Heal your Heart with Fire!

Healing your heart with Fire!

Warm sunny days, swimming, barbecues!! Yes traditionally that is what we are used to thinking of when you hear the word Summer!

 Living in harmony with the season can have great benefits to your body,mind and spirit! 

I have been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 10 years and still learn something new everyday! It's really changed how I view my body and emotions. The body-mind connection is much more powerful than most of Us are taught. TCM follows the seasons , even guided seasonally for food choices. Eating in season foods, and adding or removing foods that balance what our body needs. What should you eat to strengthen fire element?

Healthy fire element foods include spices, hot capsicum peppers like chilli, black peppercorns, and cayenne pepper. Onions, garlic, and even some sour fruits are all high in Pitta energy. Coffee is also high in fire energy as it makes you physically hot and also stimulates your digestive fire

Summer is the season of fire. 

Not just heat, but warmth, passion and joy! This Summer has really shown me these in my own emotions. As I came through winter this year I had feelings of heaviness and cravings for hot foods and was lacking the enthusiasm to learn and try new things. For me this felt so strange as I love learning and being curious, especially with food and flavors! 

I didn't see it right away,the moment I did though I acknowledged it. 

I am talking about winter/water  season so you can see the contrast of fire and water in TCM. Each element helps the other. You can use them to increase or decrease the energy element necessary.

I want to share this simple tool with you! It’s awareness.

 

Noticing, saying it out loud has the power to shift the energy in an instant. I like to take responsibility for myself which I learned over years of worry and blaming life around me.This is now my superpower, and how I learned to embody my personal power after years of giving it away to others. 

The steps I needed to take to change my body reactions and heal my mind of these negative thoughts came one step at a time. One action at a time had to be taken. Some days were small changes, just changing something like having cinnamon in my smoothie to add warmth. Using warm water instead of cold. These are seen as warming tools in TCM. You will hear me refer to this often as it is one of my guiding lights in my schooling over the years. I use it because it makes sense and has proven itself every time!!

Winter  or Water ,is the season of retreat and repair,healing. Rest and rejuvenate. 

Its when the earth rests and rebuilds before planting begins in the spring from the refreshed  ground!

So that is what I began doing. Going into the Water /winter I had some life challenges that threw the energy in a cooler even more unbalanced than normal . That is how I became out of balance. I do not believe there is ever a perfect balance,I did want better though. 

The desire you want to change and want something different for yourself is the first thought to start the action!

I added in warm salt baths, journaling and even saw my Naturopath.Added in warm soups, and noticed I was craving onions…weird right lol!!

 I am learning as I go how important support is and asking for it has been a journey to talk about another day!! The other key to my healing has been sharing my story. Hearing that someone else had challenges and they understand connects us in these human bodies!

Fast forward to spring, I began to feel the changes as I let go and processed the emotions that had become stuck. I took my time in the winter focusing on healing and processing my emotions.I began making more changes, changes that felt good and made me happy! I wanted to be with people and create new connections. My ideas began flowing. I took steps each day with some new creations,routine changes that came very naturally. As Each step unfolded so did the magic! The thoughts disappeared,physical challenges that had seemed so intense just melted away! 

Coming into Summer has been so Fun! 

I feel it !

I feel the Summer heat, the passion, the joy! 

My heart is what I notice the most. The walls of protection that I had carefully constructed over the winter were down. I was feeling more confident and brave again!! Refreshed, and moving forward. I also began seeing new people,people who were uplifting and bright lights in my life! 

People who wanted to share Joy with me as much as I wanted to with them .I also let go of some harmful relationships too. 

The heat, the passion was in my heart , growing!

 I fell in love , with myself!! 

With my new creations,friendships,old relationships healed and refreshed, Forgiveness washed over me,the struggle to prove myself melted away. I am practicing daily, patience with myself and others. I love that we have a choice! Some of my favorite fire energy elements to share are surrounding yourself with people that radiate that energy too! Add foods that make you feel good,notice the messages your body shares with you.Remeber if your fire gets to hot, cool it with water elements and cooling foods such as mint, cucumber, watermelon!!!! Its all about harmony!!Stay tuned for a blog on water elements!

 Don’t get angry if you have to let go of a food that is causing you harm, replace it with something new!! You will learn something new that you may just love too! 

Crystals, I have been really drawn to garnet, citrine and tiger eye this Summer ! All very grounding, warm passionate crystals. They have the energy of the sun and fire! I keep them in my pockets ,in jewelry and on my desk! Listening is a major tool I have been practicing. Not just listening to others, to myself and my body too! This seems so simple, and it can be if you let it! When you catch yourself, celebrate that you noticed! 

Then go do something different, even for a minute! It will shift! Keep asking questions, that is the secret!

Stay curious, what else is possible……