summer & fire
Each season since fall, I’ve been writing about the connection between the western idea of our physiology’s five step threat response cycle and Asian medicine’s concept of the five elements. You can read more about the melding of these worlds of wisdom on my past blogs about Fall and Metal, Winter and Water, and Spring and Wood. This information is based of the work of acupuncturist and teacher Alaine Duncan, who created the book and methodology called The Tao of Trauma.
The five seasons and their corresponding elements of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine (AAM) include Fall and Metal, Winter and Water, Spring and Wood, Summer and Fire, and Late Summer and Earth.
Each season and element is also associated with organ systems that are active in each step of our threat response cycle. Our Heart is the primary organ system of our Fire element— and our entire body. The Heart Protector (the pericardium), the Triple Heater (the communication between our belly, diaphragm and heart in AAM) and the Small Intestines are also associated with this phase.
These systems’ place in successful self protection is to help our body fully participate in a response to threat and then to restore coherence and flow after the body has mobilized or immobilized to protect us. Alaine Duncan writes in The Tao of Trauma, “Knowing in our Heart of hearts that we have survived restores system-wide regulation, bringing peace and equanimity to our body, mind, emotions, and spirit.” (p. 218)
If we have an imbalance within the stage of Summer and Fire, it’s more likely there has been some interruption during the completion of our threat response cycle. Our Heart is unable to recognize that we survived, and it remains ready to protect us, along with each of our other organ systems. We might not trust our instincts or abilities. We will struggle to integrate an embodied experience of our successful survival, leaving our whole body on high alert.
When we’re able to find coherence and flow, we’re able to trust our ability to protect ourselves and also enjoy intimacy, pleasure, playfulness, and our sexuality. The Heart and the Heart Protector trust they can open and receive or close and protect us depending on our environment. The Heart’s partner, the Small Intestine, can sort the pure from the impure. It physically receives digested food, determines what is pure to absorb, and passes the impure on for elimination. The Triple Heater is not an organ in the sense we are most familiar with— it is more like an energetic impulse that carries a coherent message that connects and influences all of our organ systems. It is referred to as “an organ with a name but no place.” These systems determine our capacity for vitality, vulnerability and engagement with others.
The Fire Element mirrors the function of the ventral vagus nerve, or our social engagement system. Our Heart and Heart Protector open our gates to relationship when it’s safe and closes them when it’s not. Ideally, our perception of these gates is easily accessed and wise in its opening and closing. We heal imbalance in Summer and Fire when we enhance the ventral vagus’s function of easing low-level arousal using our social engagement system— and establishing system wide coherence.
Humans mitigate threat and restore coherence using our ventral vagus. No one can achieve deep or lasting reregulation outside the context of safe relationship. One way to practice this is by noticing your yes and your no, or what you like and what you don’t like. It can be weird and hard to practice this as an adult when we’ve missed this during our development. We might feel like we got it wrong or we can’t trust our decision. If it feels better to start with self connection, you can practice asking yourself yes or no questions about preference.
Do I want to put my hand on my arm, or not? Would I prefer putting my hand on my leg? If not, what does “no” feel like? If so, what pressure feels good? Do I prefer a firm steady hand or a light touch? Do I want to stay still or move? Track what you can notice on the inside. Does my chest contract, soften? Do I need time to allow myself to soften? How much time? Practice with a bodyworker, therapist, close friend or partner. As you go about your day, see if you can notice what you like and what you don’t like and get curious about what it feels like on the inside. How do you know that? Build a relationship with your Heart and see what happens next.
. . .
The archetypal questions of Summer and Fire are:
How do I find the one great Heart that beats in all Hearts?
Can I find love and joy with other beings?
Yours truly,
Katie