Which element are you?
You might remember a piece I wrote back in May introducing the various elements of Chinese Medicine. Back then we were in Wood season and I discussed the characteristics of both a Wood person, and the Wood season which coincides with Spring.
Here’s a link to that article if you missed it. https://courtyardclinic.com/wood-season/
Things have moved on, temperatures and humidity levels over the last few weeks will have left no-one in any doubt that we are now in the middle of the Summer season. And it probably won’t surprise you to know that this coincides with the Chinese element of Fire.
Fire season defines a period where everything is in full flow. All the energy that was building up during Springtime has now been released and things are reaching their full potential. It’s a time when, if all is going well, you might feel relaxed, that you can ride the wave and allow yourself to be carried along, safe in the knowledge that you are traveling in the right direction.
Fire people thrive on the warmth they gain from others. They like to make people laugh, they like to love and be loved. Love is the thing for them and they are great people to be around, making it seem as though all is well with the World. As with all the elements there is also a vulnerability with Fire people. If depleted in energy, your warmth will feed them but only for a short while before they’ll require more. There is a tendency towards self-protection which might cause them to put up barriers, consciously or otherwise, in order to keep them safe from harm.
Fire people can be split into two types known as ‘pericardium triple burners’ (catchy huh, let’s call them PTBs!) or ‘heart and small intestine fires’ (HSIs). Pericardium is the tissue that physically protects the heart, and PTBs will have more natural defense mechanisms in place. An HSI person is less well protected. They tend to be people who love openly and freely, often gaining pleasure from helping others, but they can be easily hurt and sometimes need help to learn more conscious strategies to protect themselves.
Chinese Acupuncture can help by assisting people to establish balance, enabling them to receive warmth and love whilst feeling safe and more positive. They can also learn to avoid situations that might lead them towards either self-destruction, or withdrawal from others, through fear of getting hurt. One of the ways Chinese Acupuncture works is by strengthening particular organs. In this case there may be a focus on supporting the kidneys, which have a connection to and support the heart and if necessary have a cooling effect if anxiety is a symptom and/or heat is a contributing factor.
I mentioned in my last piece that Sally, our Chinese Acupuncturist at Courtyard likes to use well-known people to illustrate the characteristics of an element. In the case of Fire, she cites Jonathon Ross and Michael Barrimore. These are ‘out-there’ personalities who like to entertain and receive love, but who also have significant vulnerabilities. I suspect they may not be people you would appreciate being likened to in all respects but they are extreme examples. Sally is keen to point out that we are never purely one thing, but often a mixture of all the 5 elements (Fire, Water, Metal, Earth, Wood). Fire may not be our dominant element, but we all have a flame. It might need a little fuel occasionally to become stronger, at other times it may need to be calmed. Acupuncture aims in all cases to find the right balance between these effects.
If you’ve found these concepts interesting and would like to know more, or perhaps feel that Chinese Acupuncture may be able to help you, please give us a call, 01453 548119 to arrange a consultation with Sally. She is a unique person and therapist, your experience with her will be rich and unexpected.
Look out for the next instalment in Autumn when we’ll be discussing the element of Metal.