Hi Everyone,
Summer is the time of year that is equated with the Fire Element and the Heart, Small Intestine, Heart Protector and Triple Heater meridians. They have to do with the emotion of joy, the sound of laughter, the color red and the bitter taste.
The Heart meridian is the Supreme Controller and is a locus of control over the whole energetic system and having a clear and balanced system with the Heart meridian in control is vital to keeping the shen (spirit) flourishing and healthy.
The Small Intestine meridian is the sorter; on a physical level the small intestine sorts pure from impure in the body, the energetic small intestine sorts on an energetic/emotional level, it helps us decide how to disseminate incoming information and what to keep and what to discard (thought and otherwise).
The Heart Protector meridian is exactly that, it is what opens and closes the gates to the heart, the right balance allows us to navigate relationships and how we deal with such challenges. The heart protector should be balanced and open and closed at appropriate times. On a physical level it relates to the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart.
Triple Heater meridian mostly has to do with body temperature and hormone functions.
Any of these meridians, being of the Fire Element, when lacking can present as lack of joy, so finding sources of joy to nourish the Fire Element is key to keeping it healthy. These can be, of course, external as well as internal sources of joy. We can make the choice to focus on joy even in times of distress. Heart and Small Intestine are the deeper aspects of joy, Heart Protector and Triple Heater being the lighter more passing feelings of joy.
Happy Summer!
Lillian