insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Mental illness
Speech problems
Scattered, confused mind
Loss of short-term memory
Stay tuned for next week’s post to learn ways to support the Heart and Small Intestine in mind, body, and spirit.
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