Attuning to Summer and the Fire Element
The Taoist theory of Five Elements is a centuries-old tool originating in ancient China which describes patterns of change inherent in all life processes, and is fundamental to the practice of Eastern Medicine. It is a guide for integrating human activity with the natural rhythms of the cosmos and for understanding the relationship between all facets of life. The Five Elements, or Five Transformations - described as Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal - are envisioned as stations around a circle. Each element arises out of the one which precedes it, creates the one which follows it, and is controlled by the element opposite, illustrating the balanced forces of generation, growth, decline, death and regeneration. An infinite variety of experience and phenomena, such as body organs, emotions, sounds, colors, foods, flavors, directions, and on and on, correspond to each element in the cycle.
Having passed the solstice on June 22nd, those of us in the northern hemisphere are well into the summer season and the Fire phase of the Five Element cycle. The essence of Fire is about expansion and coming into fullness, it is the height of development, the point of maximum output. The rising energy of the Wood element in springtime, transforms into the peak-energy and fruition of Fire, which we observe on the longest day of the year, in the abundance of flowers and vegetation bursting forth, and in the heightened activity of insects, birds and animals in our environment. The ancient Chinese believed that every aspect of human well-being was influenced by the seasons, and that we should strive to live in harmony with them. To attune to the energy of summer, the sages advise us to express Fire’s principals of lightness, brightness, expansion, outward activity and creativity.
To smooth the transition from one season to the next and harmonize with its energy, we can avail ourselves of a variety of tools and practices, including acupuncture, mind-body movement traditions such as qi gong and yoga, meditation, and simply spending time in nature. One of the easiest and most profound ways we can attune to the season is through our food – eating what is in season locally and optimizing our choices and preparations. Taking advantage of the brilliant array of fruits and vegetables available to us in summer is a wonderful way to bring both the lightness and brightness of Fire into our body. As a general rule, it is important to always incorporate all the colors of the rainbow and all five flavors – salty, sweet, bitter, pungent and sour – into our main meal, or over the course of the day. This not only delights the senses and keeps our meals interesting, but it ensures we get the variety of nutrients necessary for balanced health. In summer, though, focusing on variety in our diet is especially key to harmonizing with the season, simply because this is when nature provides the most abundant variety of foods – and mirroring that bounty on our plate, is a way of affirming and activating our own creative energy.
In Chinese medical theory, foods and herbs are understood to have certain energetic qualities which determine how they will affect the body when eaten, and so a food’s flavor, color, shape, and thermal nature are all considered in relation to the individual’s unique constitution. By understanding their energetic properties, we can either emphasize or limit certain foods to better attune to seasonal energy. (In a therapeutic context, food and herb recommendations are always tailored to the individual patient and their specific situation, so at times may contradict the energies of the season to effect balance.) Following are some basic principles of Chinese dietary theory and simple tips to incorporate into your shopping and cooking this summer to support healthy Fire according to the cycle of Five Elements:
FIRE’S FLAVORS: Pungent and Bitter
We can become more expansive, like the summer itself, by using small amounts of the PUNGENT or spicy flavor, which is said to increase circulation and disperse energy up and outward to the surface of the body. Feeling heat on the body’s surface reduces the sensation of heat in the atmosphere around us, and it enables us to sweat, which cools the body. The pungent flavor is also understood to stimulate digestion and help clear excess mucous. The key in summer, when there is so much heat in the environment, is using small amounts of the spicy flavor to avoid creating excess heat in the system.
In conditions of excess heat, the BITTER flavor is used to bring balance. Excess Fire in the body can be caused by external factors, such as pathogens or overexposure to sun, or from internal imbalances of the organ systems and improper flow of energy in the body. Symptoms of excess Fire can manifest as heat, fever, inflammation and infections, palpitations, flushed face, and certain disturbances of the mind and emotions. Bitterness has characteristics with Fire’s controlling element, Water, because it is understood to be cooling, causing energy to descend in the body and helping to clear heat and dampness.
Pungent Foods: onion and garlic, fresh ginger, black pepper, hot peppers, fennel, dill, anise, coriander, cumin, mints, mustard greens, cabbages, radishes, turnips
Bitter Foods: dandelion leaf or root, burdock leaf or root, kale, turnip greens, romaine, escarole, chamomile, citrus peel, alfalfa, celery, asparagus, amaranth, quinoa, rye
FIRE’S THERMAL NATURE: Hot
The thermal nature of a food does not refer to its measurable temperature, but rather to its effect on the body which will either be warming or cooling. Thermal nature can be applied to whole categories of foods as well as to the specific foods in each category. So, for example, fruits are generally considered the most cooling foods, followed by vegetables and then grains; animal foods and fats are considered the most warming. But within the world of animal foods, fish is considered more cooling than chicken or red meat, and in the vegetable kingdom, root veggies are understood to be more warming than leafy greens. Additionally, the thermal nature of a food can be altered by how it is combined with other foods and how it is prepared.
Since summer is Fire’s season - the quality of heat being the most obvious correspondence - there is a tendency this time of year towards an accumulation of heat in the body. So, while foods with a warming or hot nature are most aligned with Fire’s energy, we generally employ foods with a COOLING nature on the hottest days of summer, to bring balance and prevent excess. Thus, the heavier proteins and fats which help keep us warm through the winter are less appropriate in hot weather and will create imbalance if we are not careful. It is important to note, that iced and frozen foods and drinks, consumed by Westerners in abundance in the summer, are considered unhealthy for the system from a Chinese medical perspective, and do not in fact cool the body. Rather, cold causes contraction, which holds in heat. Chilled food shocks blood vessels and slows digestive function, which puts greater demand on the digestive organs to work harder, which in turn creates more heat and ultimately harms the whole system.
Luckily, fruits and vegetables, so plentiful in this season, have a cooling energetic nature. Ayurvedic expert, John Douillard often speaks of the foods available in each season as being an “antidote” for the atmospheric qualities of that season. And indeed nature does provide all we need to stay in balance. In addition to the thermal nature of our food, we can also consider the temperature and method of cooking here. In summer, it is advised to use high heat for a short time to prepare foods. So, a quick sauté, steam, or simmer is most appropriate for summer food preparation. In general, Chinese medicine advises limiting raw foods, which are very cooling and can, in excess, injure digestive function, which is essentially hot. However, small amounts of raw fruit and salads are appropriate in summer, particularly for those with excess constitutions.
Cooling Foods: lettuces, radish, cucumber, celery, mushroom, asparagus, spinach, chard, summer squashes, eggplant, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, mung beans and sprouts, tofu, tempeh, barley, millet, amaranth, fish, seaweeds, kudzu, yogurt, apple, banana, pear, melons, tomato, citrus, salads, lightly cooked foods
FIRE’S SHAPES: Branching, Spreading, Pitted
Leafy greens which spread up and out from the ground are said to have an affinity with Fire’s nature, which also spreads and expands. Fire’s fruits are the stone fruits, abundant in summer, which grow on branches and organize soft flesh around a central pit. These foods are considered strengthening for Fire, through their physical composition, but also cooling, through their flavors, colors and thermal natures - making them ideal for summer. By contrast, those with a Fire deficiency, or anyone spending long hours in a chilled environment, would best use these in combination with more warming foods and preparations to balance their cooling nature.
Fire Vegetables: kale, chard, spinach, broccoli, arugula, parsley, cilantro
Fire Fruits: apricot, peach, plum, cherry, mango, date
FIRE’S COLOR: Red
An excess of red color, or a lack of it, in the complexion can indicate Fire out of balance in the body. In both Chinese medicine and Western nutrition, red foods are considered beneficial for the heart. Red colored fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants and flavonoids which benefit circulation, reduce inflammation and protect against disease. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the main organ associated with the Fire element is the heart. The Chinese concept of the Heart not only governs our cardiovascular system, carrying the energy of Fire throughout the physical body, it also houses our spirit, inspiring joy, enthusiasm and open-hearted connection with others. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, an ancient text fundamental to Chinese medicine theory, states “The supernatural forces of summer create heat in the Heavens and fire on Earth: they create the heart and the pulse within the body… the red color, the tongue, and the ability to express laughter… they create the bitter flavor, and the emotions of happiness and joy.”
Red Foods: tomato, beet, peppers, red cabbage, rhubarb, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry, goji berry, pomegranate, hawthorn fruit
Finally, the idea and image of Fire, in its myriad forms, has come to symbolize many things throughout human history: passion, purification, enlightenment, creation, destruction, and the presence of the divine. Fire energy is also a catalyst for transformation, altering the inner structure of things to become something different: the sun transforms tiny seeds into a field of grain, the potter’s kiln transforms clay into a vessel, dough in an oven becomes bread, and the heat of metabolism transforms our food to flesh and energy. On a societal level, we have witnessed this catalyzing aspect of the Fire element in the civil unrest and social uprising of recent weeks; across this country, where certain fellow humans are continual targets of hate and injustice, decades of fear, pain, grief, and anger have fueled peaceful protests, boiled over into violence, and ignited action to transform the inner structures of our current social reality.
This summer, as we emerge from months of sheltering in place, and carefully return to more activity and engagement with the world, I invite you to welcome and work with the Fire element’s qualities - lightness, brightness, expansion, outward activity and connection, creativity and transformation - in your own life. Experiment in your kitchen, body, environment, relationships, and community. Wishing you a joyful, creative and healthy summer!
Fire Element Contemplation Seeds:
What have I been growing in my life since the winter solstice? What has come to fruition?
What in my life wants transforming?
What needs to be burned away to make space for change?
What do I desire to rise from the ashes?
Where can I open my heart? Where do I need to protect it?
How can I nurture joy?
Bibliography:
Reichstien, Gail. Wood Becomes Water: Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, Kodansha America, Inc., 1998
Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions in Modern Nutrition, 3rd ed. North Atlantic Books, 2002
Gagne, Steve. Food Energetics: The Spiritual, Emotional and Nutritional Power of What We Eat, Healing Arts Press, 2008