Summer, the Fire Element & Heart Balance in Chinese Medicine
By: Dr. Scott Greenapple Greenapple Acupuncture / Qi Gong / Meditation/Electro-Medical Acupuncture/Functional Sports Medicine/Dry Needling Thrive Carolinas Functional and Integrative Medical Summer is the season of expansion. The days are longer, the sun is stronger, and nature is in full bloom. In Chinese Medicine, summer is associated with the Fire element, the Heart, joy, connection, movement, warmth, and the full expression of life. But, as with all things in Chinese Medicine, balance is the key. A healthy Fire element brings warmth, enthusiasm, laughter, compassion, connection, and a sense of openness. When Fire becomes excessive or unbalanced, it may show up as anxiety, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, agitation, heart palpitations, overheating, digestive upset, or feeling emotionally “scattered.” In my almost 40 years of clinical practice, combining Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, Qi Gong, meditation, breathwork, sports...