A TCM Checkup - the fire element
April 11th 2007 00:47
In Traditional Chinese Medicine our health is seen as a balance of “the elements”. These elements are: water, wood, fire, earth, metal.
Let’s take a quick look at the fire element. Fire is an image that combines both light and warmth. When our wood element is in order we will be both warm and have good awareness (we will be ‘enlightened’ even in a very humble way). We will have a sense of serenity – not a cold detachment but a sense of seeing what we are doing, what is going on around and being able to respond with care.
Any heart problems indicate an imbalance with the fire element, as does getting manic (no serenity then). The sorts of problems that disturb our sleep may be a fire disturbance (or often a wood-fire problem, we have been too active and can’t maintain our serenity: so we toss and turn re-living the day or a past trauma or caught up in our visions).
When we are warm and clear we will have good relationships – this is the earth element. Fire feeds the earth.
The problem with fire, as they used to say in the tradition I was brought up in, is: being too spiritually minded to be any earthly good [yes, this is a misunderstanding of what it means to be spiritual]. The remedy is to remember who we are, just a normal person like anyone else, and what we are here to do. If we remember this we won’t get caught up with showing how ‘spiritual’ we are. Instead we will get on with living well with others and doing what we are here to do (however humble – and it usually does require humility!). This is the water element (our constitution, what we are born with). Water cools fire.
In our society we major on intellectual insight. This is valuable and indispensable but only a small part of the fire element. It also often leads to the neglect of our relationships – which requires of us far more than intellectual insight.
When the fire element in our life is health our lives have an underlying serenity so that we are clear about what is going on and have warm relationships with others.
Let’s take a quick look at the fire element. Fire is an image that combines both light and warmth. When our wood element is in order we will be both warm and have good awareness (we will be ‘enlightened’ even in a very humble way). We will have a sense of serenity – not a cold detachment but a sense of seeing what we are doing, what is going on around and being able to respond with care.
Any heart problems indicate an imbalance with the fire element, as does getting manic (no serenity then). The sorts of problems that disturb our sleep may be a fire disturbance (or often a wood-fire problem, we have been too active and can’t maintain our serenity: so we toss and turn re-living the day or a past trauma or caught up in our visions).
When we are warm and clear we will have good relationships – this is the earth element. Fire feeds the earth.
The problem with fire, as they used to say in the tradition I was brought up in, is: being too spiritually minded to be any earthly good [yes, this is a misunderstanding of what it means to be spiritual]. The remedy is to remember who we are, just a normal person like anyone else, and what we are here to do. If we remember this we won’t get caught up with showing how ‘spiritual’ we are. Instead we will get on with living well with others and doing what we are here to do (however humble – and it usually does require humility!). This is the water element (our constitution, what we are born with). Water cools fire.
In our society we major on intellectual insight. This is valuable and indispensable but only a small part of the fire element. It also often leads to the neglect of our relationships – which requires of us far more than intellectual insight.
When the fire element in our life is health our lives have an underlying serenity so that we are clear about what is going on and have warm relationships with others.
| 60 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
