aid I would blog about each of the 5 elements, used as the basis for 5 element diagnosis, throughout this year – each element relates to a time of year so I planned to coincide my blog with the appropriate season.  It was going well – I took time to just be & be still in winter & found time to write about the water element – absolutely acting on the important aspects of the element – quiet & rest.  Then I felt the new budding & blooming energy of spring & had plenty of drive & creativity to write about the Tree element, known for it’s explosive emotions, & alternatively a stagnant stuck in the rut feeling. 

Then came summer, & goodbye went time or focus, & to be honest motivation, to blog about the fire element that relates to this time of year. I found I seem to always be doing, there were lots of things that had been planned that then actually happened, weddings, holiday trips, changes within working situations & many other things.  We saw a lot of people we hadn’t seen for a long time & we met a lot of new people. We found ourselves in new places & scenarios & spaces.  There has been lots of socialising & not much time for rest.

I have realised that my summer has been a perfect example of the fire element in full flow.  The fire element season is one of doing, not planning, of socialising & partying, of dancing & activity. When it’s in balance there is joy & laughter, there is warmth & passion & there is happiness & love.  When it’s not in balanced there can be excess heat, shouting, booming vocals, wildly over the top antics, heart issues, high blood pressure, hot headed actions & burn out. The opposite imbalance is a un-natural coolness, an inability to communicate & withdrawal, a lack  of fire & passion, poor circulation & a washed out complextion.

Fire needs care & kindness to be in balance.  It needs communication & support. A quiet rest like the embers of a fire is important & should be nurtured. Then the fire does not burn too bright & too fast. Contact with others & socialising is important to us all & allows us to feel a sense of being accepted. 

Cardio exercise is important, but in appropriate amounts. Joining groups & making opportunities to be with others can help also. Avoiding foods that have a strong, fast energy to them is important to avoid excess, removing sugar, alcohol, very sweet fruits from the diet can allow a better sense of grounding rather than wild hot fire.

So a great Summer that felt it had the right balance of warming, hearty activities, social occassions & making the most of the longer days.  We had a very relaxed quiet winter, we did our planning in the spring & have reaped the rewards over the last couple of months.