The element of fire

Sitting around such a cozy fire, you can imagine how the hearts of those present open and their faces begin to glow. Shen can be recognized by the radiance of a person's eyes and the pink glow of his face.

A charismatic person has a strong Shen. His fire energy transfers to others and reaches them in their deepest core. A person with a lot of fire energy has wit and charm. His good heart energy has an attractive effect on his fellow human beings. For this, of course, his fire element must be in balance. Only then you have a radiant and enthusiastic personality in front of you, which, active and full of enthusiasm, participates in life.

The natural authority that such people possess brings them the respect of their peers. Living with others is important to the fire type. He loves company. This person strives to build close relationships with others, relying on his good intuitive abilities. Due to his strong intuition, which gives him an unerring sense for the right way or the right decision, he is often successful. 

The so-called fire type has a deep need to love another person and to become one with him. This closeness is important to him not only on a physical level, but also on an emotional level, because he himself is very emotional. If he does not find this emotional closeness, he soon loses his so characteristic power and charisma.

In TCM, the fire element was traditionally assigned to the ruler, specifically the heart. This indicates very well that the heart energy, if it is present in excess, can lead to tyranny. If too little of it is present, the person develops into an insecure and timid individual with little charisma and lacking leadership quality.

A ruler must be capable of the art of communication. Therefore, this, but also the expressiveness and self-confidence is associated with the fire element.

If the fire element had to be described in one word, the term joy would be the most appropriate. Like all other feelings, the feeling of joy should of course be in a harmonious balance. In China, an excess of joy is considered harmful, which is incomprehensible from a Western perspective, because we think that joy can never be too much.

Here, however, the manic form of joy is meant. If a person has overcome a depression and now feels his strength again and is full of hectic joy, this can be harmful for body and psyche. An excess of such emotions depletes the water element and thus the energy of the kidneys. This is because, as mentioned earlier, the fire element controls the water element. This is the next but one in the cycle of the 5 elements.

Some TCM specialists also translate the word joy with the more contemporary word desire. Personally, this also seems to me to be the more appropriate translation for our time. Because quite often we are addicted to entertainment, distraction, food, work, internet, smartphone or sex. This inner craving, if it becomes too strong, can cause an imbalance in the fire element.

In this case, the organs, heart and small intestine, are affected. This pair of organs is called the primary fire element. The secondary fire is formed by the circulatory meridian and the triple warmer. The circulatory meridian corresponds to the pericardium, which is the covering of the heart. The triple warmer has no corresponding organ in the Western sense. It forms more a functional unit of three so-called combustion chambers.

The meridians of the fire element

Heart

In Western medicine, the function of the heart is quite clearly defined. The heart is the center of the entire circulatory system. Its main task is to pump the blood through the body.

In TCM, the heart is responsible for the distribution of blood in the body. But it is also responsible for the distribution of Qi throughout the body, since blood and Qi always belong together. Apart from this, emotional and spiritual tasks are attributed to the heart. In ancient writings, the heart was compared to a wise monarch. Its task was to maintain peace and harmony in the kingdom. Therefore, the heart is also responsible for wisdom.

Properties such as awareness and sensitivity are assigned to the heart. But also inspiration, intuition and the ability to express thoughts and feelings are counted among the properties of the heart.

Small intestine

From a Western point of view, the small intestine consists of three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. The secretions of the pancreas and gallbladder flow through the duodenum.

In the jejunum and the ileum, carbohydrates, proteins and fats are broken down into their components. These can then be absorbed into the cells via the blood.

The unusable food components and dietary fiber are passed on to the large intestine. There, the large intestine extracts important liquids from the food mush before they are excreted.

According to Chinese medicine, the small intestine has the function "to separate the pure from the impure". The pure components are carried to the spleen, where they are transformed into energy (qi) and blood. The impure components are passed to the large intestine, for excretion.

Pericardium (circulatory meridian)

For traditional medicine, the pericardium is that layer of fascia that envelops the heart.

From the perspective of TCM, the pericardium has an important protective function for the heart. The circulatory meridian is the personal "bodyguard of the heart". Strong emotional feelings are softened by the circulatory meridian to protect the heart - this is the view of TCM.

Triple warmer

This is the only meridian that does not correspond to any Western organ. Its task is very important for the body and mind. The Triple Heater consists of the three combustion chambers or the three energy areas in the body.

The upper part of the triple heater is the area that extends from the neck to the diaphragm. Here are the vital organs of the heart and lungs. In this warmer there is absorption, refinement and distribution of qi and blood.

Digestion takes place in the middle warmer, which extends from the diaphragm to the navel. The assimilation (absorption) of nutrients, into the cells, also takes place there. In this area are the organs stomach, spleen, liver and gall bladder.

The lower area of the triple healer corresponds to the zone from the navel to the pubic bone. Here it is about the collection and elimination of waste via the intestines and bladder.

Among other things, the triple warmer is also responsible for heat regulation in the body.

Only when all three areas work together optimally are we truly healthy and in harmony.

In short, we can say: in the upper area it is about the absorption of food and air. In the middle warmer, digestion is the big focus and in the lower area everything that cannot be used is excreted.

Attributes of the fire element

-Bright and passionate personality
-Likes to be with people
-Loves company
-Eager to build close relationships
-Strong intuition

Emotion

Joy and enthusiasm are the positive emotions of the fire element. Its negative side is exuberant joy, mania, and desire. When enthusiasm turns into desire, the fire element is out of balance.

Symptoms with
an imbalance of the fire element

Fire Excess

With an excess of fire energy, one becomes fidgety and inconsiderate. As if one had drunk too much coffee or slept too little. This excess of fire energy, with the effect of excessive excitability, leads to symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, panic attacks, palpitations and indigestion. It may be that one is burned out due to the constant overconsumption of energy.

Fire shortage

In contrast to the strong exuberant excitement of a Fire excess, with a Fire deficiency there is exhaustion, listlessness and chaotic thinking. With a lack of Fire, it is difficult to concentrate and be attentive. Often the person becomes emotionally unstable and it takes a lot of effort to express joy and affection. You have before you a person with a monotone voice, who rarely laughs and has little humor. Such people have lost their "Shen" and feel empty, cold inside and sometimes depressed.

Back to harmony

Qi Gong

If the fire element is out of balance, the two qigong exercises shown in the video can be used to restore the balance. The best success is achieved when you also do the exercises for the wood element, from the first video. Because, as already mentioned, wood is the mother of fire.

With the wood element, I already explained that Qi Gong has a positive influence. Because the tendons and ligaments of the body are stretched and the general muscle tone decreases. All these functions are associated with the wood element.

The fire element is responsible for the entire circulatory system. Here are especially, the many large and small veins and arteries of the body, meant. These vessels can lose elasticity in the course of a lifetime. This makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood through the body. In addition, other problems, such as arteriosclerosis, can develop as a result. Cholesterol and other fats accumulate in the inner wall layer of arterial blood vessels. When the vessel walls lose their elasticity, high blood pressure can also develop. In the worst case, this can lead to a stroke.

If you look at any qigong exercise, you can see that it is an expanding movement followed by a contracting movement. With inhalation, there is, in most cases, expansion. With the exhalation, there is a contraction. This corresponds to a kind of pumping effect, here in particular, on subtle structures such as the blood vessels. These are expanded, lengthened and then contracted again. And this, many hundreds of times, during a Qi Gong session. This has a positive effect on the blood vessels, the circulatory system and thus on the fire element.

Practice the exercises shown regularly. Preferably once a day. This way you can strengthen your heart and make its work much easier.

Acupressure

For the fire element there are of course also important acupuncture points. I would like to introduce you to those 3 points that I have been using successfully in my TCM practice for years.

You can perform acupressure with your fingers. It is advisable to work either with the thumb or the middle finger. The pressure does not have to be excessive, because the "fire points" are located on the wrists and these are rather sensitive.

The optimal result is achieved by treating the points with the help of the AkuPens. Because these are treated, as with an acupuncture, but also an acupressure at the same time, which strengthens the effect. The strong stimulus caused by the tip of the therapy pen causes a more intense stimulation of the acupuncture points than could be achieved with the fingers. At the same time, finding the points with the instruction videos becomes the AkuPen, effortless and simple.

Here are my 3 favorite points for the fire element:

HE 07
This point is mainly used to strengthen the heart blood. Therefore, it is used for all blood deficiency symptoms such as insomnia, forgetfulness, anxiety and palpitations.HE 07 is the best point to calm the mind, in case of great restlessness, worries and stress. Holding this point in bed in the evening is a perfect way to quiet the mind and then sleep deeply and soundly.

The point is located in a depression in front of the pea bone. This is located on the side of the little finger, at the level of the inner wrist crease.

Helps with: Restlessness, irritability, depression, anxiety, apathy, sleep disturbances, memory impairment, mood swings, heart pain .

Pc 07
This is one of the most important points of acupuncture. Pc 07 has a strong effect on the psyche. It calms the mind and is therefore used for all states of anxiety and restlessness. Pc 07 has a similar effect to HE 07. Pc 07 is used more in women, while HE 07 is used more in men.

The point is located on the inside of the forearm in the flexor crease between the tendons.

Helps with:calming the mind, sleep disorders, nervousness and stage fright, anxiety.

CV 17
This point is called the master point of breathing. It also has a positive influence on the cardiovascular system and therefore helps with heart problems. It is also the master point for the upper triple warmer. It is best to hold this point lightly with the fingers or the whole palm of the hand while consciously and deeply breathing into the abdomen in the evening in bed.

The point is located in the middle of the sternum or at the level of the nipples in men.

Helps with: Bronchial asthma, congestion in the heart area, intercostal neuralgia, cough; it has an expectorant and congestion-relieving effect.

Herbal medicine

The herbal formulations described below are used to support the fire element. These formulas are from the Dr. Weidinger line. Please note that if a mixture is taken regularly, there will be a habituation effect on the body. Generally, with a few exceptions, I recommend taking the herbs for 3 weeks and then, pausing for a week. This can be practiced for 3 to 4 months. After that, one should change the preparation.

For this reason, I give here 3 herbal products to choose from, which have a very similar effect. Especially W 25 and "the sleeping bear" are similar, from the structure and their effect, although they are composed of other herbs. W 6 is used when lung symptoms occur in addition to heart symptoms.

W 6 - Strength and moisten the breath
As the name of this mixture suggests, the herbs used for it have influence not only on the lungs. This recipe generally affects the yin of the entire upper warmer. This means the organs, lungs and heart. W 6 has a positive effect not only on the lungs, but also on the heart. That is why it is used to improve sleep. Especially when you wake up between 3 and 5 o'clock in the night (lung time). This mixture is also optimal if you suffer from night sweats or have trouble breathing.

W 25 - Shen to rest
This mixture is used for Shen disorders with restlessness, irritability, restlessness, restless dejection, difficulty falling asleep and restless sleep interrupted by frequent awakenings, palpitations (especially with mental restlessness), with night sweats, dryness of the mouth and throat and with dizziness. It is also used for rising heat such as heartburn or menopausal symptoms and for ringing in the ears.

The sleeping bear
This herbal blend works very similarly to the W 25 blend and can be used as an alternative if W 25 has been taken for over 3 months.

I wish you a lot of fun with the implementation of the tips and look forward to your feedback.

Sincerely,
Wolfgang