The Thymus Gland–Producer of Anti-Age Hormones and Powerhouse of Immunity

Our bodies’ hormones are made by the tiny(1) but mighty glands of the endocrine system. Though the amounts of hormones our glands secrete into the bloodstream or the fluid surrounding our cells are minute, these hormones are incredibly powerful and determine how long and well we live. All glands and hormones work in concert and exquisite balance with each other but some glands become weak as we get older. One such gland is the very important immune system regulating thymus gland positioned near the Heart, the yin organ of the Fire element.

Hormones regulate our digestion and the transformation of nutrients into blood, bone, and tissues. They regulate our heartbeat, liver and kidney function, fertility, sexual behavior and even our personality. And they are very well known for mobilizing our bodies’ defenses against human or germ attack.

“Much like a lock and key, many hormones act by binding to receptors that are produced within cells. When a hormone binds to a receptor, the receptor carries out the hormone's instructions, either by altering the cell's existing proteins or turning on genes that will build a new protein. The hormone-receptor complex switches on or switches off specific biological processes in cells, tissues, and organs.” —Environmental Protection Agency, Overview of the Endocrine System

Though hormones circulate throughout the body, they will only affect their target organs and according to how much the body needs, provided the body is relatively in balance. The more hormone in the blood the more active the target organ becomes.

In traditional Chinese medicine hormonal balance is closely associated with yin and yang energy balance. 

We wrote in our former article, Balance: Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Simple Must-Have Key for Total Well-Being, Enduring Health and Longevity: 

“Yin and yang chi, the fundamental feminine and masculine energies, respectively, help establish the balance and harmonious flow of vital energy which is crucial to maintaining balance throughout the body.”

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Both hormones and yin and yang energies depend on one another to function properly. Too much or too little yin or yang energy in the body and imbalances occur which, in turn, affect the hormones.

Hormonal imbalance doesn’t happen overnight but as we age. It takes time for the symptoms of hormonal imbalance to become apparent.

Hormonal imbalance does, however, occur faster in some people than in others. And if the feedback our glands are receiving from the body is faulty or the glands fail to produce enough of the hormone required, we develop physical and even mental conditions.

Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency; “Overview of the Endocrine System,” EPA, www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-system.

The word hormone is derived from the Greek hormao meaning “I arouse to activity.” Hormones are messengers of physiological information inciting the body to activity in one way or another. The biochemical information carried by hormones creates an energetic impetus which directly affects the way we feel not just physically and mentally but even spiritually if we are attuned to sensing it.

This is because the esoteric/spiritual energy chakra points and the physical endocrine glands pretty much line up with each other in their positions in the body. By virtue of these alignments, chakras and glands communicate with each other in important ways.

The ancients, especially in Egypt, were very much aware of how the energy systems in the body were connected to glandular function. They found these energy systems or chakras to be sensitive contact points where the spiritual world touched the physical world. They even had a holistic understanding of the significance of glandular function and its central role in reproduction and also in consciousness itself.

The thymus gland is located in the upper chest, behind the sternum and between the lungs. The thymus being a physical counterpart to the Heart chakra, the ancient Egyptians found the Heart to be a critical activator of consciousness.

This lines up with how traditional Chinese medicine of antiquity and today view the Heart as shen, the higher universal consciousness in every person which regulates emotions and many mental functions.

“Yoga looks at chakras as the body's energy points.(3) And they are located almost exactly where the hormone-secreting glands that connect our mind, emotions and body are situated,” writes Shikha Sharma of Hindustan Times in What You Must Know about Your Body and Its Chakras

For example, the fourth chakra seal located in the region of the Heart is associated with unconditional love and the thymus gland. When this seal is activated or when Heart is healthy and in balance, a flow of love is expressed and felt. And as a result, the thymus gland releases its hormone thymosin. This hormone has been directly related to the aging process by University of Texas medical researchers.

Thymosin is a hormone that helps keep the body young and healthy. Many call this hormone the anti-aging hormone.

But thymosin levels in the blood have been found to decrease dramatically with age. This is probably because the thymus atrophies over time with the process beginning when we’re quite young.

The thymus is most active when an infant is in utero. It is large in early childhood and at around age eight or ten it begins to decrease in size until at about age 20, it is only five to ten percent of its original size. By age 50, just a small portion of the thymus remains with fatty tissue replacing it somewhere around age 75.

The thymus gland provides us with a built-in immunity. It helps to activate the body’s defenses against infection.

Dr. Glen Rein of HeartMath Institute(2) has been able to prove that an irregular heartbeat caused by emotional upset produces erratic thymus function which in turn suppresses the immune system. Dr. Rein also found it possible to train people to control their heartbeat through biofeedback and raise their level of immune function.

The shriveling of the thymus gland is scientifically believed primarily responsible for aging and the destruction of the body.

The thymus gland offers us protection against diverse pathogens, tumors, and antigens, while it is mediator of tissue damage. Though the thymus has the capacity to regenerate itself, it is often insufficient to reconstitute a fully intact thymic function. 

The great disturber of all endocrine function including the thymus gland is stress. Stress can be defined as a physical, chemical, emotional, or electromagnetic pressure which goes beyond the safe reserves of a person and his or her ability to respond resiliently to that pressure.

Stress of any kind and possibly in any amount may stimulate any endocrine gland to excessive or deficient production of that gland’s hormones. For this reason, over- or under-activity of glandular function is a fairly common condition. 

Dysfunction of the thymus gland leads to an increased risk of opportunistic infections, autoimmunity, tumor relapse and adverse clinical outcomes. It is proven associated with severity of atherosclerosis.

One of the functions of the thymus is to process and mature killer T-cells. In effect, these T-cells are the immune system’s warriors. 

The T in T-cell stands for thymus. A T-cell is a a white blood cell occurring most especially in the lymphatic system. Also known as lymphocytes, they actively participate in the immune response. They fight viruses and malignancies.

A T-cell began as a stem cell which then became a lymphocyte in the bone marrow. Through the action of the thymus hormone thymosin, the lymphocytes, having migrated to the thymus gland, now multiply and mature in the thymus to become cells capable of producing an immune response.

What can we do to shore up our thymus gland and immune response? 

Though you may be older and have deduced after reading this article that your thymus is virtually non-existent, you should know that no vital part of the body ever truly vanishes. An energetic imprint of your thymus gland remains where there may now be fatty tissue.

First, consider the power of your mind and intention to will the thymus into robust action. Also remember that, as mentioned above, the thymus has the ability to regenerate itself.

Second, consider that thyme is believed to stimulate the thymus gland. The terpene thymol in thyme essential oil is an anti-age antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. It has proven effective in treating colds, flu, and respiratory viruses. It works as an anti-microbial for lungs.

Third, no matter your age or thymus gland condition, you can perform simple thymus tapping to activate the gland and boost your immune system. The vibration you create by tapping gently on your thymus for several seconds helps to stimulate the release of T-cells.

With your fingertips or the side of your fist, gently tap two to three inches up and down your sternum, between and above your breasts for 15 to 20 seconds. Breathe normally through the exercise.

…

Endnotes:

1. The largest of the glands, the pancreas, which is very involved in digestion, weighs on average less than three ounces and is about the size of your hand. The smallest gland is the pineal, about the size of a grapeseed. The combined weight of all the other glands in the human body is between four and seven ounces. In addition to pancreas and pineal glands, the other glands are thyroid, four parathyroids, twin adrenals, pituitary, thymus and paired ovaries of women or testes of men.

2. https://www.heartmath.org/

3. The first or root chakra is associated with the gonads (male testes and female ovaries).
   
   The second or sacral chakra is associated with the adrenals.
   
   The third or solar plexus chakra is associated with the  pancreas.
   
   The fourth heart chakra aligns with the thymus from which anti-aging hormones are released.
   
   The fifth throat chakra aligns with the thyroid and parathyroid.
   
   The sixth third eye chakra is associated with the pineal gland which unveils the knowingness of the subconscious mind.
   
   The seventh crown seal chakra associates to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands which work together to regulate the entire endocrine system and encourage enlightenment.

…

Sources:

Dispenza, Joe. Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind. United States, Health Communications, Incorporated, 2010.

Winter, Ruth. The Anti-Aging Hormones: That Can Help You Beat the Clock. United Kingdom, Crown, 2013.

“Ancient Egyptians: ‘Your Glands Are Your Chakras!’” YouTube, 21 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2No07yt-IA.

Hammoudi Halat, Dalal et al. “A Focused Insight into Thyme: Biological, Chemical, and Therapeutic Properties of an Indigenous Mediterranean Herb.” Nutrients vol. 14,10 2104. 18 May. 2022, doi:10.3390/nu14102104

Thapa, Puspa, and Donna L Farber. “The Role of the Thymus in the Immune Response.” Thoracic surgery clinics vol. 29,2 (2019): 123-131. doi:10.1016/j.thorsurg.2018.12.001

Shealy, M.D., Ph. D., C. “The Endocrine System - Edgar Cayce Health Care.” Edgar Cayce Health Care - Education And Information Relating To Edgar Cayce Health Readings, 16 Oct. 2017, cayce.com/health-information/edgar-cayce-the-endocrine-system/.

Dai, Xianliang et al. “The Pivotal Role of Thymus in Atherosclerosis Mediated by Immune and Inflammatory Response.” International journal of medical sciences vol. 15,13 1555-1563. 20 Oct. 2018, doi:10.7150/ijms.27238

“Overview of the Endocrine System,” EPA, www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/overview-endocrine-system. Accessed 26 June 2023.

Remedy, My. “Thymus Tapping.” My Remedy Natural Medicine, 7 June 2018, myremedy.co.nz/articles/thymus-tapping/#:~:text=Thumping%2C%20or%20tapping%2C%20your%20thymus,and%20boost%20your%20immune%20system.&text=Gently%20tapping%20on%20the%20thymus,release%20of%20white%20blood%20cells.

Sharma, Shikha.“What You Must Know about Your Body and Its Chakras.” Hindustan Times, 2 Aug. 2014, www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/what-you-must-know-about-your-body-and-its-chakras/story-a4XKHxkAHJZ5yVBoicJeeJ.html.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine View on Balancing Heart and Spirit with Mindful Speech Practices

According to traditional Chinese medicine,(1) the Heart, the yin organ of the Fire element, is considered the home of Shen—the higher universal consciousness which descends from ‘heaven' and resides within every person. The Shen regulates emotions, consciousness, and many mental functions.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Heart and small intestine, Fire’s yin and yang organs, respectively, are connected to the Shen and to our chi (vital energy) and link the Spirit with the body’s physical processes.

We can assess Shen by observing the eyes because Shen is especially projected through them. We can see Shen in eyes that are lively and express love.

We can also assess Shen through the degree of vitality that resonates from the exterior tissues and a facial expression that is calm.

We bring vitality and balance to the Heart through the more obvious methods of cleansing and balancing Fire’s other organs (small intestine, circulatory system and autonomic nervous system), but there are less obvious very important Shen-clarifying practices we can perform that will benefit the Heart.

Heart and our speech are inextricably linked. In traditional Chinese medicine,(1) the Heart is said to flower into the tongue. An internal branch of the Heart channel connects with the tongue, therefore it is responsible for our ability to speak appropriately. This refers to emotion charged speech such as insults that stem from an angry Heart and to speech impediments such as the lisp.

Since speech issues forth from the Heart, we must pay better attention to it by listening to and observing the content and quality of our speech in order to either maintain or reestablish a healthy Heart and Shen.

Since speech is said to issue forth from the Heart, we must pay better attention to it by listening to and observing the content and quality of our speech in order to either maintain or reestablish a healthy Heart and Shen.

When Heart is out-of-balance, we can be sure the Shen is disturbed. This disturbance can potentially lead to insomnia, nightmares, and emotional disorder. We can’t concentrate, our memory is compromised, and we’re irritable and anxious. We are mentally hyperactive.

Excessive thought and worry racing through the mind creates an impoverishing energy to Heart. In severe cases, the yang aspects of the Heart—heat, vital energy and Spirit—flood upward into the head causing fever, headache, irritability, insomnia and mental disturbances. And with all this mental disturbance going on, we tend to lash out at others with our words.

The traditional belief(1) is that balanced Shen gives us the ability to transform, accept change, be malleable, and go with the flow. By doing so, we are at peace and so is our self-expression through speech.

Understanding that our words issue forth from the mind, we can see the condition of our Heart and Shen in the reflection of our spoken words resulting from our thoughts. Our words possess the power to be received as truth and alter life.

We can’t see our Shen but when it and Heart are balanced, we think clearly and rationally, we feel calm and peaceful, and we’re able to cultivate healthy relationships with other people. We speak from the Heart which is honest and true and loving. 

A scattered mind and spirit will produce scattered words and hurtful and/or self-disempowering language.

By heightening our awareness of the words that come out of our mouths, we actually can strengthen the Heart. The scattered mind and its Spirit can be collected and organized by way of mindful speech patterns.

Shen- and Heart-focusing practices include:

• prayer

• meditation

• devotional singing

• mantra recitation (in any language)

• chanting

• affirmations and decrees

• quiet contemplation on uplifting images

• out loud recitation/reading of poetry or sacred texts.

Any of these balancing practices should be done in a mindful and deliberate way. They will not only help calm and clear the mind and elevate our speech, they will help bring balance to all our other organ systems as well.

Well known for calming the Heart and Spirit before an energy healing or acupuncture treatment is the practice of first calming and centering the mind of the patient.

Acupuncture physicians will initiate a treatment on the area of the upper back at the Heart associated acupuncture point.

As ancient as the Inner Classic text, we read:

“All proper needling [and healing] first treats the Spirit.”

In energy medicine sessions, the healing practitioner will always first offer a prayer to heighten spiritual awareness and bring calm to the patient.

Once spirit becomes sufficiently concentrated in the Heart, the mind will stop racing and integrated thought (as opposed to superficial flighty thought) begins. The person receiving the healing becomes more fully present, participatory and receptive. 

By using basic speech awareness practices like the ones listed above along with some dietary discipline(1) we are better able to balance our mental wellness, our Shen and our Heart. We can improve the yin energy of Heart so that our Shen is held in the Heart by a protective barrier of yin essences.

#####

Endnotes:

1. Traditional Chinese medicine references in this article reveal practices and beliefs of antiquity in their historical context.

2. A simple diet with occasional light fasting is wonderful for creating deep, peaceful thinking. Avoiding food habits that scatter the mind or overheat the body will help prevent depletion of yin fluids. Meals with few ingredients, simple and less spicy foods, and refraining from eating in the evenings can encourage healthy sleep and a clear mind during the day.

The following foods are beneficial for Heart and Shen balance according to traditional Chinese medicine(1):

• Oyster shell: excellent for building the yin of the Heart; can be consumed in the form of oyster shell calcium as a nutritional supplement.

• Grains: whole wheat, brown rice, and oats; these grains gently but profoundly calm the mind

• Mushrooms: nearly every form of fungi offer cerebral effects; reishi mushroom is an immune tonic and directly nurtures Heart, soothes the Spirit and calms the mind.

• Silica rich foods: oat straw tea, barley gruel, oat groat tea, cucumber, celery, lettuce; excellent for improving calcium metabolism and strengthening nerve and heart tissue.

• Fruit: mulberries and lemons for calming the mind with mulberries being the stronger of the two. Schisandra berries calm the Spirit and are prescribed in Chinese herbology for insomnia and to add memory recall and concentration.

• Jujube seeds: very widely used remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for calming the Spirit; believed by traditional Chinese medicine to directly nourish the Heart.

• Dill and basil: for a calming effect.

• Chamomile or valerian:  helpful for the nervous person or insomniac until the diet is improved to the extend that herbs are unnecessary; rose hips with these herbs supplies vitamin C for soothing the nerves.

• Animal products like quality cow and goat milk and ghee (clarified butter): to nourish the spirit of the Heart in people who can tolerate these foods.

Sources:

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Poland, North Atlantic Books, 2003.

Best Eating Practices for Healthy Heart, Digestion and Balanced Fire Energy

The Fire element’s organs are Heart (a solid and yin organ), Small Intestine (Heart’s hollow counterpart and yang organ), and the circulatory system and autonomic nervous system (including the parasympathetic(1) and sympathetic branches). The Small Intestine transforms food into nutrients and energy and then provides that nourishment for Heart to deliver throughout the body by way of the blood. The relationship between our diet and the balanced function of Fire’s organ’s and thus, prevention of heart disease cannot be overstated.

Summer is the season of abundant variety of produce and it offers us the opportunity to vary our diets more with healthful produce that supports the Heart. Our Summer diets should reflect the bounty of the season.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Cooling Food Consumption Practices
It may seem illogical as practices during hot Summer, but instead of drinking cold beverages and sitting in icy cold air conditioned spaces, drink hot liquids and take warm showers. These induce sudden sweating and actually cool the body down.

Certain foods that are cooling to the body are fresh salads, sprouts, fruit, cucumber and tofu. Flower and leaf teas like chrysanthemum, mint and chamomile will also help cool the body from within.

Too many cold beverages and too much icy food will cause an inner contraction of the digestive system, holding in sweat and heat, thereby weakening the digestive organs.

Cold food and drink is really best avoided during Summer.

Dispersing hot spices are very beneficial during Summer and though they will initially create warmth they ultimately bring body heat up to the surface to be dispersed. You won’t really feel that heat very much because your body is already well accustomed to mirroring Summer's heat.

Examples of heat dispersing spices include:

• red and green hot peppers

• cayenne pepper

• fresh ginger (not dried)

• horseradish

• black pepper

Don’t be overly liberal with the use of hot spices though because doing so could cause a loss of yang energy resulting in weakness. It can even impact your ability to stay warm in future Metal (Fall) and Water (Winter) seasons.

In Summer, the healthful rule of thumb is to eat light and eat less. Heavy foods, especially on the hotter days of Summer, will cause you to be sluggish.

Such heavy foods include meats, eggs and an excess of nuts, seeds and grains.

A dietetic tenet of traditional Chinese medicine is that of avoiding too many cold and raw foods. A “digestive fire” exists within the digestive system that “cooks” the food you consume.

If we consume too many cold or raw foods, this dampens that fire making the small intestine much less effective at breaking food down into the nutrients needed for nourishing the body.

“Use plenty of brightly colored Summer fruits and vegetables, and enjoy creating beautiful meals—make a dazzling display with the colors of the food, and design a floral arrangement for the table. Cook lightly and regularly add a little spicy, pungent, or even fiery flavor. When sautéing, use high heat for a very short time, and steam or simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use little salt and more water.”

— Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods

The Fire element relates to bitter flavor as we commonly find in herbs, but green leafy vegetables and most lettuces have some of this bitter quality also. Unsweetened coffee, tea and cacao have a bitter quality, too, and these are helpful when consumed in moderation.

The property of bitter foods is descending and centering.

The bitter flavor of any food “enters” and affects the Heart. There that bitter food has a number of functions:

• The bitter cleanses deposits from the physical heart and associated arteries.

• Bitters cool an overheated Heart. They also help tone up a stagnant Liver which in turn makes more energy available for the Heart.

• Bitter foods sedate and lower yang qualities in the head (an overactive mind) and draw them down and concentratesthem in the Heart so a person may become more centered.

If Your Fire Is Too Strong

If you are an overheated person with a red complexion, full of energy and very busy, talkative, and one who finds it difficult to slow down and relax, you may be out-of-balance with Fire. You have too much yang Fire energy.

Foods that will help to bring you back to balance are cooling juice- and water-rich fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits, cucumber and melons are good examples of Fire balancing foods.

If Your Fire Is Weak and You Have Too Much Yin
When a person is overworked and denies the body and mind periods of time to slow down and rest, fatigue, weakness and anxiety are the result and these indicate a Heart yin deficiency.

Traditional Chinese medicine says that Heart’s function of pumping blood doesn’t just help keep the physical body in balance, the Heart as source of consciousness and thinking helps keep thought processes and mental activities in balance, too.

When Heart’s yin or yang energy is out-of-balance, symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and restlessness can result.

Often when Fire is not in balance, circulation slows resulting in extreme coldness and a pale face indicating a Heart yang deficiency and a yin energy excess.

During hot Summer, minerals and oils also get sweated out of the body and losing them can cause us to become weak. But certain foods can be utilized to replenish your Fire if you’re feeling weak and fatigued.

If your Fire is weak, a more warming and cooked food diet that includes whole grains like buckwheat, millet, oats, brown rice and rye will help.

Grains also have a helpful bitter aspect which is in their germ and bran. Unfortunately, these are removed in the processing of refined wheat flour and white rice so consume grains with their germ and bran intact.

Spices, too, like cayenne, ginger and curry help add Fire to your blood.

A weak Fire is also often caused by a poorly functioning small intestine (Fire’s yang organs).

The small intestine is responsible for sorting and separating food in the digestive tract and for proper blood formation.

When food is improperly digested it creates damp mucus in the body which may cause obstructed blood flow. It creates an effect where too little yang energy is available to move the blood.

Stagnant blood flow often occurs in people who develop coronary artery disease, inflammation of the heart and angina.

If your small intestine needs a jumpstart, some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners offer an a time honored recipe to help cleanse and tone the small intestine. It involves an approximate two week practice of consuming a daily cup of equal parts simmered brown rice, lentils and sunflower seeds in one and half times the amount of water. This recipe is an excellent heat producer and should benefit the assimilation function of the small intestine.

Years of consuming red meats, animal fats, sugars and starches, without regularly pausing to cleanse the toxins those foods feed the body will clog up blood vessels.

“The greatest cause of all heart trouble is a wrong diet, which causes impure blood and weakens the heart… other causes are lack of exercise and poor circulation. Often palpitations of the heart are due to gas and fermentation in the stomach.

… When so much food is eaten that is robbed of its life-giving properties, and since the real health-giving properties that have refined out of foods are the properties that strengthen our bodies and heart, the heart gets weaker and weaker. ”

— Jethro Kloss in Back to Eden: A Human Interest Story of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root, and Barkce

Nutrients That Support a Healthy Heart and Balanced Fire Energy
Magnesium very importantly supports calcium to function properly in the heart and nerve tissues. An interesting benefit of magnesium is that it also restrains the “anxiety peptide” in the brain which appears to contribute to anxiety.

You can get the magnesium you need with a healthy leafy green and whole grains based diet.

Magnesium in foods that are healing to and balancing for Heart are virtually depleted when grains are milled or refined so again, consume whole and not overly processed grains.

Green foods are magnesium rich. The mineral magnesium is uniquely positioned at the center or “heart” of every chlorophyll molecule.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that consuming food that is red in color is good for not just your heart and small intestine but also for your brain.

These foods would include carrots, tomato, sweet potato, strawberry, chili, red beans, red pepper, jujube (2), goji berry, dragon fruit, apple, brown sugar, and any other food that is a shade of red.

Do consult your traditional Chinese medicine health practitioner (or alternative health physician) before engaging in practices mentioned in this article.

…

Endnotes:

1. The parasympathetic(a) nervous system is also known in traditional Chinese medicine as the Triple Heater. The Triple Heater is believed to be a body cavity of some kind which has the ability to influence other organs, and overall health, mainly through the free movement of chi, the fundamental energy or life force.

(a) Parasympathetic relates to the part of the automatic nervous system that counterbalances the action of the sympathetic nerves. It consists of nerves arising from the brain and the lower end of the spinal cord and supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands.

(2)  Jujube seeds (Ziziphus jujuba/spinosa) are a widely used Chinese herbal remedy to calm the Spirit and nourish the heart.

Sources:

Haas, Elson M.. Staying Healthy with the Seasons: 21st-Century Edition. United States, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2012.

Kloss, Jethro. Back to Eden: A Human Interest Story of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root, and Bark. Bahrain, Back to Eden Books Publishing Company, 2004.

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Poland, North Atlantic Books, 2003.

The Fire Element and Its Organs—Heart and Small Intestine—And How They Influence Our Joy and Vitality In Lif

Traditional Chinese medicine describes each of the five seasons in the Five Element (or Five Phase) Theory as ‘energetic’ to connote an additional aspect to the seasons—one of energy, vibration and frequency. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is not enough to call a season by its mundane name. It must be qualified as energetic because each season brings with it a host of attributes and conditions that result from energy frequencies coming from both the “heavens and the earth” (meaning the cosmic and telluric energies). In this article, we discuss the element of Fire which traditional Chinese medicine ascribes to energetic Summer (May 5 until July 19).

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural bxeauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique holistic beauty tips and offers.

A yin and yang* energy pair of organs align with each of the five elements and these are driven by the energy of its element. This organ pairing is required for balance and vitality according to the extensive observations registered by traditional Chinese medicine over time. Energetic Summer’s and the fire element’s pair of organs is heart and small intestine.

Heart

The yang energy heart is an almost obvious organ for Fire since it pumps blood, the very substance representative of life, vitality and joy which we instinctively associate with the Summer season of explosive life and growth (the peak of yang energy).

In traditional Chinese medicine, blood represents far more than the actual physical substance. To this ancient medical discipline, blood is a liquid form of yin energy with blood following chi or vital energy flow. The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine** says that chi is the leader of blood and blood is the mother of that chi or vital energy.

Louise Hay’s seminal book on holistic self-healing, You Can Heal Your Life, says that blood represents joy and flow. Hay says that heart represents the center of love and security and that a heart attack is a metaphor for “squeezing all the joy out of the heart in favor of money or position.” Hay associates heart problems with "longstanding emotional problems and lack of joy and hardening of the heart.”

Traditional Chinese medicine tells us that the well adapted emotion for the Fire element is joy-in-balance. By joy-in-balance we mean that if someone is always laughing or giggling, especially at inappropriate times, this indicates joy out-of-balance—an indication of a Fire imbalance. Conversely, if a person almost never laughs, this, too indicates a potential Fire imbalance.

Blood and the heart embody not just physical but emotional and spiritual aspects as well. Joy, the heart and blood flow are a symbiotic trio. Each begets the other. A heart of vitality and balanced flow of blood support a healthy expression of joy and consequently, greater health, love and spiritual strength. If we’re joyful in a balanced way, our hearts will be healthier and our flow of blood encouraged to be healthy, too, showing up as glowing complexion and skin and body that are slower to age.

The condition of the heart and manner of blood flow is very much manifested in our complexion. Our complexion should have a healthy pinkness with eyes that are bright and expressive. This is a sign that blood is indeed nourishing our body tissues and organs. It is cooling, soothing and hydrating the skin and body. If our complexion is either overly red or too pale, this could indicate a Fire imbalance.

Small Intestine

The yin small intestine oversees and controls assimilation of nutrients. Again, the organ applies to concepts and emotions as well as its physical makeup and activity.

In order to learn something new or to be able to process an event that has taken place, we must assimilate what is before us to learn. We must be able to come to a place where we are able to integrate the new information or feeling into our being.

In our blog of December 25, 2020, entitled Cyclical Living Is the Key to a Vitality Filled Life and Our Producing the Frequency of Love, we write that people who lived on this planet from 1 A.D. to 2000 A.D. approximately:

“didn’t just observe these cycles [of the earth and the heavens] with their eyes, they felt the significance of the cycles in their bellies–what some people call today the ‘other brain.’"

Today, the ‘other brain’ or gut/small intestine is called the second brain since scientists have realized there is an enormous number of neurologic connections and neuro-regulatory bodies in the gut microbiome—the largest macro membrane in the body with a surface area of two tennis courts.

For example, 90% of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which modulates everything from mood to focus to creative capacity, is actually produced in the lining of the small intestine. The small intestine makes everything the brain needs and signals all this information to the brain making the brain secondary to the small intestine in so many ways.

Small intestine actually helps us to process information and feelings even long after a traumatic event. So when we are unable to process our traumas or take in new information, it might mean that the health and vitality of our small intestine needs addressing.

Speech impediments like stuttering may indicate a heart imbalance because Fire is associated with communication and the speaking of truth. Fire brings out the courage in us as well as the will to explore deeper issues for clarity and understanding.

Fire relates to connection, both with oneself and others. Connection to and love of oneself is most closely associated with the heart and the blood.

Heart and small intestine are connected to the shen and chi, respectively, thereby linking the spirit with the physical processes of the body.

• Shen is the spirit energy of Fire in the heart, the higher consciousness that descends from ‘heaven’ and dwells within us.

• Chi, as indicated earlier in this article, is another term for the vital energy that flows through our bodies unseen but which is fundamentally essential to have in balanced flow for health and vitality to exist. The purpose of chi is expansive yang. It warms the body and causes the body to move.

#####

Endnotes:

* Yang is active, bold energy, brightly and outwardly expressing. Yin is characterized as inward moving energy, dark, mysterious and quiet.

** Also known as the Neijing Suwen, The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine is an ancient Chinese medical text or group of texts that has been treated as a fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia.

Anderson, Sandra K. The Practice of Shiatsu. Malawi, Mosby Elsevier, 2007.

Mayer, Emeran. The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health. Germany, Harper Wave, 2018.

Tucker, Tammy. The Belly Brain Solution: Gut-Brain Axis Connection to Health. N.p., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018.

Hay, Louise. You Can Heal Your Life. Hay House. 2004.

Image courtesy of Svetlana at pexels. (pexels-svetlanaõ-10457233.jpg)

Describing the Fire Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicin

Traditional Chinese medicine embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element or Five Phase Theory to explain a wide variety of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between the body’s internal organs to personality types. We all tend to be one predominant ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, however no one is one hundred percent one type alone. In this article we discuss both the in-balance and out-of-balance or maladapted Fire type personality.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural bxeauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique holistic beauty tips and offers.

Describing this or any other type is not all black and white. Sometimes we are out of balance in our type which will often stem from childhood occurrences that marked us in an indelible way. But if we find ourselves out-of-balance in our type, we can bring ourselves back into balance simply by understanding our element and adapting ourselves to live harmoniously with it. To understand each of the five element archetypes is to understand the element and appreciate it as metaphor. 

Your Predominant Element Type

This article offers keys for bringing yourself back into balance with Fire if it’s your predominant element.

The outward manifestation of your skin is often a good first indicator of your element type. Our website offers a key to assist you with the five groups of skin condition for the face here.

If you are a Fire type, your skin will tend to redness, sensitivity, irritation, overheating, excessive perspiration, blotchiness and allergic reactions. These conditions are generally related to an active arterial (red blood) circulation due to a rising yang energy.

The Fire Energy

Fire energy in the body is all about expanding and engaging. It corresponds to the peak of yang energy of energetic Summer, high noon, heat, sultriness and freedom. Laughter is Fire’s voice quality, joy-in-balance is the emotion and scorched its smell. 

The capacity for both interpersonal and divine love comes from the Fire element. The Fire energy in traditional Chinese medicine is considered the source of joy, happiness, and emotional protection for the heart.  

Expressiveness and aliveness point to a balanced Fire type person. Concern for the welfare of all is the essence of the loving generosity and wisdom of the well adapted Fire type. On the other hand, a flat aspect, apathy, and lack of enthusiasm point to an out-of-balance Fire type lacking yang energy.

When Fire is in balance within you:

“… this energy leads to open-heartedness, intimacy, generosity of spirit, optimism, joy, and the heartfelt expression of love. These qualities might seem easily accessed by other types but for the Fire type they are a major theme in maintaining adaptation and health.”

— Charles A. Moss, MD in Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

Conversely, when Fire types are out-of balance, calm, happiness, joy and open-heartedness can be elusive.

The archetypes of Fire are the Lover and the Protector of the Heart. If you are a Fire type you probably can identify with these archetypes. You probably find them alive and well within yourself.

These archetypes embody the immense capacity of the Fire type to develop profoundly deep and intimate connections with others. These archetypes are also the root of erotic love.

Balanced Fire types can be very open-hearted and are willing to take risks with love without fear of being hurt or betrayed by the other. It is this very willingness to dive into love that creates very deep and long lasting relationships for the Fire type whether it’s with friends or lovers. But when Fire is out-of-balance, emotional vulnerability can be a major issue.

Enjoying calling attention to themselves, Fire types can be flamboyant in their appearance or behavior. They are generally excited, flirtatious and enthusiastic people. They can either be the life of the party when feeling their power or terribly shy when feeling emotionally vulnerable.

Out-of-balance (maladapted) Fire types can exhibit manic expressions of over-the-top joy which sometimes swing wildly to its exact opposite—no joy at all and sullenness.

Maladapted Fire types must learn to balance excitement and enthusiasm and their need for intimacy and love by connecting with the spirit energy of Fire in the heart which traditional Chinese medicine calls the shen. Shen is the higher consciousness that descends from ‘heaven’ and dwells within us. The shen, or spirit, it is believed, will only dwell in a heart that is calm and generously in service to others.

Fire types tend to be emotionally fickle with commitments. They lose interest quickly after having initiated a commitment with great enthusiasm. They also can become confused in love and other aspects of life and may have difficulty processing their emotions. While some Fire types can recoil from emotional vulnerability and social engagement with others, other Fire types can be domineering, overpowering and intimidating. These are all signs of a maladapted Fire type.

Personality patterns can vary greatly with all the five element types, however only a very few core issues underly these fluctuations in behavior patterns.

For Fire, a principal issue is the ability to maintain open-heartedness when another shows a lack of interest. Another of Fire’s potential issues and thus, downfalls, can be the inability to draw from the power of their spiritual shen (spirit) as well as the ability to discipline mind chatter so that he or she may become focused, creative, alluring, and engaging. When Fire types are unable to tap into their shen as well as to focus the mind, they can feel confused and victims of chaos, insomnia and anxiety.

From the balanced shen and Fire element stem expressions of love and affection not just for others but also for the Self. Very well adapted Fire types are able to love themselves—not superficially as in admiring themselves when they look good in the mirror—but profoundly, on levels that are subtly revealed to themselves and to others.

Knowing they are lovable can often be a challenge for the Fire type. Many Fire types are lovingly expressive but are challenged to accept that they themselves are lovable. They are often challenged to feel that love for themselves. This is an important practice for such Fire types to engage in—the most fundamental practice of learning to love and appreciate themselves.

Fire types like getting “fired up.” They like taking control and if they feel restrained they do not do very well. Fire types have a perspective that comes from the grandeur of the heart energy and so they expect the best from their efforts. They are optimistic and natural leaders. People love and want to be around their positive and sunny energy because they exude power and energy.

Integral to action and excitement, for Fire types to be in balance, they must find the calm needed to somewhat contain their enthusiasm. Without this two-sided balance, enthusiasm turns into over-the-top expressions of joy which are not healthy.

Being able to modulate Fire energy within them is key for Fire types in order to prevent potential burnout or consuming themselves by their own passion.

When maladapted, the Fire type experiences physical and emotional conditions such as:

• overheated expressing as anxiety, rapid heart rate and mania, and

• burnout expressing as physical coldness, confusion, flatness, aloofness and indifference.

Madapted Fire types are often challenged to be open-hearted and generous with expressions of love because of fear of vulnerability to others or the possibility of being hurt by others in relationship. Fire types want so much to experience intimacy with others but when out-of-balance Fire holds back with hesitation this results in confusion and limitation in the relationship when it is the very opposite they desire.

Fire types typically are all about action. They like getting fired up. They like taking control and if they feel restrained they do not do very well. Fire types have a perspective that comes from the grandeur of the heart energy and so they expect the best from their efforts. They are optimistic and natural leaders. People love and want to be around their positive and sunny energy because they exude power and energy.

Keys for Returning to Fire Balance

• The Fire line of skin and hair care by PHYTO5 can actually assist you to regain balance. It is It is rich in natural essential oils elevated to the quantum energetic level which means that the line is able to begin to penetrate the deepest core of the mind-body system, therefore it has the capability to help balance your emotional state as well as your skin condition. (Read our blog on the quantum energetic breakthrough by PHYTO5 here.)

The antidote for maladaptive five element behaviors is often found in the virtues for each element and type.

• For Fire types the virtues of surrender and open-heartedness are key to balance. This practice begins with honoring and listening to the higher wisdom received from shen. Also embrace that you are both an emotive and a feeling person. Focus on opening your heart without fear and engage with others. It is the act of open-heartedness and recognizing the other in oneself that actually leads to Fire type balance or adaptation, vitality, happiness and joy-in-balance.

• Remember to laugh and smile for balance in Fire energy. Laughter improves oxygen utilization, circulation and relaxes the facial muscles.

• Know that you are lovable. Your first love is to yourself. This is a process of realization but it is not only possible for you, the Fire type, but probable that you will achieve it.

• Keep your life simple. Many out-of-balance Fire types become confused in many aspects of their lives. Keeping it simple will assist your balance.

• Take care of your physical heart and stay fit. Imbalance is never only caused by only one aspect of ourselves (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual).

• When Fire is out-of-balance with stress, chaos and struggle, they can and must consciously tap into and utilize the connection with shen to rise above, create balance, calm and authority of Self.

• By also engaging with other people in a cipher of generosity, love and selflessness, this, too, can assist maladapted Fire to deal with the stress and imbalance they feel in their element.

#####

Endnotes:

Photo courtesy of Евгений Горман at pixels.com (pexels-евгений-горман-10040245.jgp)

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Feel Great In Summer. Be Its Mirror Reflection.

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Summer runs from May 6 to July 19. TCM encourages us to live in harmony with each of the five seasons of this time honored medicine: Spring, Summer, between seasons, Fall, Winter. Living in harmony with the season means you become a reflection of the season. Become Summer’s mirror reflection. It will bring you benefits on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The Yellow Emporer's Classic (Neijing Suwen) is an ancient medical text that provides many of TCM’s health and healing tenets. The jewels of wisdom contained in it the ancient Chinese derived over centuries of astute observation and study.

The Yellow Emporer’s Classic gives us the following proven Summer lifestyle strategies:

"In the months of Summer there is an abundance of sunshine and rain. The Heavenly (cosmic) energy descends, and the Earthly (telluric) energy rises. When these energies merge there is an intimate connection between Heaven and Earth. As a result, plants mature and animals, flowers and fruit appear abundantly.

One may retire somewhat later at this time of year, while still arising early. One should refrain from anger and stay physically active, to keep the skin breathing and to prevent the chi from stagnating. One can indulge a bit more than in other seasons, but should not overindulge. Emotionally, it is important to be happy and easygoing and not hold grudges, so that the energy can flow freely and communicate between the external and internal. In this way, illness may be averted in the Fall. The Summer season of Fire and Heart also encompasses late Summer, which corresponds to the Earth element. Problems in the Summer will cause injury to the heart and will manifest in the Fall.

Spring is the beginning of things, when the energy should be kept open and fluid; Summer opens up further into an exchange or communication between internal and external energies…

In the Summer, if too much sweating occurs in the heat, the chi will escape, the breath will become course and rapid, and one will feel irritable. This happens when heat attacks the exterior. If Summer heat attacks and enters the interior, it will affect the mind and spirit, causing confusion, mumbling and fever. For relief, the pores must be opened to release the heat.

In Summer, the weather is generally hot, and when there is extreme heat it produces Fire, which can burn and char things, producing the bitter taste. Bitter-tasting substances can clear the Heart. the Heart governs the blood, the Fire of the Heart produces the Earth, the Heart opens to the tongue, and therefore subtle changes in the Heart can be reflected in the tongue."

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural beauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique beauty tips and offers.

Tips for Living the Mirror Reflection of Summer:

• The days are longer in Summer; Wake up earlier in the morning to get your fill of Summer life. When Winter comes, we'll soon realize how short-lived Summer was! Enjoy the season!

• Summer yields all kinds of luscious, colorful, vitality-laden foods; Eat the cooling foods of Summer like melons, peaches, cucumber, and fresh greens, some of which are transitory and sorely missed in colder seasons. Enjoy their flavors, textures, and nutritive gifts now, while you can!

• The sun is radiant with warmth, life, and joyful exuberance; Should anger bubble inside you, stop and take a look to see if you can’t transform it to love with the warmth of your inherent true self.

• The season is full of energy and passion; Seek out new exciting experiences and give your new discoveries your all.

• Summer is active and alive with the growth and ensuing maturity of abundant flora; Be more physically active, allowing your body to blossom with full blown energy and vitality.

• Summer is cheery; During this season, connect with what makes you laugh as often as possible. Bring colors into your environment for good cheer in all sorts of creative ways.

• Summer, in its aspect of maturity, connotes wisdom. Balance heightened levels of physical activity with spiritual practices such as conscious slow breathing techniques, meditation, and introspection for the life wisdom you seek.

• Nature is on full display in Summer; Focus on being all you can be during this season and allow yourself to blossom on full display and color.