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In the body the Fire Element is aligned with the organ-meridian networks of heart, pericardium, small intestine and san jiao [three heater]. As we move into Summer the energy of these systems is stimulated and if any aspect of them is out of balance, it is likely that you will experience a variety of physical and emotional symptoms. The Fire Element is the only Element within that has four meridian networks aligned with it. Each of the other Elements has only two. Thus it is vital that your Fire Element's balance is maintained because it affects so many aspects of your life.
So how does this manifest within? Naturally, Fire Element is heat and warmth. This is a dry heat as opposed to Earth Element's moist heat. Fire Element is all things like fire - dazzling, trembling, exciting, all embracing, all consuming. It is capable of creating and destroying, yet out of the destruction the ashes go to fertilise the Earth. All the Fire Element meridians [pathways of Qi-energy flow in the body] are on the arms, chest, shoulders, neck and side of head affecting ears and eyes. Since fire or heat rises, you can see how an imbalance of too much fire can cause problems in the head and neck areas. Understanding the Elemental Archetypes helps you to help yourself. If you are a hot person - get hot easily, don't like hot weather, have hot flushes, red face, pimples, hot headache, fly off the handle easily, "driven" personality, always rushing around - then keeping cool is important. Look at what you eat and drink - coffee, alcohol, chocolate, chilli, garlic, onions, curries, processed foods, sugar - all generate heat. This in turn consumes your coolant - water - so it can't control the internal fire that's burning. Like the bush fires we have seen here recently, they burn out of control when there is little or no water. Depending on what part of your body they happen to be affecting, you will experience dis-ease. Always drink plenty of water. Just water, not juice or tea or anything else. Water is the only substance to cross the brain's cell barrier. With so many Fire Element meridians going to the head and the fact that in Chinese medicine, the mind is controlled by Heart Energy, you can see how important pure water is to maintaining the status of the brain of "Clear Palace". If the brain does not get enough water to it [and it is smoothen like 90% water] you can't think properly or clearly or you get headaches, usually wake with them and they are dull - just there! Water balances and controls Fire in the bush, and it's the same in the body, so make sure you get plenty of it! A slice of fresh lemon is the only additive that doesn't change the ability of water to cross into the brain cells. Summer is Fire Energy The enjoyment of summer is Fire Element's joy. However, if you don't like summer or hot weather it usually means your own fire is off balance. It is natural in summer to be active, stay up late, eat light, spend time at the beach or in or near water, be outside. These all please the Fire Element because they express it's natural state. If being too hot is unpleasant for you, go out early in the morning or later in the afternoon when the intense heat of the day has passed. In fact it is sensible to do this anyway in Australia as it gets extremely hot in the middle of the day. Sunburn treatment If you happen to get too much sun on your skin one of the best treatments I know of is fresh Aloe Vera, or if you don't have access to a plant you can use a commercial aloe gel. Aloe is a cooling herb in Chinese medicine, so what better way to cool the heat of sunburn [or any burn] than to apply it to the skin directly. Another good remedy is to take the Australian Bush Flower Essence, Solaris, for too much heat. Fire Element and Heart Energy The Taoists, sages of ancient China, saw the Heart as the supreme ruler of a kingdom [the body]. Although they never dissected the body to find out it's physical contents, they understood it's energies so well that all the major organs in the body were given titles according to their functions: · Heart is
The Emperor/Empress; Each of these Officials rule over a domain covering various parts of the rest of the physical body, each aligned according to the associated functions of that "department". These Newsletters give you an overview of the domain covered by each of the Officials aligned with each Element/Season. Back to the Heart Heart as Emperor/Empress rules through insight and understanding in order to prevent inertia and psychic chaos. It is the home of the Shen [Spirit]. Shen resides within the warmth of the Fire Element, the body's True Fire. If the Emperor/Empress is weak, the kingdom turns to chaos. Nothing gets done. We lose contact with the Universal Life Force and therefore become lost in life. We forget who we are, where we are or why we are here. In many ancient cultures, the supreme ruler was seen as a direct connection for the community with the Divine, much like the Dali Lama is to the Tibetans, or the Emperor was to the Japanese and the King was to the Nepalese. The latter two were even believed to be direct reincarnations of their respective "god". The Taoists realised that we each have our own direct connection with the Divine, and that it was through our heart. When Heart Energy is balanced we naturally experience and express unconditional love, joy, honour, sincerity, creativity, enthusiasm, passion. Our Spirit is radiant and light ~ this is the way of all enlightened beings. When Heart Energy is not balanced, or is weak, too hot or too cold we will experience conditional love, irritation, impatience, intolerance, we have dislikes about anything, we hate, are cruel, violent. Our Spirit is heavy and dark ~ this is our shadow. Understanding Fire Element and Heart Energy helps to recognise some aspects of the shadow, which is the first step to en-lightening yourself.
As
you can see there is much more to Heart Energy than just the pump we
know of as the heart! Whilst it is important to keep your physical heart
healthy and your veins and blood in good order, it is just as important
to regulate and maintain your Fire Element so that your heart is not
compromised. Small Intestine, Pericardium and San Jiao Fire Element instability can also affect these other associated energetic systems. Small Intestine Energy is the partner of Heart Energy while Pericardium is Heart's protector. They both therefore are easily affected by imbalances in Heart Energy. Common signs of Small Intestine disharmony are abdominal pain, intestinal rumblings, diarrhea or constipation, inappropriate assimilation. Signs of Pericardium disharmony are heart pains, palpitations, anguish, excessive dreaming, poor sleep. Pericardium also protects the feelings and emotions of the Heart, it shuts down when we are emotionally hurt in love. This can cut off the Fire Element from the Heart and this is not good for health. San Jian is a most interesting system as it has no organ association but harmonises all the organs. It affects the endocrine system and it masters the energy of the chakras - allowing for even movement and distribution of energy within the body. Signs of disharmony include fluid retention, constipation, hot head and cold feet, disconnected with environment. Laughter is Fire Element's best medicine Next to water, laughter is the best thing for all Fire Element energies! Chinese medicine says that laughter is the sound of harmony from the Fire Element. The ability to have a good laugh indicates balance and brings balance [that is laughing for joy, not laughing at others]. Balanced Fire Element's don't laugh at people, rather they laugh with them. Red and Pink are Fire Element colours All things red and pink benefit the Fire Element. If you need to increase your Fire Energy wearing these colours is good, however, if you are already hot then it is best to reduce the amount of these colours and maybe wear blues to moderate the fire within. Also eating red and pink foods is good for the Fire Element systems.
Fire Element expresses itself via the Heart, and love is it's language. Being aligned with the Heart Chakra, it has the capacity to channel Divine Love. In fact, this is it's natural desire. As mentioned above, love, joy and happiness are the natural expressions of Fire Element energy. When your Fire Element is balanced, you are a person with an enthusiastic joy for life. You are creative with a great passion for expressing your creativity. You are honest and sincere and have a heart of gold. You love life and you love yourself. Therefore, you have loving relationships and are unafraid to open your heart.
Lane Cove clinic: resumes Monday 6th January. Since October Sally is only coming to Lane Cove one Friday in the month, while still coming each Monday. Central
Coast clinics: School of Integrated Body Therapy - From December 10, Sally will no longer be taking appointments or classes at Charmhaven, but consolidating her work closer to home. School of the Sacred Earth [www.sacredearth.com.au] - Vibrational Medicine Practitioner Training. This year the course is being held in Sydney and Canberra as well as on the Central Coast. Sally teaches Qi Gong and Meridian Massage as part of this course.
Natural Hormone Regulation Therapy - due to the popularity of this course, it will be run again early in the New Year at Beyond the Garden Gates and also in Sydney. Energy Anatomy and Meridian Massage - Sally will begin a new course teaching the unique energetic massage technique she learned from Master Dr Chen Hong-lin. This is a course for those interested in furthering their knowledge of energy healing techniques and learning a truly unique and effective means of regulating the body's energy network. Sacred Sexuality - for couples interested in taking their love life to another level. Learn specific exercises to increase sexual energy and transform it into spiritual energy. Saturday morning Qi Gong classes at Beyond the Garden Gates - each month we will focus on different sets of Qi Gong exercises, including Fragrant Qi Gong, Five Element Qi Gong, Healing Qi Gong, Ba Dua Jin Qi Gong, Zhan Zhuang Qi Gong, and others. Each month costs $40 due on the 1st Saturday of the month. [Individual classes $15 each] Costs include GST.
In
case you missed the 1st Issue of THE ART OF LIFE, here's the special
collection of desktop art we gifted to celebrate the launch of this
great newsletter...
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ENERGY ANATOMY :... 
