As I write this, fires are burning uncontrollably across areas of North America. The effects are widespread with smoke blanketing regions far outside the burn zones, reminding us of how connected we all are to each other and to Mother Earth. Seasonal fires demonstrate one very vivid real-life example of the Fire element's reign over the summer season.
Intellectually, we understand that in and of itself, Fire is neither good nor bad. With proper care, oversight, and nurturing, one small flame can dance joyfully in the darkness, lighting the way for those of us who are lost, offering heat to those of us who are cold, and cooking food to provide us with sustenance. Mishandled, the very same flame that provides so much care can bring total destruction.
Fire's nature is to generate heat, expand outward, brighten, and consume. It requires continuous nourishment in order to sustain itself. Feed it too little, it burns out. Contrastingly, a single stray spark blown mindlessly upon the right tinder can burn out of control. And a focused, gentle breath can coax a subtle, smoldering ember back to life again. These same energetic qualities reside within each of us, as our own personal embodiment of the Fire element, waiting for the ideal conditions to ignite them into being.
We can burn up, burn out, light the way, or ravage the landscape. We grow and expand, sometimes too hot and too quickly, consuming ourselves and our passions. And sometime we gain so much kinetic energy that we completely transform ourselves and those around around us. We spread, sharing our heat, leaping onward, sometimes leaving behind a trail of embers powerful enough to reignite someone else's diminishing flame. Starved of nourishment, we contract. We survive dimly in the shadow times of our lives, smoldering under the ashes of our own destruction, waiting for the winds to change direction, reawaken us to our power, and enliven us once again.
The potential of our inner Fire shouldn't be underestimated. And like all of the elements living inside of us, we must learn to recognize, support, and direct these qualities so that they manifest positively in our lives.
Yoga is a great tool to teach us how.
Benefits of Balancing the Inner Fire with Summer Yoga
Body:
Like forest fires in summer, the conditions in the physical body are primed to respond to the Fire element's natural desire to expand. Physically, in relation to the body, early summer rules the heart and blood circulation, followed by late summer which rules the large muscle groups. (Quick reminder - in TCM and Taoist wisdom, every body part is categorized into an element and embodies characteristics associated with that element.)
So in summer, our bodies are ready and eager to absorb yoga's physical benefits of more flexibility, greater strength and muscle tone, and increased blood circulation. Yoga helps trigger the body's natural process of vasodilation, the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. Vasodilation is the internal process responsible for many of the tangible physical benefits we acutely feel and the lasting benefits we gain from consistent yoga pracitce.
If yoga is your main form of exercise, really engage in your practice this season. You'll reap the rewards. In my experience as a yoga studio owner, students who began their practice in summer, rather than in winter as a new year's resolution, were more likely to stick with their pracitce all year long. Winter yogis tended to be fair weather friends appearing in the cold season only. I believe this is because the summer starters found such great results relatively more quickly and easily and therefore prioritized their practice time evenly all year round.
If you tend to back off your practice time in summer because of time constraints and routine changes, don't quit altogether! In summer, you can do less with more: you can get the same results with less mat time as long as you still practice mindfully, give 100%, and go through a well rounded sequence. If you have time to bump up your mat time, go for it! You'll be glad you did!
Mind:
Emotionally, Fire element rules the heart center where we experience love and loss. Summertime can reminds us that unconditional love is our natural state. Many yogis come to practice to grieve, to mend a broken heart. Something about the pracitce bring us in touch with love, joy and peace. We've all arrived on our mats sad, frazzled, uncomfortable, angry, distracted, and feeling less than good, and somehow, through the yoga experience, these feeling transform, dissolving into love, peace, contentment, or acceptance. As yoga wrings out our resistance, eventually we are left with only love.
Soul:
One manifestation of spirituality is creativity. When we are inspired, we are filled with spirit, the energy of life and creation that longs to be expressed and seen and experienced through us in the physical world. Yogic texts teach that cosmic consciousness expressed itself through us. Creativity is connection to the universal flow of energy. And the energy line or the phone line to our creative juices is wide open right now!
Yes, we can and should find creativity year round. But everything has a natural ebb and flow. Winter is a natural time for reflection, recharging, planning, and nurturing. Summer is when these energies are ripe, feeding our creative juices, and longing to manifest as our heart's desires!
The stillness of yoga practice - even an energized power vinyasa flow quiets the mind - opens the creative channels previously blocked by judgment, self-doubt, negatively or boredom. Through yoga, creativity is cultivated and set free. When we are inspired, the creative juices flow. The more open the channels, the stronger the flow, resulting in greater powers of manifestation. The Fire element illuminates our ideas and manifests them into being.
In Closing
Like the mythical phoenix who sets itself on fire and rises from the ashes reborn, we must trust it ability to fuel us onward, open us up to love, and ignite our creative passions.
In balance, the fire element empowers our physical form with strength and flexibility. It embodies unconditional love, sparks our creativity, and fuels us forward to experience ourselves fully in all aspects of body, mind, and soul. It provides us an inner strength and resilience, so that even when we experience burnout, the embers are never fully grown cold and by nature are ready to leap into life again, and enduring flame of love.
Thanks for reading! Please share with anyone you believe would enjoy the content and benefit!
Namaste,
Lara
PS
If social channels are where you like to be notified of new content, events, and news, please connect with us on IG, Twitter or LinkedIn.
You can also email me: lara@laraalexiou.com or comment below.
Thanks!
Comments