June 13, 2025 • 27 mins
In this radiant episode of In Your Element, Kathleen Kenneally is in her own element (Fire) as she lights the way into the energy of Summer through the lens of the Fire Element. With clarity and joy, she explores how this season governs the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium, and San Jiao—the four meridian systems that shape how we connect, express, and feel safe in relationship. From giddy laughter to social overwhelm, and even physical signs like indigestion or insomnia, Kathleen explains how Fire shows up in our bodies, emotions, and even our social habits.
She walks us through the gifts and imbalances of Fire: the sparkle of joy, the need for boundaries in intimacy, the fear of rejection, and the tendency to overextend. Along the way, she offers reflections on the roles of each meridian—like how the Small Intestine helps us separate truth from falsehood, or how the Heart Protector buffers emotional intensity so we can love without burning out. The wisdom here is both ancient and immediately relevant: how to honor your own rhythm in a season that often pushes us to be “on” all the time.
If you’ve ever felt “too much” in the summer sun, or not enough in a room full of people, this episode is a balm. Kathleen brings gentle precision and lightness to a topic that reveals just how deeply our energy is shaped by the seasons—and how each one offers a path to greater self-understanding. To learn more or book a session, visit kenneallyacupuncture.com.
Be sure to book your Summer seasonal by calling (661) 252-4100.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
IYE Intro (00:00):
Hello and welcome to In Your Element with Kathleen Kenneally, where we
explore the wisdom of natural healing andthe deeper rhythms of life from the five
elements to live out loud Spirituality,this is a space to reconnect with your
most authentic self, whether you'reseeking balance through Chinese medicine,
tuning into your energetic blueprint,or fully embracing the most vibrant.
(00:24):
A live version of you.
This is your space toexplore, expand, and realign.
Let's dive into today's conversation.
Kathleen Kenneally (00:37):
Hello and welcome.
This is Kathleen Kenneally,with Kenneally Acupuncture.
And here we are on my podcast inYour Element with Kathleen Kenneally.
So today's edition of the podcast.
And thank you for joining me today,is about, it's the summer edition.
Yes.
(00:57):
I said it the summer edition, andwe are 10 days away from the summer.
I. Solstice.
And that is, again, one of those markersin time where we are going to have the,
longest day, and the shortest night.
So, you know, wintertime it's the reverse.
(01:17):
We have the longest night andthe shortest day, but in the
summertime we have the longest day.
And, and it reminds me of,oh my gosh, many summers ago
when I was, traveling around.
In my twenties and I had thegreat opportunity to spend some
time with friends in Sweden andone mid-summer we were there.
We were on the beach where itdid not, we were up all night.
(01:42):
It was, I think one or two inthe morning where we started
to get a little bit of, of.
Well shift, but not really.
So it pretty much stayed light the entiretime and to be with friends and listen to
music and to be eating food and be by thebeach, it was an incredibly magical time.
And I think if we have the opportunityto be in that energy, around the
(02:07):
solstice, around The equinoxes then thereis an a magical energy in that time.
There is a shift of the energy, there isthat sense of moving into another cycle.
And so as always, I do love toobviously talk about my medicine
and talk about Chinese medicine.
I. And talk about how Chinesemedicine, looks at this time of season.
(02:28):
And many of you might know that I dothese seasonal acupuncture treatments
right around the turn of the season.
and that is because we aremaking an energetic shift.
So let me talk to you aboutsummer, summer, summer, summer.
Can you feel the energy?
Can you feel, everything's shifting,everything's becoming a little
more expanded, a little moreplayful, joyful and expansive.
(02:49):
School is ending.
And really that's the energy,it's the fire element.
It's connected to the fire elementand I constitutionally and that
not astrology 'cause peoplealways often get this mixed up.
But in terms of Chinese medicineconstitutionally, we are aligned
with a particular element andtwo main elements typically.
(03:10):
Um, so for example, constitutionally I am.
Fire element.
And what does that look like?
Fire energy is expanded,it's joyful, it's connecting.
It's about bringing things together.
and that is what happens in summertime.
And so with the fire energy, it'salso about, You know, burning
(03:30):
things up, getting things going.
This is when we start our, you know,we started maybe some planning and
getting some exercise routines, forexample, in the spring after being
completely dormant, and now firekind of takes us to the next level.
Let's burn it up.
Let's really go side note, or partof the whole fire energy also is
that fire will burn and burn andburn and burn and burn and burn and
(03:51):
burn and burn, and then p. It's done.
And so it is about managing this energyas well, and not to get burnt out.
Right?
That is the other extreme of the fire.
So we can have the, on the onehand it's like, you know, we've
heard the expressions light, alight a fire under us, you know?
Get your fire going, fire up.
and the other side is burning out.
(04:12):
And that can also happen if we'renot mindful of how much we are
expanding, expending outward, andhow much balance of that, of what
we're taking into balance us out.
So an interesting thingabout the summer season.
Is it Summer is actually divided intotwo elements, not just the fire element.
(04:32):
The fire energy is the first sixweeks of the season, so let's say
roughly around June 20th, 21st, untilabout August, the middle of August.
That is the fire energy, okay?
That's associated with the fire element.
And then the second part of summerfrom about August 16th until around
the 22nd, which of September,which is the fall at Equinox.
(04:56):
and so in there is the second partof summer, and that's where that's
connected actually to the earth element.
And this is the only seasonthat is divided in these.
For two different elements.
And so the earth element energy,I'll spend a little time there,
but we can talk more about whenwe are actually in that element.
But fire is about expansion.
It's about the full bloom of summer.
(05:17):
It's about pushes us to thisgreat expansion of energy.
And then earth element has moreto do with ripening and readying.
And what do I mean by that?
So if you think about.
Again, if you look at how, natureis and you look at the fruit trees
and you're looking how everythingis growing and blossoming, and the
fruit trees are producing all thisluscious, delicious fruit, and
(05:38):
then it's ripening and readying.
So it's in that timeframe thatthat's when the fruit becomes ripe.
That is when we are.
Plucking it.
That's when we are nourishing ourselveswith this deliciousness, right?
And so earth's energy is very nourishing,very much about, filling ourselves up
if you will, with this deliciousnessand preparing ourselves for the fall.
(06:02):
Just to give you a little kind of work.
Look at the cycle.
So here we are.
Let's stay in the fire.
So here we are in the fire and we are.
ready to fire thingsup to that next level.
And so again, we can see that in ourcommunity there's more activities.
People are outside, there'sconcerts, there's playing.
Now here where I live in Santa ClaritaValley, which is, north of Los Angeles,
(06:27):
we get really hot in the summer.
So yeah, we, we get.
upwards of 1 0 5, sometimes one 10.
And, granted we're not as hot as PalmSprings, let's say, or even parts
of Arizona, but we do hold our own.
And when it comes to this heat, and soagain, being mindful of the heat, there's
all kinds of ways that we can modify this.
(06:48):
By making sure we're hydrated, we'redrinking enough, we're eating juicy foods,
that's fruits, vegetables, lots of, waterytypes of foods, not eating a lot of heavy
greasy foods, you know, fried foods.
Not a lot of heavy meat per se.
these are just some of the kind of thingswe can do to support our body system.
(07:08):
and again, it's about paying attention.
What.
Also on an energeticlevel, what excites us?
What do we really get fired up about?
Where do we wanna place?
It's, again, it's a very creative energy.
So we're talking creativitythrough the roof is fire.
Fire.
It's about creation.
(07:29):
It's about creating magic, if you will.
So let's look at some of theother associations, which
I think are really fun.
And in Chinese medicine, everyelement has these associations.
So for example, the color associatedwith fire is the color red.
No surprises there.
the sound is laughter.
And what that means is that, You know,people that are fire constitution, you
(07:50):
can almost hear them kind of laughing asthey're talking, that there's something
really upbeat and up upbeat and happyin their energy and their voice.
And so again, the, the sound is laughter.
The emotion is joy.
And we'll talk a little bitmore about that in a minute.
and again, a person with a fireelement constitution is outgoing,
(08:11):
friendly, energetic, and, Thefire element governs the heart.
Okay.
We're looking at the organsystems in the body, the heart
and the small intestine primarily.
And then there's two otherorgans in Chinese medicine that
to the western ear or to mostpeople, it's like, what is that?
They're called San Jiao, whichtranslates into triple heater.
(08:33):
And it represents, uh, the upperjaw is the lungs and the heart area.
The middle J is the stomach and thedigestion and all those organs in there.
And then the lower jaw is theintestines, and reproductive.
And so these are just three areas of thebody areas that are ruled or governed,
(08:53):
I should say, by the fire element.
And so in terms of my medicine,when I'm, working with somebody,
I might place my hand on.
Just gently on these areas, thejowls to check the temperature.
And sometimes, I know youdon't necessarily think about
this, but sometimes there canbe different temperatures.
So the upper jowl might be warm and themiddle area could be kind of cold, and
(09:15):
then the lower J can be kind of cold too.
And so diagnostically, thisgives me information in terms
of how these areas of the body.
In total are communicatingwith each other.
And so that's where Chinese medicineand looking at the other signs and
symptoms and things that I see andsomeone's, um, as I'm working with
them, again, gives me more informationto teach me or show me how I can
(09:40):
help them become in better alignment.
And so again, the whole idea ofChinese medicine or one of the
main precepts is the idea that.
The body has an innate andnatural ability to heal itself.
And so, my role as a practitioner is tofind out where those imbalances are, find
out where the weaknesses are, and activatethe meridians and the points so that the
(10:04):
body's own self healing mechanism can.
Be activated even more and be supported.
'cause our bodies are brilliant, theyknow how to heal and based on our
environment foods we're eating, thingsthat are happening, stressors and so on.
Impairs or slows down some of itsability to self-correct, if you will.
(10:29):
So.
That's the beauty ofholistic medicine in general.
And the beauty of Chinese medicineis very much about how do we support
and align, the energy so that it canbasically do its own self-healing.
So I just, love doing holistic medicine.
I love Chinese medicine becauseit's just, there's science to
(10:50):
it and there's a quality of.
magic to it as well.
I know people who aremagic and go, Ugh, magic.
But there is a beauty to it.
There's a beauty to this medicinethat, you don't see in other places.
So anyway, back to the fire element.
So we've talked about the San Jiao,the second organ that again is,
doesn't make sense to western minds.
(11:11):
All the rest of 'em may go like, okay,heart, liver, you know, gallbladder.
Gotcha.
But the second part of the fire meridianis, uh, we talked about the San Jiao
and the other part is the pericardium.
Now the pericardium is the.
Outer covering that surroundsand protects the heart.
And so again, in Chinese medicine,this is actually considered another
(11:33):
meridian or organ system in the body.
And so just to give you a perspective,you know, the heart and the small
intestine of the first two parts ofthe fire is that everybody's job in the
body, if you look at all the organs,right, we got the liver, the lungs,
small intestine, large intestine, so on.
Everybody's role is to keepthe heart healthy, okay?
(11:55):
Because the heart is consideredthe king of the body.
So the king needs to be protected.
The king needs to be safe becausewhen the king is functioning properly
and pumping blood, and everybodyelse can do their jobs as well.
And so everything's geared up tokeep the heart, working, if you will.
(12:16):
So pericardium has a very important role.
As it's the heart protector, and so itkeeps the heart physically protected.
so again, I'll talk more about thatas we go along future podcasts.
But this, it's really, really afascinating, fascinating organ.
We've considered an actualorgan, So we go, going back to
the heart and the fire energy.
(12:37):
So what else do I, what else doI want to tell you about this?
Any of this makes sense?
Do you guys feel the energy again,knowing what you're doing with
your summer plans and so on?
so when the fire element is, I balanceright, the heart is strong, it's healthy,
our mind is calm, our sleep is sound.
When we have an imbalance.
When there's like, like, you know,the motion was, is joy, right?
(13:01):
So.
what's an extreme version of joycould be when the heart is too much.
When the fire is too much, it'scan turn into panic, it can turn
into anxiety, which can manifestas insomnia and other types of
disorders or dysregulation, right?
when we don't have enough fireinto our system, when our.
(13:26):
Fire is out of balance.
from that directive,there's not enough fire.
Then what happens?
Then we can go into depression,sadness and really kind of, again,
there's not enough fire warming us.
So too much is mania andnot enough is depression.
(13:47):
So again, when someone like shows up,let's say, and they've been diagnosed
with manic depression, I. Meridianwise, energetic wise, there's things
going on within the fire energy systemthat I would look at and kind of say,
okay, what's going on in that meridian?
Where does that Meridianneed some support?
what else is going on in the system?
(14:09):
And in terms of the lifecycle, there's a cycle, right?
All the.
Elements kind of work together.
So we've got wood, fire, earth,metal, water in that order,
right in the clockwise order.
So wood is basically the mother of fire I.So if the fire is out of balance, or let's
(14:29):
say it's deficient, meaning that there'snot enough fire and they're depressed,
then we look at the wood energy.
So what could the, what'shappening with mom?
Is mom strong enough to support the fire?
So again, just to give you a smallinsight to, in terms of how all
of these elements work together.
So again, how too much fire can show upin the body is it can show up as like,
(14:52):
it can disrupt our digestion, right?
So fire is the mother of earth.
Earth is connected to our digestion.
So if there's too much fire, right?
Excess fire, it's gonna spill over.
Onto the stomach.
And so we're gonna show up,we're gonna get some heartburn.
Um, there might be, agitation, again,inability to digest foods properly.
(15:17):
So anyway, all these imbalancesis because all the elements, all
the meridians, all those elements,need to support each other.
Alright, so.
What else can I tell you about this site?
Oh, like I said, I am fireconstitution, so I am technically in
my element, and I do love the summer.
I'm in my element in summerbecause it really does allow for
(15:40):
connection, communication, creativity.
So I'd like to share if I can a channeledmessage that came to me, and then I'll
talk about a few more associations withthe fire element that we haven't covered.
So here's the channel message thatcame through The summer season is here.
(16:02):
Can you feel the energy is faster?
The days are longer hotterand the light is brighter.
There is more of everything.
As we expand into this energy,everything in nature is busy, blooming,
expanded, connected, and creating.
(16:23):
It is about community.
It is about family and friends.
A time to dance and play and have fun.
A time for us to get busy connecting too.
The fire element of the season pushesus to expand to our fullest potential,
becoming the truest version of ourselves.
(16:46):
As you pay attention to whatis positive and working in your
life, it invites others to dothe same and celebrate with you.
This is a time of passion and compassion,a time to feel connected to each
other and something greater still.
(17:06):
We connect through the heart as eachpulse and beat and vibration matches
that same rhythm existing in another.
We calibrate and dance togetherin the silent song of the
heart with joy and love.
(17:28):
It is in this energy that werealize there is no separation.
Only love only oneness, lead with loveand everything you say and do open
your heart and your mouth at the sametime and send love ahead so that you
are always surrounded by love sendingand receiving it simultaneously.
(17:54):
How awesome andbeautifully simple is that.
As you open your heart to this joyfuland expanded energy of the summer,
allow it to fill you up and overflowonto everyone you meet so there's a
channeled message about welcoming summer.
That's my welcoming summer message, andthat truly is the beautiful embodiment
(18:17):
of what this season really means.
So again, to go back to whatwe were talking about before is
again this, energy of what else?
The associations.
So we have the color red it, thetemperature is hot or heat, the
emotion is joy, the taste is bitter.
so how does that play into this?
Well, bitter is a tastethat actually helps.
(18:41):
disperse the excess fire.
So bitter foods, um, I really, offthe top of my head, comes arugula.
Arugula is such a delicious, greenand it does have this peppery
kind of bitter taste to it.
You add a little, a little lemon,a little olive oil, a little salt,
a little pepper, and it's just avery, very light but flavorful kind
(19:01):
of, flavorful salad, if you will.
We talked about the sound is laughter.
The energy is growth.
The direction is south.
And the active time is between11:00 AM and 3:00 PM That's for
the heart and small intestine.
And 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM is forthe pericardium and the sand gel.
(19:24):
Now what does that meanthe most active time?
Well, what that means is during thistimeframes, for example, 11:00 AM to 3:00
PM the heart and the small intestine, um.
Let's say people are havinganxiety or palpitations or
insomnia or, depression, even.
Anything right in there.
(19:45):
more often might show upduring this timeframe.
So they might notice that theyfeel anxious in the afternoon or,
agitated in the afternoon, or they'rehave a drop in energy and they're
not feeling fired up about things.
same thing with thepericardium in the San Jou.
7:00 PM to 11:00 PM Same sort ofthing, the drop in the energy, or
(20:07):
they might get an excess of energy.
They might feel agitatedfrom that standpoint.
Where they can't sleep, theycan't sleep, you know, because
they're too wound up, if you will.
So that's what these, times, represent.
so.
How is Summer showing up for you?
What do you like to do in summer?
Does any of this, can yourelate to any of this?
(20:28):
I mean, I think it's, certainly somethingthat we've all experienced to some
degree or another is this energy I.
That I'm speaking of today.
And so some of the things that, likeI said, I could, that I immediately
shared with you about how to eata little bit, you're going to eat
like the higher water content, freshfruits, veggies, juicy fruits like
(20:48):
cucumbers, watermelon, asparagus,eat more fish, eat more shellfish.
Also, it's important to add somepungent flavors to your diet.
Cilantro, dill, mint,Drink plenty of fluids.
And also it's about awakeningearly in the morning.
So again, we're kind of waking upearly and, essentially and ideally we
(21:09):
should be going to sleep when it getsdark, but again, in the summer months,
it's staying lighter longer and whichculminates, like I said, culminates
in at the Midsummer or the summer.
Solstice is when we get to this,time where it's basically in some
places of the world, it's, it's more,it stays light the whole night, but
(21:30):
you don't get any kind of darkness.
so we don't have that exactly here.
Uh, the Northern Hemisphere inCalifornia area, but we do, it does
stay pretty light, pretty long.
maybe up to 10, I think.
I think about 10 o'clock if Irecall from my experience of it.
So awaken early in themorning with the sun.
Drink plenty of fluids.
(21:51):
My guideline is, for someone thatweighs 150 pounds, they should drink a
minimum of 75 ounces of water daily, alittle bit more when they're exercising.
make sure that you're using sunscreen.
just again, getting ourvitamin D is awesome and I
think that's really important.
So you have your arms exposed at agood portion of your body exposed.
(22:14):
For, you know, at least 10 minutes, givesus quite a lot of vitamin D. but generally
speaking, if you're gonna be out for along time, wear sunscreen because we don't
want to, have our skin damaged by the sun.
you know, again, and, rememberto spend more time outside.
in general, that's a really good thing.
But the summer months and thespring allows us more time
(22:36):
to be outside with nature.
walking, get your exercise every day.
Walk at least 30 minutes.
Get out there and decompress at theend of your day when it's cooler.
Obviously early in themorning when it's cooler.
in the evening when it's cooleragain, it's not getting dark until
after eight o'clock right now.
That's my favorite time to walk.
(22:57):
So beautiful.
and really take that time to connectwith, the season, with the nature,
with everything around you breathing.
All of this is so, so, so important.
and you can go to bed latertoo, like I was saying.
And then, gosh, in like hotter countries,Latin countries, you know, they take
a siesta in the middle of the day.
(23:18):
During the hottest part of the day, theytake a little nap and the rest, that's
not really necessarily something mostof us can do, but if you can do that.
Take advantage of that.
Take a nap in the middle of the day.
Not long, maybe 30, 40 minutes.
You know anything more than thatgets us too deep into our sleep
and can mess up our sleep patterns.
But a little rest is really,really 'cause we're expending.
(23:41):
Remember, we're expending a lot ofenergy with all this fire, fire energy.
So with that, I think that's it for today.
I just hope that this was beneficialand I will be doing perhaps another one.
Talk more about the summer associationsand things we can do, to keep ourselves
cool and, balanced during the summertime.
(24:03):
And remember.
During this time, as I said with themessage from summer is Remember to lead
with love in everything you say anddo Open your heart and your mouth at
the same time, sending love ahead sothat you are always surrounded by love
sending and receiving it simultaneously.
(24:27):
This is such an important partof this message, is that if we.
Allow ourselves to send that love.
Like I said, you arealways walking into it.
You are always surrounded by it, andeverybody else gets the overflow.
Everybody gets to feel the rest of it, andso consider this as the season of love.
This is the season of love whereour hearts are open and we're
(24:49):
connecting to everyone that we meet.
And remember, staypresent in every moment.
Don't spend too much time in the future.
Don't spend too much time in thepast because it's in the present
moment is where the gift is.
So if you'd like to learn moreabout my seasonal acupuncture
event that's happening on Sunday,June 22nd, give my office a call.
(25:16):
And these seasonal treatments areso awesome because they help plug
us into the Element of the season.
So we're moving out of the spring,which is the wood energy, and
I'm plugging everybody into theelement and the energy of fire.
And what's the benefit of that?
The benefit of that is you becomeout feeling balanced and in alignment.
It boosts your immunesystem and it's incredibly.
(25:40):
Relaxing and stress relieving.
And so who doesn't need alittle bit of that, right?
So this is happening on Sunday, June 22nd.
I do have some appointments a few daysbefore that and a few days afterwards.
So I encourage you to call myoffice, make your appointment now.
We do have some appointmentsstill available.
It's a community setting when,meaning that I treat more
(26:02):
than one person in the room.
So please feel free to bring a friend.
Bring a family member.
I have a, community room where I can treatup to four people at the same time, and
it really is very festive and celebratory.
Everybody gets a little gift.
I have a boutique going on with severalnew vendors that I haven't had before.
We have somebody doingtarot card readings.
(26:24):
It's a really, really fun event.
And so even if you just come downand wanna check out the vendors, the
boutique part, and you're not sureabout the acupuncture or whatever,
but it's just really a fun, fun day.
It starts from 9:00 AM until about4:00 PM so give us a call to find
out more information about that.
So looking forward toseeing you at the seasonal.
(26:46):
If you have any questions about whatI've shared with you today, I'm always
open to having a conversation and,telling you more about, what I know.
So anyway, have a beautiful, beautifulday, sending love to you, from my heart
to yours, and enjoy the season of love.
Alright, until next time.
IYE Outro (27:06):
Thank you for joining me today on In Your Element.
I hope this conversation has sparkeda new awareness of how you can
align with the natural rhythms ofyour body and the world around you.
If you enjoyed today's episode, be sureto subscribe so you don't miss what's
next and if something resonated with you.
I'd really love to hear from you.
Connect with me atkenneallyacupuncture.com
(27:28):
or on social media.
Until next time, stay balanced,stay inspired, and keep tuning into
the wisdom within and around you.
See you next time on In Your Element.
Hello and welcome to In Your Element with Kathleen Kenneally, where we
explore the wisdom of natural healing andthe deeper rhythms of life from the five
elements to live out loud Spirituality,this is a space to reconnect with your
most authentic self, whether you'reseeking balance through Chinese medicine,
tuning into your energetic blueprint,or fully embracing the most vibrant.
(00:24):
A live version of you.
This is your space toexplore, expand, and realign.
Let's dive into today's conversation.
Kathleen Kenneally (00:37):
Hello and welcome.
This is Kathleen Kenneally,with Kenneally Acupuncture.
And here we are on my podcast inYour Element with Kathleen Kenneally.
So today's edition of the podcast.
And thank you for joining me today,is about, it's the summer edition.
Yes.
(00:57):
I said it the summer edition, andwe are 10 days away from the summer.
I. Solstice.
And that is, again, one of those markersin time where we are going to have the,
longest day, and the shortest night.
So, you know, wintertime it's the reverse.
(01:17):
We have the longest night andthe shortest day, but in the
summertime we have the longest day.
And, and it reminds me of,oh my gosh, many summers ago
when I was, traveling around.
In my twenties and I had thegreat opportunity to spend some
time with friends in Sweden andone mid-summer we were there.
We were on the beach where itdid not, we were up all night.
(01:42):
It was, I think one or two inthe morning where we started
to get a little bit of, of.
Well shift, but not really.
So it pretty much stayed light the entiretime and to be with friends and listen to
music and to be eating food and be by thebeach, it was an incredibly magical time.
And I think if we have the opportunityto be in that energy, around the
(02:07):
solstice, around The equinoxes then thereis an a magical energy in that time.
There is a shift of the energy, there isthat sense of moving into another cycle.
And so as always, I do love toobviously talk about my medicine
and talk about Chinese medicine.
I. And talk about how Chinesemedicine, looks at this time of season.
(02:28):
And many of you might know that I dothese seasonal acupuncture treatments
right around the turn of the season.
and that is because we aremaking an energetic shift.
So let me talk to you aboutsummer, summer, summer, summer.
Can you feel the energy?
Can you feel, everything's shifting,everything's becoming a little
more expanded, a little moreplayful, joyful and expansive.
(02:49):
School is ending.
And really that's the energy,it's the fire element.
It's connected to the fire elementand I constitutionally and that
not astrology 'cause peoplealways often get this mixed up.
But in terms of Chinese medicineconstitutionally, we are aligned
with a particular element andtwo main elements typically.
(03:10):
Um, so for example, constitutionally I am.
Fire element.
And what does that look like?
Fire energy is expanded,it's joyful, it's connecting.
It's about bringing things together.
and that is what happens in summertime.
And so with the fire energy, it'salso about, You know, burning
(03:30):
things up, getting things going.
This is when we start our, you know,we started maybe some planning and
getting some exercise routines, forexample, in the spring after being
completely dormant, and now firekind of takes us to the next level.
Let's burn it up.
Let's really go side note, or partof the whole fire energy also is
that fire will burn and burn andburn and burn and burn and burn and
(03:51):
burn and burn, and then p. It's done.
And so it is about managing this energyas well, and not to get burnt out.
Right?
That is the other extreme of the fire.
So we can have the, on the onehand it's like, you know, we've
heard the expressions light, alight a fire under us, you know?
Get your fire going, fire up.
and the other side is burning out.
(04:12):
And that can also happen if we'renot mindful of how much we are
expanding, expending outward, andhow much balance of that, of what
we're taking into balance us out.
So an interesting thingabout the summer season.
Is it Summer is actually divided intotwo elements, not just the fire element.
(04:32):
The fire energy is the first sixweeks of the season, so let's say
roughly around June 20th, 21st, untilabout August, the middle of August.
That is the fire energy, okay?
That's associated with the fire element.
And then the second part of summerfrom about August 16th until around
the 22nd, which of September,which is the fall at Equinox.
(04:56):
and so in there is the second partof summer, and that's where that's
connected actually to the earth element.
And this is the only seasonthat is divided in these.
For two different elements.
And so the earth element energy,I'll spend a little time there,
but we can talk more about whenwe are actually in that element.
But fire is about expansion.
It's about the full bloom of summer.
(05:17):
It's about pushes us to thisgreat expansion of energy.
And then earth element has moreto do with ripening and readying.
And what do I mean by that?
So if you think about.
Again, if you look at how, natureis and you look at the fruit trees
and you're looking how everythingis growing and blossoming, and the
fruit trees are producing all thisluscious, delicious fruit, and
(05:38):
then it's ripening and readying.
So it's in that timeframe thatthat's when the fruit becomes ripe.
That is when we are.
Plucking it.
That's when we are nourishing ourselveswith this deliciousness, right?
And so earth's energy is very nourishing,very much about, filling ourselves up
if you will, with this deliciousnessand preparing ourselves for the fall.
(06:02):
Just to give you a little kind of work.
Look at the cycle.
So here we are.
Let's stay in the fire.
So here we are in the fire and we are.
ready to fire thingsup to that next level.
And so again, we can see that in ourcommunity there's more activities.
People are outside, there'sconcerts, there's playing.
Now here where I live in Santa ClaritaValley, which is, north of Los Angeles,
(06:27):
we get really hot in the summer.
So yeah, we, we get.
upwards of 1 0 5, sometimes one 10.
And, granted we're not as hot as PalmSprings, let's say, or even parts
of Arizona, but we do hold our own.
And when it comes to this heat, and soagain, being mindful of the heat, there's
all kinds of ways that we can modify this.
(06:48):
By making sure we're hydrated, we'redrinking enough, we're eating juicy foods,
that's fruits, vegetables, lots of, waterytypes of foods, not eating a lot of heavy
greasy foods, you know, fried foods.
Not a lot of heavy meat per se.
these are just some of the kind of thingswe can do to support our body system.
(07:08):
and again, it's about paying attention.
What.
Also on an energeticlevel, what excites us?
What do we really get fired up about?
Where do we wanna place?
It's, again, it's a very creative energy.
So we're talking creativitythrough the roof is fire.
Fire.
It's about creation.
(07:29):
It's about creating magic, if you will.
So let's look at some of theother associations, which
I think are really fun.
And in Chinese medicine, everyelement has these associations.
So for example, the color associatedwith fire is the color red.
No surprises there.
the sound is laughter.
And what that means is that, You know,people that are fire constitution, you
(07:50):
can almost hear them kind of laughing asthey're talking, that there's something
really upbeat and up upbeat and happyin their energy and their voice.
And so again, the, the sound is laughter.
The emotion is joy.
And we'll talk a little bitmore about that in a minute.
and again, a person with a fireelement constitution is outgoing,
(08:11):
friendly, energetic, and, Thefire element governs the heart.
Okay.
We're looking at the organsystems in the body, the heart
and the small intestine primarily.
And then there's two otherorgans in Chinese medicine that
to the western ear or to mostpeople, it's like, what is that?
They're called San Jiao, whichtranslates into triple heater.
(08:33):
And it represents, uh, the upperjaw is the lungs and the heart area.
The middle J is the stomach and thedigestion and all those organs in there.
And then the lower jaw is theintestines, and reproductive.
And so these are just three areas of thebody areas that are ruled or governed,
(08:53):
I should say, by the fire element.
And so in terms of my medicine,when I'm, working with somebody,
I might place my hand on.
Just gently on these areas, thejowls to check the temperature.
And sometimes, I know youdon't necessarily think about
this, but sometimes there canbe different temperatures.
So the upper jowl might be warm and themiddle area could be kind of cold, and
(09:15):
then the lower J can be kind of cold too.
And so diagnostically, thisgives me information in terms
of how these areas of the body.
In total are communicatingwith each other.
And so that's where Chinese medicineand looking at the other signs and
symptoms and things that I see andsomeone's, um, as I'm working with
them, again, gives me more informationto teach me or show me how I can
(09:40):
help them become in better alignment.
And so again, the whole idea ofChinese medicine or one of the
main precepts is the idea that.
The body has an innate andnatural ability to heal itself.
And so, my role as a practitioner is tofind out where those imbalances are, find
out where the weaknesses are, and activatethe meridians and the points so that the
(10:04):
body's own self healing mechanism can.
Be activated even more and be supported.
'cause our bodies are brilliant, theyknow how to heal and based on our
environment foods we're eating, thingsthat are happening, stressors and so on.
Impairs or slows down some of itsability to self-correct, if you will.
(10:29):
So.
That's the beauty ofholistic medicine in general.
And the beauty of Chinese medicineis very much about how do we support
and align, the energy so that it canbasically do its own self-healing.
So I just, love doing holistic medicine.
I love Chinese medicine becauseit's just, there's science to
(10:50):
it and there's a quality of.
magic to it as well.
I know people who aremagic and go, Ugh, magic.
But there is a beauty to it.
There's a beauty to this medicinethat, you don't see in other places.
So anyway, back to the fire element.
So we've talked about the San Jiao,the second organ that again is,
doesn't make sense to western minds.
(11:11):
All the rest of 'em may go like, okay,heart, liver, you know, gallbladder.
Gotcha.
But the second part of the fire meridianis, uh, we talked about the San Jiao
and the other part is the pericardium.
Now the pericardium is the.
Outer covering that surroundsand protects the heart.
And so again, in Chinese medicine,this is actually considered another
(11:33):
meridian or organ system in the body.
And so just to give you a perspective,you know, the heart and the small
intestine of the first two parts ofthe fire is that everybody's job in the
body, if you look at all the organs,right, we got the liver, the lungs,
small intestine, large intestine, so on.
Everybody's role is to keepthe heart healthy, okay?
(11:55):
Because the heart is consideredthe king of the body.
So the king needs to be protected.
The king needs to be safe becausewhen the king is functioning properly
and pumping blood, and everybodyelse can do their jobs as well.
And so everything's geared up tokeep the heart, working, if you will.
(12:16):
So pericardium has a very important role.
As it's the heart protector, and so itkeeps the heart physically protected.
so again, I'll talk more about thatas we go along future podcasts.
But this, it's really, really afascinating, fascinating organ.
We've considered an actualorgan, So we go, going back to
the heart and the fire energy.
(12:37):
So what else do I, what else doI want to tell you about this?
Any of this makes sense?
Do you guys feel the energy again,knowing what you're doing with
your summer plans and so on?
so when the fire element is, I balanceright, the heart is strong, it's healthy,
our mind is calm, our sleep is sound.
When we have an imbalance.
When there's like, like, you know,the motion was, is joy, right?
(13:01):
So.
what's an extreme version of joycould be when the heart is too much.
When the fire is too much, it'scan turn into panic, it can turn
into anxiety, which can manifestas insomnia and other types of
disorders or dysregulation, right?
when we don't have enough fireinto our system, when our.
(13:26):
Fire is out of balance.
from that directive,there's not enough fire.
Then what happens?
Then we can go into depression,sadness and really kind of, again,
there's not enough fire warming us.
So too much is mania andnot enough is depression.
(13:47):
So again, when someone like shows up,let's say, and they've been diagnosed
with manic depression, I. Meridianwise, energetic wise, there's things
going on within the fire energy systemthat I would look at and kind of say,
okay, what's going on in that meridian?
Where does that Meridianneed some support?
what else is going on in the system?
(14:09):
And in terms of the lifecycle, there's a cycle, right?
All the.
Elements kind of work together.
So we've got wood, fire, earth,metal, water in that order,
right in the clockwise order.
So wood is basically the mother of fire I.So if the fire is out of balance, or let's
(14:29):
say it's deficient, meaning that there'snot enough fire and they're depressed,
then we look at the wood energy.
So what could the, what'shappening with mom?
Is mom strong enough to support the fire?
So again, just to give you a smallinsight to, in terms of how all
of these elements work together.
So again, how too much fire can show upin the body is it can show up as like,
(14:52):
it can disrupt our digestion, right?
So fire is the mother of earth.
Earth is connected to our digestion.
So if there's too much fire, right?
Excess fire, it's gonna spill over.
Onto the stomach.
And so we're gonna show up,we're gonna get some heartburn.
Um, there might be, agitation, again,inability to digest foods properly.
(15:17):
So anyway, all these imbalancesis because all the elements, all
the meridians, all those elements,need to support each other.
Alright, so.
What else can I tell you about this site?
Oh, like I said, I am fireconstitution, so I am technically in
my element, and I do love the summer.
I'm in my element in summerbecause it really does allow for
(15:40):
connection, communication, creativity.
So I'd like to share if I can a channeledmessage that came to me, and then I'll
talk about a few more associations withthe fire element that we haven't covered.
So here's the channel message thatcame through The summer season is here.
(16:02):
Can you feel the energy is faster?
The days are longer hotterand the light is brighter.
There is more of everything.
As we expand into this energy,everything in nature is busy, blooming,
expanded, connected, and creating.
(16:23):
It is about community.
It is about family and friends.
A time to dance and play and have fun.
A time for us to get busy connecting too.
The fire element of the season pushesus to expand to our fullest potential,
becoming the truest version of ourselves.
(16:46):
As you pay attention to whatis positive and working in your
life, it invites others to dothe same and celebrate with you.
This is a time of passion and compassion,a time to feel connected to each
other and something greater still.
(17:06):
We connect through the heart as eachpulse and beat and vibration matches
that same rhythm existing in another.
We calibrate and dance togetherin the silent song of the
heart with joy and love.
(17:28):
It is in this energy that werealize there is no separation.
Only love only oneness, lead with loveand everything you say and do open
your heart and your mouth at the sametime and send love ahead so that you
are always surrounded by love sendingand receiving it simultaneously.
(17:54):
How awesome andbeautifully simple is that.
As you open your heart to this joyfuland expanded energy of the summer,
allow it to fill you up and overflowonto everyone you meet so there's a
channeled message about welcoming summer.
That's my welcoming summer message, andthat truly is the beautiful embodiment
(18:17):
of what this season really means.
So again, to go back to whatwe were talking about before is
again this, energy of what else?
The associations.
So we have the color red it, thetemperature is hot or heat, the
emotion is joy, the taste is bitter.
so how does that play into this?
Well, bitter is a tastethat actually helps.
(18:41):
disperse the excess fire.
So bitter foods, um, I really, offthe top of my head, comes arugula.
Arugula is such a delicious, greenand it does have this peppery
kind of bitter taste to it.
You add a little, a little lemon,a little olive oil, a little salt,
a little pepper, and it's just avery, very light but flavorful kind
(19:01):
of, flavorful salad, if you will.
We talked about the sound is laughter.
The energy is growth.
The direction is south.
And the active time is between11:00 AM and 3:00 PM That's for
the heart and small intestine.
And 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM is forthe pericardium and the sand gel.
(19:24):
Now what does that meanthe most active time?
Well, what that means is during thistimeframes, for example, 11:00 AM to 3:00
PM the heart and the small intestine, um.
Let's say people are havinganxiety or palpitations or
insomnia or, depression, even.
Anything right in there.
(19:45):
more often might show upduring this timeframe.
So they might notice that theyfeel anxious in the afternoon or,
agitated in the afternoon, or they'rehave a drop in energy and they're
not feeling fired up about things.
same thing with thepericardium in the San Jou.
7:00 PM to 11:00 PM Same sort ofthing, the drop in the energy, or
(20:07):
they might get an excess of energy.
They might feel agitatedfrom that standpoint.
Where they can't sleep, theycan't sleep, you know, because
they're too wound up, if you will.
So that's what these, times, represent.
so.
How is Summer showing up for you?
What do you like to do in summer?
Does any of this, can yourelate to any of this?
(20:28):
I mean, I think it's, certainly somethingthat we've all experienced to some
degree or another is this energy I.
That I'm speaking of today.
And so some of the things that, likeI said, I could, that I immediately
shared with you about how to eata little bit, you're going to eat
like the higher water content, freshfruits, veggies, juicy fruits like
(20:48):
cucumbers, watermelon, asparagus,eat more fish, eat more shellfish.
Also, it's important to add somepungent flavors to your diet.
Cilantro, dill, mint,Drink plenty of fluids.
And also it's about awakeningearly in the morning.
So again, we're kind of waking upearly and, essentially and ideally we
(21:09):
should be going to sleep when it getsdark, but again, in the summer months,
it's staying lighter longer and whichculminates, like I said, culminates
in at the Midsummer or the summer.
Solstice is when we get to this,time where it's basically in some
places of the world, it's, it's more,it stays light the whole night, but
(21:30):
you don't get any kind of darkness.
so we don't have that exactly here.
Uh, the Northern Hemisphere inCalifornia area, but we do, it does
stay pretty light, pretty long.
maybe up to 10, I think.
I think about 10 o'clock if Irecall from my experience of it.
So awaken early in themorning with the sun.
Drink plenty of fluids.
(21:51):
My guideline is, for someone thatweighs 150 pounds, they should drink a
minimum of 75 ounces of water daily, alittle bit more when they're exercising.
make sure that you're using sunscreen.
just again, getting ourvitamin D is awesome and I
think that's really important.
So you have your arms exposed at agood portion of your body exposed.
(22:14):
For, you know, at least 10 minutes, givesus quite a lot of vitamin D. but generally
speaking, if you're gonna be out for along time, wear sunscreen because we don't
want to, have our skin damaged by the sun.
you know, again, and, rememberto spend more time outside.
in general, that's a really good thing.
But the summer months and thespring allows us more time
(22:36):
to be outside with nature.
walking, get your exercise every day.
Walk at least 30 minutes.
Get out there and decompress at theend of your day when it's cooler.
Obviously early in themorning when it's cooler.
in the evening when it's cooleragain, it's not getting dark until
after eight o'clock right now.
That's my favorite time to walk.
(22:57):
So beautiful.
and really take that time to connectwith, the season, with the nature,
with everything around you breathing.
All of this is so, so, so important.
and you can go to bed latertoo, like I was saying.
And then, gosh, in like hotter countries,Latin countries, you know, they take
a siesta in the middle of the day.
(23:18):
During the hottest part of the day, theytake a little nap and the rest, that's
not really necessarily something mostof us can do, but if you can do that.
Take advantage of that.
Take a nap in the middle of the day.
Not long, maybe 30, 40 minutes.
You know anything more than thatgets us too deep into our sleep
and can mess up our sleep patterns.
But a little rest is really,really 'cause we're expending.
(23:41):
Remember, we're expending a lot ofenergy with all this fire, fire energy.
So with that, I think that's it for today.
I just hope that this was beneficialand I will be doing perhaps another one.
Talk more about the summer associationsand things we can do, to keep ourselves
cool and, balanced during the summertime.
(24:03):
And remember.
During this time, as I said with themessage from summer is Remember to lead
with love in everything you say anddo Open your heart and your mouth at
the same time, sending love ahead sothat you are always surrounded by love
sending and receiving it simultaneously.
(24:27):
This is such an important partof this message, is that if we.
Allow ourselves to send that love.
Like I said, you arealways walking into it.
You are always surrounded by it, andeverybody else gets the overflow.
Everybody gets to feel the rest of it, andso consider this as the season of love.
This is the season of love whereour hearts are open and we're
(24:49):
connecting to everyone that we meet.
And remember, staypresent in every moment.
Don't spend too much time in the future.
Don't spend too much time in thepast because it's in the present
moment is where the gift is.
So if you'd like to learn moreabout my seasonal acupuncture
event that's happening on Sunday,June 22nd, give my office a call.
(25:16):
And these seasonal treatments areso awesome because they help plug
us into the Element of the season.
So we're moving out of the spring,which is the wood energy, and
I'm plugging everybody into theelement and the energy of fire.
And what's the benefit of that?
The benefit of that is you becomeout feeling balanced and in alignment.
It boosts your immunesystem and it's incredibly.
(25:40):
Relaxing and stress relieving.
And so who doesn't need alittle bit of that, right?
So this is happening on Sunday, June 22nd.
I do have some appointments a few daysbefore that and a few days afterwards.
So I encourage you to call myoffice, make your appointment now.
We do have some appointmentsstill available.
It's a community setting when,meaning that I treat more
(26:02):
than one person in the room.
So please feel free to bring a friend.
Bring a family member.
I have a, community room where I can treatup to four people at the same time, and
it really is very festive and celebratory.
Everybody gets a little gift.
I have a boutique going on with severalnew vendors that I haven't had before.
We have somebody doingtarot card readings.
(26:24):
It's a really, really fun event.
And so even if you just come downand wanna check out the vendors, the
boutique part, and you're not sureabout the acupuncture or whatever,
but it's just really a fun, fun day.
It starts from 9:00 AM until about4:00 PM so give us a call to find
out more information about that.
So looking forward toseeing you at the seasonal.
(26:46):
If you have any questions about whatI've shared with you today, I'm always
open to having a conversation and,telling you more about, what I know.
So anyway, have a beautiful, beautifulday, sending love to you, from my heart
to yours, and enjoy the season of love.
Alright, until next time.
IYE Outro (27:06):
Thank you for joining me today on In Your Element.
I hope this conversation has sparkeda new awareness of how you can
align with the natural rhythms ofyour body and the world around you.
If you enjoyed today's episode, be sureto subscribe so you don't miss what's
next and if something resonated with you.
I'd really love to hear from you.
Connect with me atkenneallyacupuncture.com
(27:28):
or on social media.
Until next time, stay balanced,stay inspired, and keep tuning into
the wisdom within and around you.
See you next time on In Your Element.
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